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USDA Funding Wineries to Market and Sell Alcohol

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Created: Monday, September 15 2014 10:24
September 16, 2014

This year, 28 wineries in 20 states will cash in on $3,281,928 in Federal Farm Bill subsidies in the form of Value-Added Producer Grants (VAPG) to market and sell alcohol, turning wine barrels into pork barrels. According to USDA rules, wineries may receive up to $200,000 each in VAPG grants for activities that add value to their products. One New York winery is using their VAPG subsidy to launch a farmers market where it will sell its wine (Alcohol Justice has cited numerous public health and safety concerns associated with alcohol sales at farmers markets in our opposition to 2014 California legislation).

The end goals of the grants are "generating new products, creating and expanding marketing opportunities and increasing producer income." Considering the $94 billion in direct economic harm to government caused by excessive alcohol consumption each year, the federal government should not be in the business of promoting alcohol availability and consumption or increasing the damage to public health and safety.


New Publications in World Medical and Health Policy Special Alcohol Issue

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Created: Monday, September 15 2014 10:36
September 17, 2014

Online journal World Medical and Health Policy released a special alcohol policy issue in September 2014, including two articles by Alcohol Justice researchers: "Optimal U.S. State Alcohol Excise Taxes to Recover Government Cost of Excessive Consumption" by Holley Shafer, and "Alcohol Ads on Public Transit: Policies From Major Metropolitan Areas in the United States" by Sarah Mart and Jessica Blakemore. To request an electronic copy of either article, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Visit the following links to read our fact sheets about increasing alcohol taxes and out-of-home alcohol advertising.

Read the Press Release.

New Report: Alcohol's Burden of Disease in Australia

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Created: Monday, September 15 2014 11:54
September 17, 2014


A new report details the considerable burden of alcohol attributable disease in Australia, including alcohol consumption, death and hospitalization data. The authors estimate that alcohol caused over 5,500 deaths (including 1,500 cancer deaths), 157,000 hospitalizations, and 39,000 years of potential life lost in Australia in 2010.

The report was written by Australia's Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre and funded by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) and VicHealth.

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