FIRST SIP ®
78 Years and Counting B
esides getting to go to a great couple of parties (William Grant's "An Evening Behind Bars" at Alcatraz took the cake for
the anniversary of repeal this year); December 5th anniversary of the end of Prohibition and is
also an opportunity to refl ect on how this country has changed since Prohibition. Th is year we feted the 78th
as far as we have come it seems we still have a long way to go. Operators continue to deal with a number of
challenges posed by activist groups like MADD and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Th ese groups continue to push for lower legal blood alcohol levels, increased taxes on alcoholic beverages and the installation of alcohol detection devices in more cars (at the consumer's cost). Th e American Beverage Institute continues to gather the industry together twice annually to brainstorm how we can best support responsible drinking without unnecessary legislation and potentially penalizing innocent bystanders. Some of the concerns expressed over the past years also include the fact that these alcohol
detection devices aren't foolproof. Th ey are frequently reportedly set at lower than .08 levels and can be set off by passengers in the car and not just the driver. Another scary scenario they potentially pose is the risk of a family enjoying a bottle of wine at home when a child slips and they can no longer start their car to take him or her to the hospital. Th ere is obvious concern that such extreme measures as installing these devices in more
vehicles could cause many customers to completely cease enjoying a glass of wine or a beer with their meals. Partaking in a great drink with dinner has long been a pleasure of dining out and one of which American consumers should not be deprived. Operators are also painfully aware of how this type of legislation could aff ect their bottom line. We as a country and as an industry want to move forward as we move away from Prohibition.
So besides speaking our minds to our customers and our congress people about these potential measures, what else can be done to avoid Neo-Puritanical trends from creeping back into our culture? How else can we promote a culture of responsible drinking without further legislation? I welcome your feedback on the issue.
Cheers!
Liza B. Zimmerman Editor-in-Chief
January/February 2012 Vol. 24 No. 1
Executive Vice President, Group Publisher Charles Forman Tel (845) 426-6072
cforman@m2media360.com Editor-in-Chief
Liza B. Zimmerman Tel (415) 994-0130
Lzimmerman@m2media360.com
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Contributing Editors
John Fischer, Michael Granberry, Michelle Paolillo Lockett,
Kelly Magyarics, Kara Newman, Todd A. Price, Lucy Saunders, Thomas Henry Strenk
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