New Details: Beer, wine price hike killed

Oregon has the 5th highest alcohol addiction rate in the country and six Oregonians die each day due to alcohol.

That is the equivalent to three constituents dying each month in each House district,” Oregon Recovers Executive Director Mike Marshall stated in a release.

“Big Alcohol, organized by lobbyists for the beer and wine distributors, actively opposed the legislation, fearing it would diminish their profits,” Marshall said. “Comparatively, the House is moving forward with legislation to promote distilled liquor consumption and reimburse liquor store owners for diminished profits due to efforts to reduce underage and binge drinking.”

Alcohol is a toxic, addictive carcinogen and binge drinking costs the state economy $4.8 billion annually, according to the release.

“The state is in a crisis due to alcohol and it’s time for the Oregon Legislature to acknowledge that they have a drinking problem,” Marshall said. “Our elected leaders are ignoring that their constituents are dying from alcohol at alarming rates and instead spending their limited time advancing legislation to financially benefit Big Alcohol.”

“This decision once again demonstrates that the Oregon Legislature is not serious about dealing with the profound racial health inequities in this state,” Cielo Treatment Center Executive Director Solara Salazar said. “Native Americans die at 2 and half times the rate of white people due to the consumption of alcohol. Black and Latino Oregonians are more prone than white Oregonians to developing cirrhosis of the liver due to alcohol consumption. The bottom line is the decision to kill this important bill prevents the state from saving lives.”

The House Committee on Behavioral Health & Health Care has argued that there was not time to have a hearing on the Alcohol Harm Reduction Act, given the volume of legislation they are considering. The Committee did schedule hearings on the following bills:

• HB 3140, removes requirement Public Employees Benefit Board & Oregon Educators Benefit Board solicit new bids for actuarial or technical support every three years.

• HB 2420, directs Oregon Health Authority to adopt rules allowing county registrar to issue and sell records of live births and deaths occurring in any county.

While both are important issues neither bill is designed to address a crisis and save Oregonians’ lives.

At the request of the alcohol industry, the legislature has held hearings and voted to advance the following bills:

• HB 2976, at the request of Oregon Distillers Guild, will redirect General Fund resources to promote liquor consumption and block Governor Kotek’s effort to raise the current bottle fee from $0.50 to $1.

• HB 2502, will entitle liquor store operators to significant public funds if any laws designed to lower harmful alcohol consumption reduce their sales.

• SB 616, at the request of Oregon Brewers Guild, more than doubles the amount of beer and cider allowed for direct shipment to homes with children.

“It’s a sad day in Oregon when the Legislature has an opportunity to address one of the largest Behavioral Health crises affecting our residents and does not give it the time of day,” Oregon Recovers Co-Chair Teri Morgan said. “People are dying and we have a strategic way to start changing that laid out in this bill. Honestly, this should be one of their TOP priorities. It makes no sense to me.”