Q&A

New Mexico leads the United States in alcohol-related mortality - NM has had the highest state rate of alcohol-related mortality since 1997, and the state has ranked 1st, 2nd, or 3rd since 1981 (NMDOH, 2022). Additionally, 1 in 5 deaths among adults aged 20-64 years is related to alcohol (NMDOH, 2023).

Negative health impacts include higher risk of cancer, heart disease, mental health conditions, liver disease, and digestive problems - the most common cause of death out of these is chronic liver disease. Societal consequences include increased rates of violent crime (i.e., homicide), suicide, motor vehicle accidents, and economic impacts (NMDOH, 2023). A total of more than $2.2 billion was spent in New Mexico in 2010 on health care, criminal justice expenses, etc. related to excessive alcohol use (CDC, 2018).

The mission of the AHA Coalition is to advocate for effective, evidence-based policies that reduce alcohol-related harms in New Mexico.

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In a review of 78 papers, a study conducted by Elder et al., published in the NIH National Library of Medicine, established that there is consistent evidence of a correlation between higher alcohol prices/taxes and lower excessive alcohol consumption along with rates associated harms (2013). Since then, research has been conducted by several entities, including the National Bureau of Economic Research, which indicates that increased alcohol taxes reduces purchases by heavy drinkers (Saffer et al., 2022). It is not the intent of this policy to stop the consumption of all alcohol consumers; the goal of this strategy is to reduce the skyrocketing burden of alcohol-related harms in New Mexico.

A volume-based excise tax is imposed upon the distributer and passed along to consumers. Pros: Can increase the price of alcoholic beverages and reduce consumption, paid directly by the alcohol industry, easy to implement in NM. Cons: Need to be adjusted for inflation over time. A sales tax is imposed directly upon the consumer and is charged at the point of sale (PoS). Pros: Can increase the price of alcoholic beverages and reduce consumption, not subject to erosion from inflation. Cons: Lower tax amount per unit on lower-priced alcoholic beverages by design (making cheaper alcoholic beverages more affordable and accessible), would require additional infrastructure to address and collect in NM, paid directly by consumers.

~$34 million/year: Increase funding for programs in current statute and account for future inflation adjustments - Local DWI (LDWI) Program, Drug Courts, etc. ~$166-216 million/year: Creation of Alcohol Harms Alleviation Fund to provide funding for - Alcohol harms prevention, treatment, and recovery services for New Mexicans, including those who have been harmed by others using alcohol excessively 25% of annual funding to Indian Nations, Tribes, and Pueblos to implement alcohol harms prevention programs and treatment (including culturally-relevant practices) Prioritization of community-based initiatives that address the need of populations/communities disproportionately impacted by excessive alcohol use who are working to reduce health disparities

The alcohol harm paradox (or paradox of harm) states that marginalized and disadvantaged groups (i.e., Indigenous, Hispanic, and Black/African-American) are disproportionately impacted negatively by alcohol-related harms, even though their levels of consumption are generally equal to or lower than those of more advantaged groups (i.e., White) (Boyd et al., 2023). Thus, increased alcohol taxes (largely paid by more advantaged groups), will have a higher level of positive impact on disadvantaged and marginalized groups.

While this question typically comes from a place of compassion and empathy, it is actually much more harmful not to intervene upon excessive drinking behaviors. Individuals who reduce alcohol consumption can benefit in many ways including having additional resources for essential items and decreased risk of negative health consequences. Additionally, the surrounding community benefits from increased safety (i.e., lower risk of violence, motor vehicle accidents, etc.) and better youth outcomes (CDC, 2022).

New Mexico specifically has already benefited from similar taxes on tobacco and has recently imposed a gradually increasing sales tax on recreational cannabis. The study by Elder et al., along with others, shows decreased alcohol consumption and harms rates across a wide variety of jurisdictions, cultures, and population types. Some of the places that have seen improvements with increased alcohol taxes include: Alaska Maryland Illinois Florida Oregon Washington California Canada Lithuania Scotland Australia South Africa Finland Norway Sweden Estonia Iceland

According to the NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse, investing in prevention is the only way to create significant, long-term changes in drug and alcohol consumption patterns (Volkow, 2022). The increase of alcohol taxes has been proven to be an effective prevention strategy for excessive alcohol consumption. The General Fund is mainly replenished from oil and gas revenues, which is not a secure source of income and will gradually decrease over time. By increasing alcohol taxes, we are setting up a scenario where prevention, treatment, recovery, and other alcohol misuse programs can be funded in the long-term while decreasing overall alcohol consumption and thus related economic burdens to our state.

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