NABCA Control State Results Control State Results for September 2016

Control State News PA: Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Releases Annual Report, Retail Year in Review ME: Maine Brewery Owner Runs for State Legislature

License State News NE: Whiteclay beer stores could face higher bar in reapplying for liquor licenses SC: The Beer Issue

International News Ireland: ‘A separate place for alcohol will ruin our business’ United Kingdom: The sobering reality — minimum alcohol pricing does not tackle root issues of drunkenness

Public Health News Science finds drinking alcohol and energy drinks has same effect as taking cocaine

Industry News 2016 Beverage Packaging in the U.S.

Daily News Spate of drugged driving deaths alarms U.S. regulators Marijuana Instead of Wine? The Restaurant World Has ‘Intense’ Interest in Switching Focus

October 27, 2016 ANNOUNCEMENT REGISTRATION NOW OPEN for Inaugural Beverage Alcohol Retailers Conference June 12-14, 2017 Minneapolis, MN Beverage Dynamics is pleased to announce the inaugural Beverage Alcohol Retailers Conference (BARC), taking place on June 1214, 2017 in Minneapolis, MN. The conference will bring together top retailers, offering in-person education and networking, something lacking in the offpremise industry. Registration and sponsorship information is available at www.BevRetailersConference.com. Registration is now open, so visit the BARC website today to secure your early bird rate before prices increase on February 9. Seating for BARC is limited. VIEW FLYER

SAVE THE DATE • Drug Trends Class (Huffing,

Dabbing, Doping & Legalization Influences) - December 12, 2016, 9 am to 4 pm in Twin Falls, Idaho. 22 spots still available! Registration Fee is $90.00 Registration Form For more info: Jermaine Galloway, Tall Cop

• May 22-25, 2017 - 2017 NABCA Annual

Conference - Mark your calendars! The NABCA Annual Conference will be held at the JW Marriott Marco Island in Marco Island, FL. If you have questions, contact the Meetings Department at [email protected]

NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016)

• Upcoming Training brought to you by the Northwest Alcohol Conference - Large & Rural Party Enforcement, Prevention & Dispersal: Coming to Northern Idaho May, 2017: Law Enforcement Instructors wanted! Looking to co-train with other experts in this field. Topics to include: Outdoor party patrols or rural party patrol enforcement; Coalitions who work with Law Enforcement, and have creative strategies for dealing with these parties; Illegal sales of alcohol; Drug influences during these parties; Making a high Impact with low numbers; and more! This Training is for: Law Enforcement; Coalitions; Alcohol Service Providers; Probation & Parole; Student Resource Officers For more information, please contact Jessica. This training is brought to you by: The Northwest Alcohol Conference (new website coming soon!) Thanks for all of your support!! •

2017 National Conference Responsible Retailing Forum October 20, 2016 The Responsible Retailing Forum (RRForum) announces that its 2017 national conference will be held on Monday, April 24 – Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco. The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control will be on hand for a presentation of innovations in community-based responsibility, including RRForum research projects in California to reduce underage sales and over-service of alcohol, and RRForum’s strategic alliance with the International Town & Gown Association to address alcohol access and abuse in college and university communities. Registration for RRForum’s 15th annual national conference will open in early November. To join the mailing list for conference updates visit www.rrforum.org or email [email protected].

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016)

NABCA HIGHLIGHTS •

Update! Control State Info Sheets on the following states: Vermont, North Carolina, Maine & Pennsylvania.

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Research: Powdered Alcohol: An Encapsulation (updated 7/2016)

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Grocery & Convenience Stores as Alcohol Outlets (updated 6/2016)

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Craft Products: Research and Legal Analysis (4/2016)

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NABCA Survey Database – now available for members on the website.

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Beverage Alcohol Control Agency Info Sheet The control agency info sheet provides details about control jurisdiction and how each regulates the product and promotes alcohol awareness within the respective communities.

www.NABCA.org

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016)

NABCA CONTROL STATE RESULTS Control State Results for September 2016 Control State Results October 26, 2016 October 26, 2016 During September, nine-liter spirits case sales in the control states grew at 1.5%, a rate effected by reporting calendar anomalies and a strong comp. Rolling-twelve month volume growth of 2.9% was down from August’s 3.4%. Idaho, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, and Wyoming reported monthly nine-liter case growth rates that exceeded their 12-month trends. Spirits volumes in the control states have grown 3.1% year-to-date compared to 2.8% a year ago. Control state spirits shelf dollars growth was up 3.7% during September while trending at 5.3% during the past twelve months. Idaho, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, and Wyoming reported monthly growth rates exceeding their 12-month trends. Spirits shelf dollars have grown 5.4% year-to-date, flat with 2015’s September. Price/Mix for September is 2.2%, nearly mirroring August’s 2.3%. September’s control state spirits growth rate was effected by the control states’ reporting calendars: −

Michigan, with more than 15% of control states’ spirits nine-liter case volumes and dollars, reported four weeks of sales this year versus five weeks of sales during September, 2015, artificially deflating growth and skewing control states results. Michigan had five fewer selling days during this year’s September than during last year’s.

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Utah, with more than 2% of control states’ spirits nine-liter case volumes and dollars, reported five weeks of sales this year versus four weeks of sales during September, 2015, artificially inflating growth and skewing control states results. Utah had six more selling days during this year’s September than during last year’s.

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Overall, September, 2016, had one more selling day than last year’s September.

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After equivalizing nine-liter spirits case sales with respect to selling-day variations, September’s volumetric growth is 3.4%, and rolling-twelve-month volume growth is 2.6%. Likewise, after equivalizing shelf dollars, September’s control states shelf dollar growth rate is 5.9% with a twelve-month trend of 4.9%.

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April’s equivalized Price/Mix is 2.5%.

Irish Whiskey, with 1% share of the control states spirits market, was September’s fastest growing category with 12.0% reported and a twelve month trend of 15.1%. Vodka, with 35% share, grew during the same periods at 0.9% and 2.9%. Tequila (8.9%) grew during September at a rate exceeding its twelve-month trend, while Brandy/Cognac (9.9%), Canadian Whiskey (1.5%), Cocktails (-1.0%), Cordials (-2.7%), Domestic Whiskey (2.4%), Gin (-1.1%), Irish Whiskey (12.0%), Rum (-0.9%), Scotch (-1.2%), and Vodka (0.9%) fell somewhat short. September’s nine-liter wine case sales growth rate was 2.5%. Pennsylvania (reporting 2.5% nine-liter case growth for wines), New Hampshire (1.7%), Utah (21.5%), Mississippi (-9.5%), Montgomery County Maryland (-1.1%), and Wyoming (0.4%) are the control states that are the sole wholesalers of wines and spirits within their geographical boundaries. Rolling-twelve month wine volume growth in these six control states was 1.7%, lagging August’s 1.9%.

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016)

9L Cases CM % Chg Total Control States Central Region NE Region NW Region Southern Region

1.5 -1.7 4.5 7.7 3.3

Shelf $ CM % Chg 3.7 -0.2 9.0 9.5 6.6

Price/Mix 2.2 1.5 4.5 1.8 3.3

Control States IA, MD, MI, OH, PA, WV ME, NH, VT ID, MT, OR, UT, WY AL, MS, NC, VA

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016)

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016)

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016)

CONTROL STATE NEWS PA: Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Releases Annual Report, Retail Year in Review Comprehensive reports detail agency operations, sales Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board October 26, 2016 Harrisburg – The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) today released its 2015-16 Annual Report and Retail Year in Review, two publications that provide insight into agency operations and sales. The Annual Report, in its fourth year, provides detailed information about each area of the PLCB’s operations including store operations, licensing, marketing and merchandising, finance, supply chain, information technology, alcohol education, and personnel. The document is filled with statistics and descriptions intended to shed light on how the agency works and where the money it generates goes. Some of the highlights of the 2015-16 Annual Report include: •

The steps the PLCB is taking to modernize systems and streamline processes, including PLCB+ and the Licensee Online Order Portal (LOOP)

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A one-page summary showing where the PLCB’s money goes and how proceeds are distributed

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A summary of store operations, including store branding efforts

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A breakdown of the 71,000+ license and permit applications processed and more than 7,500 investigations completed, as well as a breakout of licenses by county

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A summary of Bureau of Alcohol Education grants and efforts to reduce and prevent dangerous and underage drinking

The Retail Year in Review, featuring new infographics and a new design, is a detailed analysis of wine and spirits sales in Pennsylvania. It showcases sales by product category, individual products, counties, e-commerce, stores, and sales periods. Tracking consumer tastes across Pennsylvania and beverage alcohol industry trends enables the PLCB to analyze and improve its selection of products in more than 600 Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores across the state. The 2015-16 Retail Year in Review includes the following findings: •

Just three of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties account for more than a third of the state’s total wine and spirits sales.

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The top three brands (by sales volume) in the commonwealth were Barefoot, Sutter Home, and Pennsylvania’s own Jacquin’s.

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December 2015 and November 2015 were the highest sales months for the retail year, with 12.76 percent and 8.64 percent of annual sales, respectively.

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Fireball Cinnamon Whisky 750 mL topped the list of products for units sold last retail year, while Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey Old Number 7 750 mL achieved the highest dollar sales among individual products.

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016) •

Of the higher-volume counties, York, Lancaster, and Juniata showed impressive sales growth over the prior year, with 7.3 percent, 5.4 percent, and 5 percent growth, respectively.

To save on costs, a limited number of copies of each report, both produced in-house, are printed. Both reports are available at www.lcb.pa.gov. The PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in Pennsylvania, operates more than 600 wine and spirits stores statewide, and licenses 20,000 alcohol producers, retailers, and handlers. The PLCB also works to reduce and prevent dangerous and underage drinking through partnerships with schools, community groups, and licensees. Taxes and store profits – totaling $15.1 billion since the agency’s inception – are returned to Pennsylvania’s General Fund, which finances Pennsylvania’s schools, health and human services programs, law enforcement, and public safety initiatives, among other important public services. The PLCB also provides financial support for the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, other state agencies, and local municipalities across the state. For more information about the PLCB, visit www.lcb.pa.gov. MEDIA CONTACT: Elizabeth Brassell, 717.783.8864

ME: Maine Brewery Owner Runs for State Legislature Brewbound By Justin Kendall October, 26, 2016 A well-known figure in Maine’s craft beer scene is running for the state’s House of Representatives. Heather Sanborn, co-owner of Rising Tide Brewing Company and the former president of the Maine Brewers Guild, is running as a Democrat for House District seat 43, which represents parts of Portland and Falmouth. Sanborn is running against Republican attorney Jeffrey Langholtz. In an interview with Brewbound, Sanborn said she imagined that she’d run for office later in life — when both her brewery, which opened in 2010 in Maine’s East Bayside neighborhood, and her 13-year-old son were older. But the timing now was too perfect not to run. “It really was a phenomenal opportunity to represent my hometown and my home neighborhood in the Maine Legislature,” she said. “It’s the type of opportunity that doesn’t come around all of the time.” Sanborn practiced law between 2008 and 2012 and served as a high school teacher in the early 2000s. As a brewery owner, she played a pivotal role in helping to reform Maine’s outdated alcohol laws, helping to lead a successful legislative effort in 2011 that gave Maine breweries the right to sell beer samples and open tasting rooms. “We unleashed a wave of beer tourism that has been incredible and driven the growth of breweries in Maine,” she said. Since launching Rising Tide six years ago, Sanborn and her husband, Nathan, have installed a canning line, grown fermentation space, opened a warehouse in Westbrook and renovated the brewery’s tasting room, which she said has helped boost business. “Rising Tide has taken a relatively slow approach to growth,” she said. “We are really trying to grow organically.” By the end of the year, the brewery will produce about 4,500 barrels of beer, she said.

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016) “We’ll grow by about a 1,000 barrels this year,” she said. “It’s hard to plan growth because the tide shifts so quickly in this business.” Sanborn also played a key role in streamlining the process for alcoholic beverage manufacturers to make in-kind donations to nonprofits for fundraising events. And she helped push through a measure to make it easier to put on beer festivals in the state. But Sanborn said her platform goes beyond fixing antiquated Prohibition-era laws. “If I was interested in focusing on beer laws, I would have stayed in my position at the Guild,” she said. So she’s building a platform on getting “Maine’s economy rolling toward the future,” providing affordable healthcare and expanding Medicaid. “We’re leaving federal money on the table, and people are falling through the cracks,” she said. While she campaigns, Sanborn said she has begun delegating some of her duties to the brewery’s employees, which now total 21. However, should she be elected to serve in Augusta, she’ll remain involved in the business’ daily operations. “I expect I’ll be doing a little bit of brewery operations every day,” she said. “I may not be physically at the brewery those days, but I’ll be telecommuting.”

LICENSE STATE NEWS NE: Whiteclay beer stores could face higher bar in reapplying for liquor licenses Lincoln Journal Star By Zach Pluhacek October 27, 2016 Four liquor stores that sold the equivalent of 3.5 million cans of beer last year on the doorstep of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation might soon be forced to justify their continued existence to state liquor regulators. Nebraska Liquor Control Commission staff want to require all four beer stores in the troubled village of Whiteclay to reapply for their liquor licenses this year instead of simply having them reissued through the standard process. That would set a higher bar for Whiteclay's Arrowhead Inn, State Line Liquor, D&S Pioneer Service and Jumping Eagle Inn to keep selling beer in the 12-person village just south of Pine Ridge, where alcohol is banned. Hobert Rupe, the Liquor Commission's executive director, said he will recommend commissioners require the more intensive re-application process at their next hearing Nov. 1. The decision followed comments by a Sheridan County official this month that the county "absolutely" does not have adequate law enforcement for proper policing in Whiteclay. "We really need help with law enforcement," Sheridan County Commissioner Jack Andersen told lawmakers during an Oct. 11 hearing at the state Capitol. Rupe said he was "shocked" by the statement and that it raised serious concerns about the licenses. Activists believe the problem is significant enough to justify shutting down Whiteclay's beer stores.

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016) State law requires the Liquor Commission to consider whether existing law enforcement is adequate before issuing a liquor license. County records and comments made by state and local officials already provided "overwhelming" evidence that law enforcement there is lacking, said John Maisch, a former liquor regulator from Oklahoma who produced a documentary on Whiteclay. Activists also cite the Aug. 17 death of Sherry Wounded Foot, a 50-year-old woman they say was brutally beaten in Whiteclay and later died of her injuries. Beer sales in Whiteclay have been blamed for a wide range of social ills in and around Pine Ridge: alcoholism and bootlegging are rampant on the reservation despite the liquor ban, hundreds of children are born with fetal alcohol disorders, and Whiteclay itself is a hub for vagrants and violence. Licenses for all four beer stores were already up for renewal next year, but that process would not have required Sheridan County officials to weigh in unless petitioned by people from the area. Under the more intensive process being proposed, the county must recommend approval or denial. The change would also place a greater burden on the beer stores to explain why their licenses should be reissued, Rupe said. State Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln said work will remain even if all four licenses are revoked: "We still have a public health issue happening due to our acts, right in our backyard." She plans to sponsor legislation next year to address issues such as law enforcement, treatment and economic development in the Whiteclay area, and is considering holding a conference on the public health situation before the legislative session begins in January. The beer stores' existing liquor licenses expire in April, Rupe said. Event if new licenses are denied, activists fear litigation could delay getting them closed. "It's a step forward for those who think the beer stores ought to be shut down," said Dennis Carlson of Lincoln, former counsel for discipline at the Nebraska Supreme Court. "But it's only a first step, and we're not at the end of the road. "In my view, this is an emergency."

SC: The Beer Issue

Stepped-Up State Enforcement Creates Muddle for Craft Beer Festivals Free Times By Tug Baker October 26, 2016 One of the biggest growth areas for the local beer scene this year was beer festivals. But with the increased exposure came some unwanted attention. On May 21, the first-ever South Carolina Brewers Guild Fest, sponsored by the nonprofit South Carolina Brewers Guild, took place in Cayce — and to keen observers, there was something of a shift about halfway through the event. The first pours were mostly pulled from the tap by the brewers themselves — but by the time festivalgoers

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016) got to their third or fourth two-ounce sample of beer, it was generally a festival volunteer or quickly conscripted friend of the beer scene manning the taps while the brewers themselves stood off to the side. Why? Because SLED agents had just notified the festival organizers that it was illegal for producers of alcoholic beverages to be pouring their own beer at the event. The law wasn’t anything new. South Carolina allows alcohol sales through a three-tier distribution system where alcohol manufacturers must sell beer to distributors (also called wholesalers) who then sell to retailers — and part of the law stipulates that alcohol manufacturers including brewers “must not furnish, give, rent, lend, or sell, directly or indirectly, to the holder of a retail permit any equipment, fixtures, free beer, or service.” That law has been around for years. However, “in terms of a nonprofit event being classified as a retailer — that was a first,” says Brook Bristow, an attorney who owns Bristow Beverage Law and is executive director of the South Carolina Brewers Guild. According to Bonnie Swingle, a spokesperson for the state Department of Revenue, the department visited the festival at SLED’s request for educational purposes. She said it wasn’t the first time they’d done so, but she did not offer what other festivals they had visited. She also asserts that the Brewers Guild Fest organizers were contacted about the regulations before the event. Swingle says SCDOR’s position is that nonprofit events count as retailers. “When it comes to serving alcohol, a nonprofit special event is not considered differently from a private club, members-only golf course, or other nonprofit businesses. We have over 600 nonprofit liquor-by-the-drink license holders in South Carolina,” Swingle says. “By not allowing a manufacturer to donate or participate directly at a ‘retail’ location (temporary or permanent), the department is ensuring compliance with South Carolina’s three-tier statute.” Julie Cox, executive director of the Stouh Carolina Beer Wholesalers Association, thinks all the “confusion” surrounding enforcement of the law stems from SLED not having enough personnel to enforce it until recently. According to a Post and Courier article highlighting the festival trouble, SLED’s alcohol unit has increased from two agents in 2011 to 30 agents this year. Whatever the cause, the stepped-up enforcement of the law has had a couple of big ramifications for South Carolina breweries. First, brewers can no longer physically pour their own beer at festivals (or provide the means to do so), and second, they can no longer donate beer directly to an event or charity; this must be done through the distributor. “It’s a burden on everyone,” Bristow says. “The law as written is meant to do a good thing, which is to prohibit manufacturers from unduly influencing retailers with services, equipment and beer. Of course, in practice in our state, the ramifications are far more reaching, affecting everyone in the industry and the nonprofit groups looking to hold events.” Brewers, who were used to serving the beer they make, are still somewhat unsettled. “It’s pretty weird to stand next to a volunteer at a festival and watch them pour the beer that bears your brand,” says Scott Burgess, founder of brewery Bierkeller Columbia. Andrew Johnson, co-owner of Craft and Draft, saw firsthand that the inconvenience goes beyond mere awkwardness at his bottle shop’s Oktoberfest at Music Farm a few weeks ago. During the busy event, as volunteers got busy pouring beers, brewery employees were forced to just stand by, not helping customers.

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016) “I can tell you from personal experience the aggravation it invites when trying to pour beers for customers who don’t understand the laws,” Johnson says. The fact that breweries can’t directly donate beer anymore is also a cause for concern in the beer scene. “I know some of the events around town that relied heavily on donated product and some of the labor are scrambling to adapt,” says Phill Blair, co-owner of The Whig and organizer for events like the Jam Room Music Festival and Arts & Draughts. “It’s not an insurmountable obstacle, just a seemingly needless one.” Before the new enforcement, if a brewer wanted to donate a beer to a nonprofit, “The brewer would bring their jockey box [a cooler with beer taps on the front], set it up and pour the beer,” Bristow says. “The wholesaler would give an invoice to the event. Typically, it was a zero invoice ($0). The wholesaler could potentially ‘bill back’ the brewer, where the brewer would pay the cost of the beer and delivery to the wholesaler as the donation to the nonprofit. Of course, the bill back is also now illegal as well.” Now, the wholesalers decide whether or not to donate beer, taking the choice out of the brewers’ hands — literally, since they also can no longer pour the beer at the event. The change could even have an impact on the boom in beer festivals, according to Nick McCormac, beer blogger and podcaster at DrinkBlogRepeat.com, co-founder of Soda City Suds Week and an employee of beer distributor Advintage. “A lot of event sponsors — within the context of Soda City Suds Week and outside of it — may not have the financial means to purchase a lot of beer,” McCormac says. “I understand the intentions of the law but it is a hindrance to business growth, and I believe it needs to be re-evaluated.” Conquest Brewing Co., the first to open of Columbia’s production breweries, has been affected. “What has been unfortunate is that we have had to really step back from charitable events,” says Mike Taylor, president of Conquest Brewing Co. “From my perspective, Conquest and the craft brewer community is predominantly made up of people who really care about the communities we serve and are always interested in helping out people in need and supporting great causes.” Some see the law as a symptom of a much larger problem. “The three-tier system is an antiquated system that needs to be revised to meet modern standards,” says Mike Tourville, owner of River Rat Brewing. “That to me is what this is all about, the state holding on tight to a broken system and stifling commerce for the microbrewer while the big distributors still muscle businesses by pay-to-play and keeping the small players at bay. We still donate beer through proper channels and get volunteers for pouring, but in protest.” A legislative change for the beer festival law is in the works, at least for nonprofit events, Bristow says. “I think a distinction will be made between nonprofit events and regular special events,” Bristow says. Cox says that she will be sitting down with several craft brewery representatives in the coming weeks to determine the best way to address the language of the laws in new legislation. “[The brewers] are our partners in business, and we want to work with them instead of against them.” Despite the problems, Bristow thinks the stepped-up enforcement was actually positive for the South Carolina beer scene in 2016.

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016) “Honestly, the best thing that has happened was the crackdown on special events,” he says. “It might not seem like it to some, but long term, it is a great thing because it is an opportunity to educate beer enthusiasts, legislators and the general public on the necessity to modernize certain laws that while good intentioned at the time they were passed, just have little place in today’s marketplace.”

INTERNATIONAL NEWS Ireland: ‘A separate place for alcohol will ruin our business’

A range of retailers believe new rules the sale of drinks will only succeed in damaging trade The Irish Times By Peter Murtagh October 27, 2016 From small convenience stores to bespoke shops selling highly regarded wines, the regulations governing the sale of alcohol envisaged in the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill are viewed with a mixture of suspicion and dread. “It is going to change us completely,” says Gary Morton of Ranelagh in Dublin. “If you have a separate place for alcohol, segregated from the food, it will ruin our business.” The Bill was debated yesterday in the Senate. If enacted into law, retailers of alcohol (mixed trade outlets, not offlicences) will have to separate beer, wine and spirits from all other products on sale in their premises. A designated area with its own entrance in which alcohol products may be displayed will have to be created, though it will have to be screened in such a way that, standing outside, one will not be able to see what is on sale inside. For the high-end retailer, now in operation on Dunville Avenue for 82 years, the implications are stark. For owner Gary Morton, the whole point of his shop is to offer food and wine together. Food and drink “For us, it’s about the combination and we are very proud of how we present our food and wine,” he says. So, instead of browsing, selecting some meat, fish or cheese and a wine to complement the food as a holistic exercise, customers of Mortons, and similar high-end retailers which have proliferated in recent years, may have to buy their food and wine separately, in separate parts of the shop that are staffed separately which, in Gary Morton’s view, will only serve to irritate customers . . . as well as forcing him to redesign the layout of his shop. Similar, though less drastic challenges, face other outlets. Hidden goods In O’Hara’s Spar on Vernon Avenue in Clontarf, there are five shelves of wine towards the rear of the store, stacked with bottles ranging from €8.99 to €19.99. In line with the voluntary code of the Responsible Retailers of Alcohol in Ireland (RRAI), no other products that might encourage alcohol buying – crisps, dips and suchlike – are on sale beside the display. Under the proposed new law, O’Hara’s will likely have to hang plain, wardrobe-like doors on the front of the shelves, screening their contents from public view. It will not be permitted to advertise on the doors what lies behind them, other than to state, with words such as “beer” and “wine”, what is on the shelves.

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016) Paul Kelly, who manages the shop and sells perhaps 200 bottles of wine a week, notes that the thriving O’Brien’s offlicence across the road faces no new curbs under the proposed law. He queries the practicalities of the change. At Collins’s Centra in Howth village, staff, who declined to be named, were unsure as to how, in practical terms, they could comply with the proposals. Policy and codes The shop has a double bay of five shelves of wine and, beside it, a large fridge filled with white wine, sparkling wine and, a growing favourite, craft beers. Stacked on the floor in front of the fridge are boxes of beer. On display also are several notices explaining RRAI policy and codes. Alcohol sales account for about 18 per cent of Collins’s trade, and creating a separate alcohol section, with its own staff and till, simply isn’t practical, according to one senior member of staff. Concealing drink behind blank screens doesn’t seem like a business-friendly idea either. “Any change that restricts customers making a purchase is going to damage business,” he says. Gary Morton agrees there is a societal problem with alcohol and that the Department of Health is the right one to take the lead role is trying to reduce consumption. Pricing is the key, he suggests. “Responsible retailing of alcohol does not include below-cost selling,” he says.

United Kingdom: The sobering reality — minimum alcohol pricing does not tackle root issues of drunkenness The Courier By Jenny Hjul October 26, 2016 Scotland is said to have a complicated relationship with alcohol – a euphemistic way of saying we drink more than is good for us. It is not surprising then that approaches to confronting this problem have also been complicated, beset by political disagreements and legal arguments. It is those on the lowest incomes who are most affected by harmful drinking, so this Scottish government, with its promised commitment to equality, must be seen to be doing something about alcohol abuse. In its defence, the SNP has made Scotland’s drinking culture a priority (as much as any policy is a priority behind the constitution). Minimum pricing Its preferred means of combating dangerous levels of drinking has been to advocate minimum pricing. In 2012, MSPs passed a law to implement a price of 50p per unit of alcohol, but the measure was never introduced because of challenges from some in the drinks industry, in particular the Scotch Whisky Association. Now the Court of Session in Edinburgh has ruled that the policy does not breach European law and the government can go ahead with its legislation. This will see the cost of a bottle of whisky increase to at least £14 and the cheapest bottle of wine rise to £4.69.

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016) The move has been welcomed by medics, the police and alcohol charities, those fighting on the front line against Scotland’s booze misuse. They believe, along with the SNP, that removing inexpensive spirits and beer from the most vulnerable drinkers – the young and the alcohol dependent – will change drinking habits. Those very cheap vodkas and gins that are the speciality of supermarkets and corner off-licences will be dearer, as will strong lagers and ciders. Some anti-alcohol campaigners think the policy does not go far enough and have urged Nicola Sturgeon to “denormalise” drinking with even tougher restrictions, such as separate supermarket checkouts. Alcohol mortality is reportedly 50% higher than it was in 1981, which is partly blamed on greater consumption at home – a possible side effect of the ban on smoking in pubs as well as the easy access to discounted drinks. But will state interference on pricing reach the people that current health initiatives have failed to reach? It is difficult for the opposition parties to object to the nationalists on this issue because they have not come up with an alternative. And the righteous indignation of so-called responsible drinkers at having to fork out more for their favourite tipple is probably regarded by the government as a small price to pay. Those who can afford to drink fine wines will still have the money to buy their New Zealand sauvignon blanc, and many will already make such purchases online. Outlets like the Wine Society, based south of the border, will not presumably be subject to Scottish pricing policy. However, despite its good intentions, it is hard to see how the new law will save hundreds of lives, or cut thousands of hospital admissions and crimes, as its supporters claim. Other sources There is a risk that those in search of cheap intoxication will always find other sources – from counterfeit dealers or in trips to Newcastle or Carlisle, where they will be able to stock up on supermarket bargains. A better tactic might have been to target the producers. Don’t the makers of those extra-strong and extremely cheap ciders and lagers realise that they’re falling into the hands mainly of youths and alcoholics, or don’t they care? Sturgeon pioneered the minimum pricing policy when she was health secretary and she no doubt sees it as being one of her legacies (perhaps her only one) when she eventually leaves office. But tackling the root causes of alcohol addiction, especially in deprived communities, is surely a better long-term strategy. If teenagers choose to drink themselves to death for £5 they are not just victims of cut-price booze but of a society that has not provided them with an education, a job or in some cases even a home. After nine years in government, the SNP is rightly shamed into drastic action to address Scots’ unhealthy attitude to drink and its grim consequences. It is incompatible with the nationalists’ supposed focus on social justice that this country – for all its wealth and resources – has pockets of life expectancy lower than the Gaza Strip.

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016) Ministers are also said to be considering deploying public sector workers, such as housing officers, to question people about their drinking routines, a daft example of government overreach aimed more at grabbing headlines than offering real solutions. If Sturgeon diverted her attention away from her constitutional obsession and concentrated instead on closing the education attainment gap, improving health care and building a strong economy – the normal day jobs of any government – then, and only then, Scotland might cease to be the sick man of Europe.

PUBLIC HEALTH NEWS Science finds drinking alcohol and energy drinks has same effect as taking cocaine FOX News By Hannah Crouch October 26, 2016 Mixing energy drinks with alcohol alters the activity in the adolescent brain – which lasts into adulthood, according to a new study conducted at Indiana's Purdue University. The brain chemistry of mice given high levels of caffeine drinks mixed with alcohol was similar as those given cocaine. Energy drinks, like Red Bull and Monster, contain as much as ten times the caffeine as soft drinks and are often marketed to teenagers. However, little is known about the health effects of the drinks, especially when they are consumed with alcohol. Dr. Richard van Rijn and his team at Purdue looked at the effects of mixing highly caffeinated energy drinks with alcohol in adolescent mice. “It seems the two substances (high energy drinks and alcohol) together push them over a limit that causes changes in their behavior and changes the neurochemistry in their brains," he said. “We’re clearly seeing effects of the combined drinks that we would not see if drinking one or the other.” But these alcohol studies cannot be performed in adolescent boys and girls for ethical and legal reasons. But, past research has shown the changes seen in the brains of mice exposed to drugs are very similar to the changes seen in human beings. The Purdue researchers found repeated exposure to the caffeinated alcohol caused the mice to become increasingly more active – similar to the mice that were given cocaine. They also detected increased levels of a protein called FosB, which is a marker of long-term changes in brain chemistry and is elevated in those abusing drugs like cocaine. Dr. van Rijn added, "That’s one reason why it’s so difficult for drug users to quit because of these lasting changes in the brain.” The mice given alcohol also showed a slight tolerance to cocaine in their adult years, the researchers noted. Graduate student Meridith Robins, who worked on the study, found that mice exposed to caffeinated alcohol during adolescence were less sensitive to the pleasurable effects of cocaine as they grew older. This means they would need to use more cocaine to get the same “high." Dr. van Rijn said: “Mice that had been exposed to alcohol and caffeine were somewhat numb to the rewarding effects of cocaine as adults.

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016) “Mice that were exposed to highly caffeinated alcoholic drinks later found cocaine wasn’t as pleasurable. “They may then use more cocaine to get the same effect.” The Purdue study was published in the journal, PLOS One.

INDUSTRY NEWS 2016 Beverage Packaging in the U.S. PR Newswire By ReportBuyer October 26, 2016 LONDON, Oct. 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This report by Beverage Marketing Corp. READY TO GO. This beverage packaging research report from Beverage Marketing Corporation offers market insights as well as statistical breakouts by type and size (in units) for eleven beverage categories, making it the most comprehensive research report available. It covers beverage-packaging issues, trends and innovations by category and by beverage type. It also includes discussion of leading companies, their history and products. The answers you need You won't want to miss BMC's industry report and its insights on the ever-changing beverage packaging marketplace. As consumer environmental concerns grow and their need for convenience continues, industry ingenuity is at peak levels. Innovation abounds as packaging suppliers strive to develop new packaging formats and solutions to meet consumer demands. You'll find answers to your questions including: •

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What are the latest developments in beverage packaging in the U.S. market?

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Which packaging segments and sizes grew in 2015, and which did not?

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How have the various packaging materials divided up the beverage packaging market share pie and what share shifts can be expected in the future? What trends will drive the changes?

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What are the unit volumes for each of the leading beverage types, including beer, bottled water, carbonated soft drinks, distilled spirits, ready-to-drink tea and coffee, energy drinks, fruit beverages, wine and sports beverages?

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What are the latest packaging innovations devised by industry leaders including cans, bottles, flexible packaging and plastic?

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What percentage of unit volume have tea pods claimed?

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What percentage of shelf-stable fruit drink units are sold in pouches?

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What are the growth prospects through 2020 – by beverage type and package type?

This report features Beverage Packaging in the U.S. offers the most comprehensive beverage packaging research available, providing a comprehensive overview of the U.S. beverage market from a packaging perspective. It features:

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016) •

A review of the evolution of beverage packaging from the simplest bottle structure to the shaped two-piece aluminum cans and stand-up pouch.

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Investigation of the strategic packaging design and its psychological effect on purchasing decisions.

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Comprehensive analysis of the types of packaging materials – metal, glass, plastic and paper – and their relative importance in the different beverage segments.

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A detailed discussion and data on packaging materials and sizes for each industry including: carbonated soft drinks, bottled water, beer, wine, distilled spirits, fruit beverages, sports and energy drinks and ready-to-drink coffee, tea and milk.

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An in-depth review of the beverage packaging industry suppliers and the leading packaging manufacturers, looking at their offerings, marketing strategy, production facilities and financial position. Companies covered include Alcoa, Amcor, Ball Corporation, Crown Holdings, DAK Americas, International Paper, Novelis, O-I, Plastipak Packaging, Reynolds Group Holdings and WestRock.

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In this comprehensive beverage packaging market report, Beverage Marketing also offers growth projections for the various packaging materials by beverage category and discussion of the trends that will drive the beverage packaging market through 2020.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/1633369/

DAILY NEWS Spate of drugged driving deaths alarms U.S. regulators USA TODAY By Nathan Bomey October 27, 2016 The percentage of traffic deaths in which at least one driver tested positive for drugs has nearly doubled over a decade, raising alarms as five states are set to vote on legalization of marijuana. Amid a disquieting increase in overall U.S. traffic fatalities, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has tracked an upswing in the percentage of drivers testing positive for illegal drugs and prescription medications, according to federal data released to USA TODAY and interviews with leaders in the field. The increase corresponds with a movement to legalize marijuana, troubling experts who readily acknowledge that the effects of pot use on drivers remain poorly understood. Recreational marijuana use is now legal in Colorado, Washington state, Oregon, Alaska and the District of Columbia, even as it remains outlawed on a federal level. Five states — Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada — are set to vote on legalization. It's "very probable" that Colorado's move to legalize recreational marijuana has caused an increase in fatal crashes, said Glenn Davis, the state's highway safety manager. In 2015, 21% of the 31,166 fatal crashes in the U.S. involved at least one driver who tested positive for drugs after the incident — up from 12% in 2005, according to NHTSA. The rate rose in 14 of the last 15 years, falling for the first time last year. It was down less than one percentage point compared with 2014.

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016) Drugs are clearly emerging as a more significant factor as a cause of crashes, says Mark Rosekind, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A separate federal study of 11,000 weekend, nighttime drivers found 15.1% tested positive for illegal drugs in 2013 and 2014, up from 12.4% in 2007. Marijuana represented the largest increase, as 12.6% tested positive in 2013 and 2014, up from 8.6% in 2007. Researchers caution that the connection between drugs and deadly crashes is not as significant as the effect of drunken driving, which is responsible for more than 30% of road fatalities. Experts also note that available data is not comprehensive — and some drugs, including certain over-the-counter medications, have no effect at all on the driver. Many drivers who get high and then get behind the wheel are subject to arrest for driving under the influence just as those who drink and drive. One victim, according to prosecutors, was David Aggio of California. He was killed March 8, 2014, when Rodolfo Alberto Contreras, who was high on marijuana, ran a red light at nearly 80 mph, crossed the center divider and demolished Aggio's Ford Explorer, prosecutors said. Contreras in June became the first drugged driver in California to be convicted of second-degree murder. According to California prosecutors, his response at the scene of the crime, when confronted about the incident, was: "I want my weed." He was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. Auto-safety experts are particularly concerned about a spike in drugged driving in states that have legalized recreational marijuana, such as Colorado, where voters approved it in 2012. The nation's opioid epidemic could also be a contributing factor. In 2015, 12.4% of fatal crashes in Colorado involved a driver who tested positive for cannabis alone, up from 8.1% in 2013, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. The number of drivers involved in fatal crashes who tested positive for any drug hit a record 18.6% in Colorado in 2015, up from a low of 12.3% in 2012. Marijuana proponents dispute the suggestion that pot use is killing more people on the road. Jolene Forman, staff attorney at the Drug Policy Alliance, which supports marijuana legalization, cautioned against drawing conclusions on the effect of marijuana legalization on drivers. "We’re interested in pursuing policies that advance what is empirically shown, rather than knee-jerk, fear-based policies," Forman said. "It’s too soon to say that it’s had a positive or negative effect but preliminary data look very promising. It looks like marijuana legalization has not led to road safety concerns." Complicating matters is that research on the effects of drugged driving is scarce, leaving road-safety experts with little understanding of the full ramifications. For starters, many drivers involved in fatal crashes aren't tested for drugs. What's more, just because drivers have drugs in their system doesn't mean they are impaired. Marijuana is noticeable in the bloodstream for weeks, but its strongest effects dissipate after a few hours. In addition, there's no generally accepted field sobriety test for officers to conduct and there's no standard level of impairment for marijuana. In contrast, all states punish drivers for blood-alcohol concentration at or above 0.08%, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016) But a study released in June by the University of Iowa's National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) concluded that drivers with blood concentration of 13.1 ug/L (grams per 1,000 liters) of the main active ingredient in marijuana, THC, "showed increased weaving that was similar to those with" with 0.08 blood-alcohol level. "As we see more people drive on the road with different controlled substances, whether they be illicit or prescription drugs, the risk is increasing," said Tim Brown, associate research scientist at NADS and co-author of the study, in an interview. Anyone who's driving dangerously because they're high can be flagged by officers who are looking for drunken drivers, said J.T. Griffin, chief government affairs officer for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. MADD last year updated its mission statement to target drugged driving. "The best way to deal with drugged driving is really to do more work on drunk driving," Griffin said. As societal acceptance of recreational marijuana grows, educational efforts are needed to help people understand the potential risks of drugged driving, safety advocates say. Yet while marijuana may be less harmful than other drugs, experts say more research is desperately needed to understand its effect on motorists. "Any impaired driving is a very serious crime," Colorado's Davis said. "Sometimes when we interview focus groups, they're unaware that they can even get a DUI for marijuana, and some people even feel that they can drive better."

Marijuana Instead of Wine? The Restaurant World Has ‘Intense’ Interest in Switching Focus Marijuana programs may rival wine in top tier restaurants in as little as five years Observer By Sage Lazzaro October 26, 2016 Wine induces thoughts of sophistication, refined palates and complex flavors as critical to food pairing as the very spices used during the cooking process. The thought of marijuana and food, however, has mostly been limited to special brownies and getting the munchies after a few too many bong hits. But as marijuana has gained various forms of legal status and begun to shed its reputation as an indulgence for 420loving stoners, this has changed. And now the world’s top culinary experts want to begin infusing cannabis into their top tier entrées. From a business perspective, they see endless potential that could rival the wine industry. “There’s definitely intense interest in cannabis among chefs and hospitality professionals who see the potential for cannabis-infused products to rival the wine industry in its scope and profitability,” Elise McDonough, a longtime recipe columnist for marijuana magazine High Times and author of the renowned The Official High Times Cannabis Cookbook, told the Observer. The industry’s commitment to incorporating cannabis became clear to McDonough when she was asked to assemble and moderate a panel on the business of cannabis edibles for StarChefs 2016 International Chefs Congress—an event packed with winners of Michelin Stars and the James Beard Award. Since it’s reserved for la creme de la creme of chefs, beverage directors and restaurateurs, McDonough filled her panel with extremely accomplished advocates for cannabis and food to show the combination is nothing short of a game changer. She welcomed: Mindy Segal (a James Beard award-winning pastry chef who recently launched an artisanal edibles shop in Illinois); Miguel Trinidad (chef/owner at two highly regarded NYC restaurants—Marharlika and Jeepney— now pursuing cannabis-infused secret suppers and an edibles line); and Philip Wolf (the world’s first cannabis sommelier and founder of Cultivating Spirits, a Colorado cannabis cooking, dining and tourism company).

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NABCA Daily News Update (10/27/2016) “Together, this group brings tremendous perspective and deep experience to the emerging cannabis cuisine movement,” she said. With McDonough moderating yesterday, during the final day of the three-day conference held in Brooklyn, the panelists fielded questions about the different strains of marijuana and their varying flavors and effects. She said there were also a lot of questions about proper dosing of cannabis-infused edibles, as well as ways to work with the flavor of cannabis versus covering it up or eliminating it. “I think in five to 10 years as the laws change, you’ll see many high-end restaurants adopt cannabis programs much like the wine programs they currently offer,” McDonough said. “After all, allowing patrons to smoke or vaporize cannabis during a meal or before being seated will pique their appetites and encourage increased spending, which creates another large revenue stream for the restaurant industry.” On Election Day, five states—Maine, Massachusetts, Arizona, California and Nevada—will vote to legalize recreational use of marijuana. She also explained that this is another sign marijuana is making its way into the mainstream. “Teaching chefs and hospitality professionals how to appreciate craft cannabis and hash serves to break down stereotypes about who uses this plant and how,” McDonough said. “Incorporating cannabis into a fine dining atmosphere elevates the experience and creates a wonderful synergy between the food, the wine and the weed that sophisticated people can enjoy.”

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