HB496

Alcoholism is our national disease. This bill is a small step toward helping folks determine that they may need help.

I am in support of HB 496, which requires liquor stores to distribute information on alcohol use disorder. Excessive alcohol consumption is the third-leading preventable cause of death in the United States. On average, 79,000 people die, and 2.3 million years of potential years of life are lost each year. Excessive alcohol consumption is also associated with multiple adverse health and social consequences, increased healthcare and criminal justice costs, and lost worker productivity in the form of missed work, diminished output, and reduced earning potential. The 2012 Report by PolEcon Research documented that excessive alcohol consumption costs New Hampshire more than $1.15 billion annually in lost productivity and earnings, increased expenditures for healthcare, and public safety costs. This $1.15 billion represents two percent of the state's total personal income. Not included in this total is an additional $218.6 million in discounted lifetime earnings lost each year by the almost 300 individuals who die prematurely each year in New Hampshire as the result of excess alcohol consumption. The state and local governments' share of the $1.15 billion in costs of excessive alcohol consumption is estimated to be $251 million annually. In a recent 2022 report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin, New Hampshire had the highest alcohol consumption per capita of 4.76 gallons. New Hampshire's consumption rate is more than double the goal set for the United States. Over 21 percent of NH adults drink excessively, and 33.1 percent of driving deaths involve alcohol. New Hampshire has a problem. We have a serious problem. Bill 496 is one way of reaching out to the public and educating them on alcohol abuse and the resources in their community that can help them.

This bill could save lives. Alcoholism is a serious and deadly problem. Information and education are important.