Chairman Walz and members of the Committee, I am Tricia Lucas and I serve as the policy director for New Futures.  New Futures is a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization working to reduce underage alcohol problems and to increase access to substance abuse treatment.  I appear before you today in opposition to HB 287 because of the risk to underage youth of the increased access to spirits that would result if HB 287 were to become law. 

At the outset of this conversation, it is important to note that alcohol is our number one youth drug problem in New Hampshire.  In the most recent data from NH high school students (2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey):

• 45% reported alcohol use in the preceding thirty days; and
• 28% reported engaging in binge drinking (5 or more drinks in several hours) at least once in the preceding thirty days. 

• Increased risk of alcohol dependence – youth who drink before they turn 14 are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who start drinking when they are 21. 
• Alcohol is a key factor in the three leading causes of death among young people – unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide. 
• The brain is still developing through the early 20s.  Drinking during this critical period may permanently harm the brain. 

Given New Futures’ focus on reducing underage alcohol problems, I will direct my testimony to the provisions of HB 287 that are related to increased access to spirits, and not to the tobacco provisions of the bill.  I use the term “spirits” to refer to “hard liquor” products that under current law are sold only in state liquor or agency stores.  Spirits are to be distinguished from wine, beer and other alcoholic beverages with less than 6% alcohol that are already widely available at grocery, convenience and other stores throughout the state. 

We are very concerned about the provisions of HB 287 that would dramatically increase the access to spirits by permitting them to be sold in grocery, convenience, and drug stores because spirits are a high risk product for underage youth.  The risk to youth presented by these products is the result of several factors:

• Spirits have significantly higher alcohol content than beer or wine; many can be mixed with juice or soda to mask the alcohol taste, making them more palatable to youth.
• Youth are increasing exposed to cable television advertising for spirits.  The most recent report by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) found that companies marketing spirits have dramatically increased their advertising in the last seven years (from 1,973 ads in 2001 to 62,776 ads in 2007).  In addition CAMY determined that approximately one out of five alcohol advertisements was placed on programming that youth ages 12 to 20 were more likely to see than adults of legal drinking age. 
• Research studies have found that youth with greater exposure to alcohol marketing are more likely to start drinking than their peers. 
• Not surprisingly, national survey data indicates that spirits are increasingly becoming the drink of choice among high school students. 

HB 287 would both increase the exposure of youth the spirits and dramatically expand access to these high risk products without the controls and protections provided at state stores intended to prevent illegal sales.  These state controls include electronic oversight and ongoing training for sales staff. 

While New Futures respects the sponsor’s desire to restrict the sale of tobacco products at grocery, convenience and drug stores, we do not believe that trading a decrease in tobacco sales for an increase in access to spirits is an appropriate policy decision.  Given the risk that increased exposure and access to spirits presents to youth, we respectfully request that the Committee recommend HB 287 Inexpedient to Legislate.