Legislature(2023 - 2024)DAVIS 106
03/12/2024 03:00 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearings(s):|| Board of Optometry | |
| HB275 | |
| HB298 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 275 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 298 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
HB 298-ALCOHOL WARNING SIGNS ON LIC. PREMISES
3:32:49 PM
CHAIR PRAX announced that the final order of business would be
SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 298, "An Act relating to
the posting of warning signs for alcoholic beverages."
3:33:34 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ANDREW GRAY, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, introduced SSHB 298 to the committee. He said that
"this bill would make Alaskans aware that alcohol can cause
cancer." He explained that there has been broad scientific
consensus for decades that Alcohol is a class 1 carcinogen, yet
most of the public is not aware of that reality. He said that
the goal of HB 298 is to empower Alaskans to make informed
decisions about the products they consume.
3:36:13 PM
DAVID SONG, Staff, Representative Andrew Gray, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Representative Gray, prime sponsor,
gave a sectional analysis and presentation on SSHB 298. He
began with the sectional analysis [included in the committee
packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Section 1: Amends AS 04.21.065(b) to require that
vendors of alcohol replace their sign that reads:
"WARNING: Drinking alcoholic beverages such as beer,
wine, wine coolers, and distilled spirits or
smoking cigarettes during pregnancy can cause birth
defects."
with a new sign that reads:
"WARNING: Alcohol use during pregnancy can cause birth
defects. Alcohol use can cause cancer,
including breast and colon cancers.
3:37:04 PM
MR. SONG moved to the associated presentation of SSHB 298
[included in committee packet], and began on slide one, which
explained medical facts surrounding alcohol consumption and use.
He continued to slide 2, which displayed a graph of new cancer
cases in 2020 that were attributable to alcohol consumption. He
continued to slide 3, which explained the "information gap" that
the American public has with regards to alcohol's effects on
human health and correlation with cancer. He showed slides 4
and 5, which elaborated on what SSHB 298 would do and how it
would change signage in establishments selling alcohol. He
moved to slide 6, which gave examples of warning labels on
alcohol from different countries. Mr. Song concluded the
presentation on slide 7, which highlighted the zero fiscal note
obtained by the Department of Commerce, Community & Economic
Development (DCCED) and further emphasized that making the
public aware of the health issues associated with alcohol would
improve the well-being of Alaskans.
3:41:04 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MINA asked if vendors would have to obtain new
signs themselves or if they would be obtained from the state.
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY deferred the question to Joan Wilson.
3:42:07 PM
JOAN WILSON, Director, Alcohol & Marijuana Control Office,
responded that the state would provide the sign.
3:42:54 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MINA asked why certain language is being taken
out of SSHB 298.
MR. SONG said that it was mainly to streamline the bill and
added that he would consider it a friendly amendment to
reintroduce the struck language.
REPRESENTATIVE MINA asked how SSHB 298 could address fetal
alcohol syndrome and cancer awareness.
3:44:09 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY pointed to the signage proposed under SSHB
298, which displays a pregnant woman drinking as admonishable.
3:44:52 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SUMNER asked about the science surrounding the
proposed legislation.
3:46:15 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY answered that the science is settled and
pointed to the four invited testifiers who specialize in alcohol
and cancer research.
3:47:22 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SUMNER questioned the findings of the cited study
and opined that results can be manipulated in a meta-analysis.
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY cited the American Cancer Society's findings
that alcohol unequivocally causes cancer.
3:49:07 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if people should be allowed to take
part in something that they know is bad for them.
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY said yes, they should be.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked how much obligation the state has
to inform the people of the risks of these activities.
3:50:50 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY cited the zero fiscal note obtained from
DCCED as evidence that SSHB 298 would not put any new burden on
the state.
3:51:36 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE asked the legislature would point a
public health campaign at vices and further questioned why it
should choose alcohol if it won't legislate against other cancer
risks.
3:53:30 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY responded that when alcohol passes through
the liver, it turns into acedoaldohyde, which damages DNA. He
also advised that alcohol's cancer risk is unknown.
3:55:17 PM
JANICE SHEUFELT, MD, Family Medicine Doctor, Bartlett Regional
Hospital, gave invited testimony on SSHB 298. She said there is
no debate in the medical community about alcohol increasing the
risk of cancer, and she gave her own anecdotal experience as a
Medical Doctor seeing alcohol cause cancer and other serious
health complications.
3:58:43 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if cigarettes or alcohol pose more
of a public health threat.
3:59:11 PM
DR. SHEUFELT answered that every pregnant woman knows she
shouldn't drink or smoke and emphasized that any way the public
can learn about the inherent risks of any vice is a win for
public health in Alaska.
4:01:35 PM
MADELEINE GRANT, MD, Internal Medicine, Anchorage Neighborhood
Health Center, gave invited testimony on SSHB 298. She said
that cancer is the leading cause of death in Alaska and
emphasized that passing SSHB 298 would give the public agency in
its choices and let people make informed decisions.
4:03:58 PM
THOMAS GREMILLION, Director of Food Policy, Consumer Federation
of America, gave invited testimony on SSHB 298. He underlined
the importance of warning labels on alcohol and shared that his
own awareness of the risks of alcohol consumption was brought
about by warning labels. He stressed the low level of public
awareness that alcohol is a carcinogen. He added that signs at
the point of sale are an effective way to reduce fetal alcohol
spectrum disorder (FASD) and cancer risks.
4:10:21 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SUMNER cited the Yukon Territory's point of sale
warning signs that were associated with significantly reduced
sales and asked if there was an associated lower rate of cancer.
He further questioned whether alcohol had health benefits as
stated by studies he had read in the past.
4:11:20 PM
MR. GREMILLION responded that the Yukon Territory's study led to
a 6 percent drop in sales and said it would be difficult to
demonstrate a lower rate of cancer with that 6 percent drop in
sales.
REPRESENTATIVE SUMNER clarified his question and asked if it is
harmful to make a blanket statement that all alcohol poses a
cancer risk.
4:13:07 PM
MR. GREMILLION said that the evidence for red wine's benefits is
"thin as a sheet of paper." He added that there are studies
that are purported to show important cardiovascular benefits
associated with alcohol consumption but there is a consensus
among doctors that any alcohol consumption is associated with an
increased cancer risk.
4:14:43 PM4
REPRESENTATIVE MCCORMICK asked Representative Sumner to cite his
sources.
REPRESENTATIVE SUMNER cited Google as his source.
4:16:53 PM
TIM NAIMI, MD, MPH, Director, Canadian Institute for Substance
Use Research, University of Victoria, gave invited testimony on
SSHB 298. He said this issue is not a controversy in the
medical world; alcohol has been diagnosed as a class 1
carcinogen for nearly four decades. He explained how alcohol
got that designation and said that SSHB 298 would educate the
public to make a more informed choice.
4:21:29 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked Joan Wilson how many signs a small
business owner might have to account for.
4:21:48 PM
MS. WILSON offered her understanding that it would be about
three signs for a business.
4:22:21 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked if it could be logistically feasible
to use this bill to reduce the number of signs required at
businesses.
MS. WILSON answered that she is cautious to give direct support
of a bill; however, she offered her understanding that SSHB 298
would streamline things for businesses.
4:23:41 PM
CHAIR PRAX, in consideration that the focus of the bill may
divert attention from more likely causes of cancer, asked about
the context of alcohol's cancer risk versus other health risks
like sugar consumption.
4:24:16 PM
DR. NAIMI offered his understanding that alcohol causes as many
years of life lost as cigarettes and asked if Chair Prax was
looking for an exact quantification of the risks of alcohol
versus other substances.
CHAIR PRAX clarified his concern that the legislature might be
diverting its attention from more dire considerations.
DR. NAIMI said that alcohol was the leading cause of death in
Alaska and called it a "modifiable" cause of death, one that
could be reduced or eliminated with policy decisions.
4:27:02 PM
MR. GREMILLION briefly spoke up about the awareness of the
associated health risks of alcohol that the proposed labels
would create for the public.
4:27:56 PM
DR. SHEUFELT gave his thoughts on the comparison between sugar
and alcohol's cancer risk and said that alcohol is a known
carcinogen while sugar is not.
4:29:26 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked where the legislature could best
direct its efforts to lower public health risk while not
simultaneously raising costs.
4:30:33 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY emphasized that under SSHB 298, current
signage would be changed to increase awareness about the
inherent risks of alcohol consumption.
4:31:17 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked if the testifiers had any thoughts
on the rising cancer rates in America.
4:31:59 PM
DR. NAIMI explained that rates of alcohol consumption have been
increasing since the mid-1990s, and the number of alcohol-
attributable cancers has risen with that increased consumption.
4:32:56 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCORMICK thanked the bill sponsor and commented
that the cancer component of alcohol is a small facet of
tackling the issues that the substance presents. He expressed
frustration about the "slippery slope fallacy" that could drive
policy indecision.
4:36:12 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SUMNER responded to Representative McCormick's
comment about the "slippery slope fallacy" and explained where
his mode of thought towards the issues presented by SSHB 298
come from.
4:37:51 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY thanked the committee and invited testifiers
and commented on the history of substance industries lobbying to
prop up false health campaigns surrounding their vices. He said
that SSHB 298 would result in a loss of sales of alcohol and
added that it is the public's right to understand the risks of
their vices.
4:39:34 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MINA thanked the bill sponsor and opined that
SSHB 298 would be a good move for Alaska.
CHAIR PRAX announced that SSHB 298 was held over.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 298 Consumer Federation of America.pdf |
HHSS 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| HB 298 Graphic.pdf |
HHSS 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| HB 298 Sectional Analysis.pdf |
HHSS 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| HB 298 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HHSS 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| HB 298 World Health Organization.pdf |
HHSS 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| HB 298 National Cancer Institute.pdf |
HHSS 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| Fiscal Note DCCED-AMCO.pdf |
HHSS 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| Bradley Cross CV Optometry_Redacted.pdf |
HHSS 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM |
Governor's Appointee |
| Bradley Cross Optometry Application_Redacted.pdf |
HHSS 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM |
Governor's Appointee |
| HB 298 Sheufelt Letter of Support.pdf |
HHSS 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| HB 298 Presentation.pdf |
HHSS 3/12/2024 3:00:00 PM |
HB 298 |