Legislature(2023 - 2024)BARNES 124
04/01/2024 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB298 | |
| HB150 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 298 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 150 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 298-ALCOHOL WARNING SIGNS ON LIC. PREMISES
3:17:24 PM
CHAIR SUMNER announced that the first order of business would be
CS FOR SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 298(HSS), "An Act
relating to the posting of warning signs for alcoholic
beverages."
3:17:39 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ANDREW GRAY, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, read the sponsor statement for HB 298 [included in
committee packet], which read as follows [original punctuation
provided]:
The Alcoholic Beverages and Cancer Act will
inform Alaskans that alcohol use can cause cancer,
including colon and breast cancers. There has been a
broad scientific consensus for decades that the
consumption of alcohol significantly increases the
risk of several types of cancer. This relationship
between alcohol and cancer was first documented by the
World Health Organization in 1987. Alcohol-related
cancers affect tens of thousands of Americans each
year. Alcohol is noted to be the third-highest
modifiable risk factor for cancer in women, and the
fourth-highest modifiable risk factor for cancer in
men. However, despite this long-standing scientific
consensus, there has not been an accompanying change
in public perception about the risks associated with
alcohol consumption.
Public perception about alcohol consumption is
skewed some surveys from the National Institutes of
Health even indicate that 10% of adults believe
alcohol consumption decreases risk for cancer, even
though for some types of cancer, even small amounts of
alcohol can increase risk.
House Bill 298 addresses this gap in public
health knowledge by changing the text on one of the
required warning signs at the point-of-sale for
alcohol. The new sign states: "Alcohol use can cause
cancer, including breast and colon cancers." This has
precedent in some US states, as well as in other
countries around the world. South Korea requires
cancer warning labels on alcoholic drink containers,
and Ireland passed legislation in 2023 requiring
cancer and liver disease warning labels on alcoholic
drink packaging.
This legislation does not restrict Alaskans'
ability to buy or consume alcohol but provides an
easy, low-cost way for Alaskans to make informed
decisions about alcohol consumption prior to purchase.
House Bill 298 is an effective and simple bill that
will improve public health awareness. I urge your
support.
3:20:57 PM
DAVID SONG, Staff, Representative Andrew Gray, Alaska State
Legislature, On behalf of Representative Gray, prime sponsor,
presented HB 298. He began by reading the sectional analysis for
HB 298 [included in 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."
MR. SONG detailed the summary of changes [included in committee
packet] made from HB 298, Version S to HB 298, Version U, which
read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
HB 298 Summary of Changes
Ver. S to Ver. U
The following changes were added in the House Health
and Social Services Committee:
Section 1: Amends AS 04.21.065(a) to change the total
number of warning signs vendors of
alcohol are required to display on their premises from
three to two.
Section 2: Amends AS 04.21.065(b) to consolidate two
currently required alcohol warning signs
into one sign.
Currently, one sign reads:
WARNING: A person who provides alcoholic beverages to
a person under 21 years of age, if
convicted under AS 04.16.051, could be imprisoned for
up to five years and fined up to $50,000.
and the other reads:
WARNING: An unaccompanied person under 21 years of age
who enters these premises in
violation of law may, under AS 04.16.049(e), be
civilly liable for damages of $1,500.
These two signs will be consolidated into one sign
reading:
WARNING: An unaccompanied person under 21 years of age
who enters these premises in
violation of law may, under AS 04.16.049(e), be
civilly liable for damages of $1,500. A person
who provides alcoholic beverages to a person under 21
years of age, if convicted under AS
04.16.051, could be imprisoned for up to five years
and fined up to $50,000.
3:22:46 PM
MR. SONG began the associated PowerPoint presentation on HB 298
[hardcopy included in committee packet]. He began on slide 2,
which gave background information to the link between alcohol
and cancer. He cited a 2017 Surgeon General's report that
claimed even a moderate amount of drinking increases someone's
risk for breast cancer and added that alcohol is the third-
highest modifiable cancer risk factor.
3:23:36 PM
MR. SONG proceeded to slide 3, which provided the World Health
Organization (WHO)'s data on cancers attributable to alcohol
consumption. He said according to the WHO, at least 60,000 cases
of cancer in 2020 were attributed to alcohol consumption in
America.
3:24:15 PM
MR. SONG moved to slide 4 to detail the information gap around
liquor consumption and the fact that alcohol is a carcinogen. He
continued to slide 5 to explain what HB 298 would do if put into
law and went on to slide 6 to show examples of warning labels in
other countries, which he said HB 298 is trying to emulate.
3:26:00 PM
MR. SONG concluded the presentation on slide 7. He said HB 298
would be an effective way to reduce the information gap
surrounding alcohol and would cost the state or alcohol-selling
businesses next to nothing.
3:26:51 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked Joan Wilson about the associated
fiscal note to HB 298.
3:27:26 PM
JOAN WILSON, Director, Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office,
answered that the cost of two new signs across the state is near
a total of $20,000, and she explained that the remote nature of
shipping in Alaska carries an expected cost of $5,000 extra for
postage.
3:28:43 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK asked if the proposed bill's signs are
something that the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC) could
require through regulation or whether this issue would have to
be a statutory change.
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY responded that often there are things that
could be done by an associated board or regulatory body, but the
legislature helps to give statutory guidance.
MS. WILSON added that the ABC Board is not able to make any
changes to alcohol signage as Alaska law currently read and
would need statutory change to put up new signs.
3:30:01 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER clarified Mr. Song's earlier remarks
about a connection linking alcohol and cancer and asked that if
there has been a link between the two for decades, why more
people don't know about it.
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY deferred the question to the invited
testifiers.
3:31:26 PM
TIM NAIMI, M.D., in responding to Representative Saddler's
question, answered that people aren't aware of the link between
alcohol and cancer because there hasn't been enough popular
awareness and signage drawing comparison to the awareness
surrounding tobacco and its warning labels. He explained that
alcohol is classified as a class 1 carcinogen because it
unequivocally causes cancer. He said the purpose of HB 298
should be to keep people informed so they can make decisions for
themselves. He said there is more warning labelling for
cigarettes than alcohol, and that it is a commonsense effort to
let people be aware of the health risks associated with alcohol.
3:35:14 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked when alcohol was first classified
as a class 1 carcinogen.
DR. NAIMI said it was first classified in the 1980s.
3:36:00 PM
THOMAS GREMILLION, Director, Food Policy, Consumer Federation of
America, gave invited testimony on HB 298. He gave context to
his interest in cancer warning signs with alcohol and said fewer
than half of consumers see alcohol as a cancer threat. He said
that current warnings of alcohol aren't effective and offered
support for updating warning labels on alcohol. He touched on
the belief that small amounts of drinking may show benefits and
said that the cancer risk in the long term outweighs the
potential benefits of alcohol. He cited evidence that reduced
alcohol sales translate to less domestic abuse and stressed that
point-of-sale warning signs are attributed to lower drinking
during pregnancy. He urged passage of HB 298.
3:41:01 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked how much alcohol is sold in bars
versus retail sales.
MR. GREMILLION said he did not know at this time.
3:41:39 PM
TIFFANY HALL, Chief Executive Officer, Recover Alaska, gave
invited testimony in support of HB 298. She said cancer is the
leading cause of death in Alaska, and alcohol is the third
leading modifiable cause of cancer related to 9 of the top 10
causes of death in Alaska. She opined that the signage proposed
under HB 298 would save lives in Alaska. She pointed out that
less than half the population knows that alcohol causes cancer,
and this fact is not even well-known among medical
professionals. She stressed that knowledge is power. She said
alcohol is different from other commodities because it is
addictive and is a class 1 carcinogen. She emphasized that HB
298 would not restrict alcohol sales in any way, that it is
about freedom of information. She noted the low cost reflected
in the fiscal note, and she encouraged a robust campaign to
correlate with the sign change. Ms. Hall reported that
taxpayers are losing money on alcohol, which brings in $111
million a year but costs Alaska $2.4 billion in healthcare
costs, absenteeism from work, and "lost productivity from early
death." She concluded her remarks by saying that cancer is one
of the many related harms of alcohol, and reduced consumption
will always lower the rate of [all] harms caused by alcohol.
3:45:16 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER cited alcohol in Alaska's previously
mentioned revenue of $111 million and its cost of $2.4 billion,
asking if the $111 million was based solely on taxation.
MS. HALL responded that $40 million of the $111 million figure
is taxation, and almost $72 million is from private sector job
wages, and clarified that the numbers came from a 2018 study. In
response to follow-up questions, she answered that alcohol
contributes to cancer, heart disease, accidents, strokes,
suicides, and liver disease. She said she would follow up on
whether or not there was a link between diabetes and Alzheimer's
disease.
3:47:19 PM
CHAIR SUMNER asked for information regarding the link between
alcohol consumption and COVID-19.
3:47:49 PM
DR. NAIMI, confirmed there is a strong relationship between
alcohol and COVID-19. He asserted that those who drink more are
more susceptible to COVID-19. He said that one reason for
alcohol being linked with COVID-19 is because it brought people
together, which allowed the disease to spread. He clarified Ms.
Hall's earlier remarks, saying that alcohol is a cause of
dementia and diabetes.
3:49:30 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK emphasized that alcohol is the third
highest modifiable cancer risk factor and postulated that the
first is smoking and the second is excess weight.
3:50:23 PM
DR. NAIMI said there is plausible connection between alcohol and
cancer, though not every case of cancer is directly correlated
to alcohol consumption. He said people who are drinking more are
at a higher risk to have an alcohol-induced cancer.
3:51:20 PM6
CHAIR SUMNER announced HB 298 was held over.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 298 Consumer Federation of America.pdf |
HL&C 4/1/2024 3:15:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| HB 298 Fiscal Note.pdf |
HL&C 4/1/2024 3:15:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| HB 298 Graphic.pdf |
HL&C 4/1/2024 3:15:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| HB 298 Letter of Support.pdf |
HL&C 4/1/2024 3:15:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| HB 298 National Cancer Institute.pdf |
HL&C 4/1/2024 3:15:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| HB 298 Presentation.pdf |
HL&C 4/1/2024 3:15:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| HB 298 World Health Organization.pdf |
HL&C 4/1/2024 3:15:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| HB 298 Summary of Changes.pdf |
HL&C 4/1/2024 3:15:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| HB 298 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HL&C 4/1/2024 3:15:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| HB 298 Sectional Analysis.pdf |
HL&C 4/1/2024 3:15:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| SS HB 298.pdf |
HL&C 4/1/2024 3:15:00 PM |
HB 298 |
| HB 298.pdf |
HL&C 4/1/2024 3:15:00 PM |
HB 298 |