California Assembly Praised for Passing AB 346 - The Alcopops Warning Label Bill

    SAN RAFAEL, Calif., June 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On a strong
 bi-partisan vote of 62 to 13, the California Assembly passed AB 346
 yesterday. Introduced by California Assembly Members Jim Beall (D-San
 Jose), and Lori Saldana (D-San Diego), the bill requires warning labels on
 "alcopops," -- sweet, fruity, soda-pop like flavored alcoholic beverages
 that are popular with underage drinkers. The beverages are currently sold
 wherever beer is sold including over 15,000 convenience stores, mini-marts
 and gas stations throughout California.
     "It's about time the alcohol industry admitted they're selling
 alcohol," said Bruce Livingston, Executive Director of Marin Institute.
 "Alcopops like Mike's Hard Lemonade, Smirnoff Ice and other flavored malt
 beverages are a sneaky attack on California families. This will force them
 to expose these drinks for what they are -- alcoholic beverages."
     Currently, many alcopops are packaged and labeled similarly to
 nonalcoholic beverages like energy drinks, sodas, and fruit drinks. This
 legislation will ensure that underage youth, parents, teachers, law
 enforcement personnel and retail employees can easily see a product
 contains alcohol, and how much alcohol the product contains. AB 346 would
 require these alcopops carry a distinctive label, "Attention: Contains
 Alcohol" to avoid any visual confusion between beverages containing alcohol
 and those that do not.
     "Yesterday's strong bi-partisan vote sends a clear message to the
 Senate and the Governor that California cares deeply about underage
 drinking and will hold alcopops producers accountable for deceptive or
 unclear labeling of these youth-aimed, entry-level drinks," added
 Livingston. "We now need to maintain this strong support to push the bill
 through the Senate and on to the Governors desk for a quick signature to
 make it law."
     How the Assembly Voted:
 
     AYES
 
     Adams - R
     Aghazarian - R
     Arambula - D
     Bass - DBeall - D
     Benoit - R
     Berg - D
     Blakeslee - RBrownley - D
     Caballero - D
     Calderon - D
     Carter - DCook - R
     Coto - D
     Davis - D
     De La Torre - DDe Leon - D
     DeSaulnier - D
     Duvall - R
     Dymally - DEmmerson - R
     Eng - D
     Evans - D
     Feuer - DFuentes - D
     Galgiani - D
     Garcia - R
     Hancock - DHayashi - D
     Hernandez - D
     Horton - R
     Houston - RHuffman - D
     Jones - D
     Karnette - D
     Krekorian - DLa Malfa - R
     Laird - D
     Leno - D
     Levine - DLieu - D
     Ma - D
     Mendoza - D
     Mullin - DNava - D
     Niello - R
     Nunez - D
     Parra - D
     Plescia - RPortantino - D
     Price - D
     Richardson - D
     Ruskin - DSalas - D
     Saldana - D
     Silva - R
     Solorio - DSpitzer - R
     Swanson - D
     Torrico - D
     Tran - RWolk  - D
 
     NOES
 
     Anderson - R
     DeVore - R
     Fuller - R
     Gaines - RGarrick - R
     Huff - R
     Jeffries - R
     Keene - RMaze - R
     Nakanishi - R
     Strickland - R
     Villines - RWalters - R
 
     ABSENT, ABSTAINING, OR NOT VOTING
 
     Berryhill - R
     Lieber - D
     Runner - R
     Smyth - RSoto - D
 
                          For additional information:
                         http://www.marininstitute.org
 
     Contact: Michael Scippa 415-548-0492
              Pete Ratajczak 415-257-2488
 
 

SOURCE Marin Institute