MADD Announces Opposition To Privatization

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Mothers Against Drunk Driving has announced its opposition to the privatization of the retail sale of alcohol, a decision that should compel every lawmaker to oppose Gov. Corbett's reckless scheme to dismantle the state's Liquor Control Board.

MADD, the nation's largest nonprofit working to protect families from drunk driving and underage drinking, cited an analysis of 17 peer-reviewed studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in their position statement.

MADD stated that, "The CDC concluded that privatization of alcohol sales will result in a reduction in the enforcement of sales regulations including enforcement of the minimum legal drinking age. Therefore, policies or legislation transferring state alcohol control to private control are counter to MADD's mission of eliminating drunk driving and preventing underage drinking."

Gov. Corbett has proposed dismantling the LCB and adding up to 30,000 retail outlets for the sale of beer, wine and spirits in the Commonwealth. The scheme would jeopardize 5,000 family-sustaining jobs that the LCB provides, along with 1,100 Main Street beer distributors and the 10,000 Pennsylvanians they employ.

Despite widespread opposition, Gov. Corbett told The Philadelphia Inquirer that, "I have not had one person . . . tell me this is a mistake."

"Obviously, the governor is not listening. He is just completely out of touch with working Pennsylvanians and he has decided to ignore the experts," said Wendell W. Young IV, President, UFCW Local 1776, and Chairman of the UFCW PA Wine & Spirits Council.

"Privatization is just bad public policy. The CDC says so and now MADD agrees," continues Young, "The fact is that every single legitimate study of this issue has found that privatization leads to serious health risks. Gov. Corbett would be wise to listen to the experts and pull the plug on this risky scheme."

To read more from MADD's web site, please visit http://www.madd.org/about-us/position-statements/madds-positions-on-1.html.

For more on privatization, please visit www.ufcwpawineandspiritscouncil.com.

SOURCE UFCW PA Wine & Spirits Council