Herald Column: Alberta's Neo-Prohibitionists

My latest Calgary Herald column looks at the cumulative effects of a number of Alberta government initiatives with regard to the consumption of alcohol:

It remains to be seen whether 2012 will be a banner year for Premier Alison Redford and her government. So far, 2012 is shaping up to be a banner year for nanny-state neo-prohibitionists.
Redford has been premier for barely three months, yet already she has embarked upon two major policy initiatives dealing with alcohol consumption.
Act one was her new impaired driving legislation, which has enshrined in the Traffic Safety Act an enforcement level of .05 per cent blood-alcohol content (BAC), well below the Criminal Code level of .08 per cent.
A number of concerns have been raised about the new law, including issues of due process and presumption of innocence, the question of effectiveness and whether we're targeting the wrong group of drivers.
The law may discourage alcohol consumption. There remains a great deal of uncertainty as to what level of consumption would put a motorist near the .05 BAC level. For many, it may be as little as one or two drinks.
One could hardly blame the average Albertan for suddenly being paranoid about enjoying a bit of wine over dinner or stopping in for a quick after-work beer.
Such social consumption hardly constitutes a threat, yet is likely to be a casualty of this heavy-handed law.
Although the government denies it, perhaps that was partly the intent all along.
For as Redford is about to embark on another policy initiative dealing with alcohol consumption, we see at least the partial intent of discouraging consumption.
As 2011 drew to a close, Redford was talking about raising sin taxes levied on tobacco and alcohol. Perhaps such a move is predictable, given her contradictory pledges to balance the budget by 2013 while not making any major cuts in expenditures.
In defending the idea, Redford spoke fondly of the notion of changing the behaviour of consenting adults. She told Global Television that ". . . alcohol consumption impacts people's health, so there is a relationship there."
Excessive alcohol consumption can have negative health effects. Of course, moderate alcohol consumption may have some benefits.
The problem behind the premier's rationale is it's the moderate social drinkers most likely to be discouraged by higher taxes. Heavier drinkers are much less responsive.
Alcohol prices in Alberta are already among the highest in the country, despite the fact the retail end is privatized. Thanks to the Alberta government, through taxation levels and the government-backed monopoly on distribution, Albertans pay more than those in other provinces.
For a progressive such as Redford, higher sin taxes are regressive. For those in lower-income brackets, alcohol purchases represent a much higher percentage of income than for those in high-income brackets.
But for a politician who allegedly represents change, when it comes to an unhealthy interest in the habits of consenting adults, Redford represents a continuation of the neo-prohibitionist impulses of her predecessor.
In 2009, Ed Stelmach announced plans to increase alcohol taxes, but relented a month later following a backlash. Stelmach also ushered in new rules for bars and lounges which meant minimum prices, reduced happy hours, and strict limits on ordering booze at last call. In that sense, Redford appears to be picking up where Stelmach left off.
U.S. alcohol researcher David J. Hanson describes neo-prohibitionism as "the belief that the per capita consumption of alcoholic beverages should be reduced by legislation that further restricts its sale and consumption and also by changing social norms to reduce the acceptability of drinking."
All evidence points to that as the guiding principle for the Alberta government in 2012.