Lesson Plan Teaches Rise and Fall of Prohibition

ALEXANDRIA, VA - Thanks to the work of the Bill of Rights Institute and the support of the Center for Alcohol Policy, educators across the country now have access to a comprehensive “Toast the Constitution!” lesson plan to teach students about the rise and fall of national Prohibition.

Developed in partnership with the National Constitution Center’s American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition exhibit, the lesson plan teaches students about the origins of the 18^th Amendment, the individuals and groups who fought for and against Prohibition, and the events that led to its eventual repeal with the passage of the 21^st Amendment.

As part of the lesson, students will use their new knowledge as well as their drawing skills to get classmates to identify and define key terms in a game of Prohibition Pictionary. Students also will learn about the roles of historical figures from the era by taking on their identities for a dinner party.

“It’s important for today’s youth to learn the important lessons of Prohibition and the history of our nation’s alcohol policies,” said Center for Alcohol Policy Advisory Council Member and Cumberland School of Law Professor Brannon Denning. “No other product in our nation’s history has been the subject of two constitutional amendments, the second of which gave each state the right to regulate it as they see fit.”

“The fascinating history surrounding the rise and fall of Prohibition offers a great lesson in federalism, and this new lesson plan presents these important topics in a fun and creative way,” Denning added.

Educators interested in downloading the lesson plan at no cost can visit the Bill of Rights Institute website at www.billofrightsinstitute.org.

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 The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501 c (3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation.  By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption.  For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org or follow the Center on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AlcoholPolicy.

The mission of the Bill of Rights Institute is to educate young people about the words and ideas of America’s Founders, the liberties guaranteed in our Founding documents, and how our Founding principles continue to affect and shape a free society. It is the goal of the Institute to help the next generation understand the freedom and opportunity the Constitution offers.

ALEXANDRIA, VA – This April, the Center for Alcohol Policy (CAP) joins organizations across the country in recognizing Alcohol Awareness Month, a nationwide campaign designated by the U.S. Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to raise awareness of the problems that alcohol abuse can cause for individuals, their families and their communities.

“Alcohol Awareness Month is a great opportunity to educate policymakers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and its regulation – which aligns perfectly with the mission of the Center for Alcohol Policy,” said Jim Hall, former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board and current member of the CAP Advisory Council.

“The 21^st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which repealed Prohibition in 1933 and established today’s system of state-based alcohol regulation, notes that alcohol is ‘intoxicating,’” Hall continued. “As such, the Center’s educational activities and research efforts are focused on the regulated system that enforces the responsible manufacture, distribution and sale of alcohol beverages to adults of legal drinking age, while also highlighting the challenges presented by alcohol abuse.”

Among the CAP’s annual programs that highlight alcohol’s unique attributes and the need for its effective regulation is a nationwide essay contest, a national survey on American attitudes toward alcohol regulation and an alcohol law symposium. Visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org to learn more about these programs and additional CAP initiatives.

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The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501 c(3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation. By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption. For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org or follow the Center on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AlcoholPolicy.

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Center for Alcohol Policy (CAP) is pleased to announce that Joseph H. L. Perez-Montes, an attorney from Pineville, Louisiana, is the winner of its Fifth Annual Essay Contest.  The CAP national essay contest is intended to foster debate, analysis and examination of state alcohol regulation. The topic of the 2012 contest was: “If a country were starting alcohol regulation from scratch, what regulatory framework would you advise it to create and why?”

Perez-Montes’ essay, “Twist the Cork, Pop the Top, and Bottoms Up: Selected Recommendations on Alcohol Regulation from Scratch,” examines the origins of the state-based alcohol regulatory framework that exists in the United States today, compares America’s alcohol regulatory policies to the regulations that exist in other countries and focuses on providing recommendations for minimum drinking age laws as well as civil “dram shop” and criminal liability statutes.

“Realistically, any framework governing the production, sale, and consumption of alcohol must be multi-faceted.  No single regulatory approach could adequately address all of the positive or ill effects of alcohol consumption,” Perez-Montes’ essay states.  “Sustained research on alcohol policy indicates that effective regulation should target numerous areas, including drunk driving policies, alcohol availability measures (such as licensing and minimum drinking age laws), alcohol marketing regulations, community-based prevention strategies, pricing and taxation regulations, and monitoring or surveillance activities.”

CAP Advisory Council member and Samford University Cumberland School of Law Professor Brannon Denning said, “In the United States, it’s important to look at the abuse of alcohol leading up to national Prohibition and the societal issues that arose during Prohibition in order to fully understand the state-based alcohol regulatory system put in place following passage of the 21^st Amendment.  This year’s essay contest gave citizens from across the country the opportunity to study our nation’s alcohol policies and to examine how other countries with different histories and cultures lack such an effective regulatory structure.”

Joseph Ojih, a professor at Baltimore City Community College in Maryland, was named the runner-up.

The winning entrants receive prizes of $5,000 and $2,500 respectively.

To read the winning essays, please visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org/essay-contest.

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 The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501 c(3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation.  By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption.  For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org or follow the Center on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AlcoholPolicy.

ALEXANDRIA, VA –  Former Michigan Liquor Control Commissioner and former Michigan House of Representatives Floor Leader Pat Gagliardi has authored a new report, “The Need for State Alcohol Regulatory Funding: Fighting Deregulation by Defunding,” made possible by a grant from the Center for Alcohol Policy.

“In repealing Prohibition a national consensus was achieved that alcohol could be sold legally again, but only under state control,” Gagliardi notes in his report. “In crafting alcohol policy today it is imperative that states understand both the history of alcohol regulation and the need for an effective regulatory structure.

“The fervor to cut budgets and anti-regulatory sentiment can lead to ill-considered changes in alcohol policy,” the report continues.  “There is a real danger that state alcohol control will be reduced to the point of ineffectiveness by overburdening the regulatory system that, to date, has been successful and has enjoyed overwhelming public support.”

“I have seen firsthand how law enforcement officers are struggling to do more with less funding and resources,” said Center for Alcohol Policy Advisory Council member Jerry Oliver, former Detroit Chief of Police, former head of the Arizona Liquor Control Commission.   “This report shines some much-needed light on an issue that can have big consequences in communities across the country.”

“The Need for State Alcohol Regulatory Funding: Fighting Deregulation by Defunding” analyzes the number of alcohol enforcement agents in states across the country, their increasing workload and the scope of their duties, as well as the record number of licenses for enforcement agents to monitor.  The report also outlines several suggestions for ways states can seek to increase funding for their alcohol beverage control operations.

“The reality is that smarter and better equipped regulation and enforcement of existing laws can result in increased tax revenue and improved public health and safety,” Gagliardi concludes in his report. “Advocates for retaining a strong state-run alcohol policy understand that sufficient resources must be dedicated to the regulation of alcohol to ensure a fair marketplace as well as reduce substance abuse and to protect the health and safety especially of children.”

For more information about the report, or to arrange an interview with the report’s author, please contact Pat Gagliardi at (517) 420-8860.

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The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501 c (3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation.  By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption.  For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org or follow the Center on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AlcoholPolicy.

Entries Accepted through December 14

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Center for Alcohol Policy (CAP) is accepting entries for its Fifth Annual Essay Contest through December 14, 2012.  The topic of this year’s contest is: “If a country were starting alcohol regulation from scratch, what regulatory framework would you advise it to create and why?”

WHO CAN ENTER:  The contest is open to all persons over the age of 18.  Students, academics, practicing attorneys, policymakers and members of the general public are encouraged to submit essays.

HOW TO ENTER:  Papers may be emailed to essay@centerforalcoholpolicy.org or sent as a hard copy to:  Center for Alcohol Policy; Attn: Essay Contest; 1101 King St., Suite 600-A; Alexandria, VA  22314

DEADLINE:  The deadline for entries is December 14, 2012.

AWARDS:  Cash prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third place winners in the amounts of $5,000, $2,500 and $1,000 respectively.

“In the United States, it’s important to look at the abuse of alcohol leading up to national Prohibition and the societal issues that arose during Prohibition in order to fully understand the state-based alcohol regulatory system put in place following passage of the 21^st Amendment,” said CAP Advisory Council member and Samford University Cumberland School of Law Professor Brannon Denning.  “Other countries with different histories and cultures lack such an effective regulatory structure.”

The CAP Essay Contest is intended to foster debate, analysis and examination of state alcohol regulation and its implications for citizens across the United States.

To read entry rules, essay guidelines and last year’s winning essays, please visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org/essay-contest/.

For more information, please visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org or call (703) 519-3090.

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 The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501 c (3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation.  By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption.  For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org or follow the Center on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AlcoholPolicy.