Managing Hearing Loss

May 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

joanmckechnie Managing Hearing LossHearing loss is far more common than commonly believed; with most hearing loss linked to age related changes . In 2005, 80,000 members of the National Family Opinion (NFO) panel participated in a unique study designed to quantify the number of individuals in the US suffering hearing loss. The study, known by its name as The MarkeTrak VIII survey, concluded  14,623 (or 18%) of respondents  suffered hearing loss. Looking at the broader picture, the survey’s findings concluded that hearing loss is likely to impact the lives of 35 million Americans, a number which is expected to grow to 40 million by 2025 and 53 million by 2053. Of the hard of hearing individuals, the most prolific cause is age related hearing loss, a condition that can start in a person’s 40sbut which is most apparent in the over 65s. \

How We Hear?

Our hearing is based on an ability to capture waves of sound and translate those signals into meaningful information.  Waves of sound pass through various parts of the ear and any interruption in their journey can lead to hearing impairment. A critical part of this journey culminates in the inner ear, where thousands of tiny ‘hair cells’ fire signals via the hearing nerve fibers to the brain for interpretation. Deterioration of the ‘hair cells’ as a result of the natural aging process reduces the quality of the signals sent to the brain. Once these hair cells begin to whither, they cannot regrow, making this age-related hearing loss irreversible.  Age-related changes do not mean; however, that hearing loss cannot be managed using modern means  guided by your health care provider.

I’ll Just ‘Live With It’?

That’s just not really an option.  There are well-documented psychological effects to hearing loss, including frustration, withdrawal from social events and depression; all of which can reduce confidence and lower quality of life. Managing age-related hearing loss and its impact requires a combination of methods rather than one approach.

Problems often begin due to the difficulty in conducting conversation with others, essential to all social interaction. This may  include asking people to  repeat their words, mis-hearing certain words and therefore answering questions incorrectly, having to concentrate during a conversation, and having to make guesses as to what has been said. All of which can lead to exhaustion after interaction with others and ultimately may make someone with a hearing impairment decide to avoid participating in the conversation altogether. ‘It’s just easier this way.’  Removing oneself from conversation can quickly lead to

  • Social exclusion and reduced interaction with others
  • Feelings of anxiety and worry
  • Depression and adjustment disorder
  • Feelings of shame, humiliation and inadequacy
  • Loss of confidence
  • Reduced quality of life

Hearing loss should not be left unmanaged and there is no reason to just ‘live with it’.

How To Manage Hearing Age Related Hearing Loss?

Age related hearing loss cannot be ‘cured’, but rather managed so its impact on your quality of life is minimized. Management of the condition is achieved by using  aids that deliver sound in an amplified manner. The most common are hearing aids, a group of microcomputers that fit inside or outside the wearer’s ear and are tasked with amplifying external sound. Another group consists of daily devices adopted for use by the hard of hearing. Examples include amplified phones, including cell phones, amplified alarms and aids designed to amplify the sound of a TV unit. Relief often comes from using a number of aids, as each is slightly better suited for a particular situation.

If you suspect that your hearing is impaired talk to your doctor about getting your hearing checked and about your options. For further reading on hearing loss, visit the Hearing Loss Association of America.

This is a guest post by Joan McKechnie BSc Hons  Audiology & Speech Pathology. Joan works for Hearing Direct and maintains a blog about hearing impaired issues.

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My Mother: A Life Cut Short From Smoking

May 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Today would have been my mother’s birthday, but she died nearly 2 years ago after a long battle with emphysema — she smoked from the time she was 16 until she was diagnosed.  And by that time, it was too late.  She knew what was coming.  She’d watched her older brother die of emphysema a few years earlier.  She recounted his last days, struggling to climb the few steps to his bedroom, despite the hose delivering rich oxygen to his damaged lungs.

As I stand in synagogue to say Kaddish (the traditional Jewish Mourner’s Prayer) for her on the anniversary of her death and other ritually proscribed times, I think about how hard the last years of her life were and how avoidable her death was.  Maybe the dangers of smoking were unclear when she began and certainly early movies and TV glamorized smoking, but the evils of smoking were known long before she contracted the disease that eventually took her life.

Despite the increasingly scary warnings, she continued to smoke.  Even after I was diagnosed with asthma from breathing her second hand smoke, she didn’t stop.  Subsequently, when 2 of her grandchildren were diagnosed with serious asthma problems, she merely resorted to smoking in the garage.  She even had a little folding chair and a table to hold her ashtray, some books, and a cup of coffee set up there.  Due to lack of ventilation, the second hand smoke level in the garage could almost cause cancer just from walking into the garage.

My mother was always active. She played golf with the neighborhood women at least once a week in the spring and summer and bowled with many of these same women in the fall and winter.  She volunteered at the local hospital — one of the ubiquitous “Pink Ladies”.  She helped my sister raise her 3 kids and went to all the games, recitals, and other events featuring her grandchildren.

But, the last few years of her life, she was mostly home-bound because she was tethered to an oxygen unit and became very winded if required to walk more than a short distance. She used a wheelchair during her infrequent outings.  She spent quite a bit of time hospitalized or in a nursing facility and her rich life was reduced to watching TV – mostly judge shows that she would tape and replay.

 

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Is There a Link Between Sports and Traffic Fatalities?

May 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

image Is There a Link Between Sports and Traffic Fatalities?Sure, what’s a game without a few brews? And sneaking a flask of something 80 proof is a ritual at many college games where alcohol is not sold. And, some of those folks will drive home from the game with more than a little buzz on.  So, maybe it’s not surprising that traffic accidents go up as the game ends.

But, is there something more to it than just drinking?

Do other game behaviors contribute to traffic accidents on game day?

Is there a solution to reduce traffic accidents on game day?

Turns out — at least part of what causes traffic accidents is aggressive driving motivated by a triumph.

To answer this question, a colleague from NC State (Stacey Wood) studied whether fatal traffic accidents were strictly a function of alcohol consumption surrounding the game of if part of the problem was the testosterone-driven nature of sporting events that encouraged more aggressive driving immediately following the game.

Testosterone is a male hormone, although present in smaller amounts in women.  Testosterone is associated with aggressive behavior.

My colleague gathered data regarding traffic accidents reported in the time immediately following major sporting events — such as the Super Bowl, NCAA finals, Bowl games, Stanley cup finals, the World Series …. She collected data from both winning team hometowns and losing team hometowns, as well as the cities where the games were held (adjusted for population).

If traffic accidents were solely a function of alcohol, we should see the highest rate of traffic accidents in the city where the game was held, since presumably folks were drinking during the game.  We should also see higher rates of traffic accidents in the cities represented by combatants, since people in these cities watched the game in higher numbers than other cities.

Surprisingly, finding show the highest incidence of traffic accidents occurred in the hometown representing the winning team.  So, at least part of the traffic accident problem comes from aggressive driving.  And, the closer the score, the more likely traffic fatalities followed in the next few hours.

And, maybe this makes sense.  If you think about how folks respond to the final score of a major game.  Winners are exhilarated.  There’s a lot of chest thumping and high-fiving.  Riots break out in some cities following particularly important games — arguing that this aggressive behavior indeed follows games.

Losers, meanwhile, are less jubilant.  They slink off to their respective homes to lick their wounds.

In host cities, while some attendees might represent winning or losing cities, many folks are simply there to watch a good game, with little personal investment in who wins.

Does this finding suggest a solution?

Sure.  If we can reduce testosterone levels before folks get into their cars, we might avoid some traffic accidents.

I’m not saying we slip something into the sodas and beer during the last quarter (half, inning, period).  I’m suggesting giving folks an outlet for their testosterone before they get behind the wheel.  For instance, including a concert or other entertainment after the event might give hormone levels a chance to get back to normal before getting behind the wheel.

Education, also helps.  If drivers know testosterone affects their driving behavior, they might exercise more caution after a big win.

 

Filed Under: Health

Gonja for Grandma

April 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

image6231397x Gonja for GrandmaReports suggest over 4 million baby boomers are lighting up the same way they did in college — with a marijuana pipe.  Another study found nearly 2% of baby boomers regularly smoke pot.  After all, we’re still the generation that grew pot plants in our dorm rooms.  Heck, I can even remember students walking past cops smoking a marijuana cigarette in college.  The cops just smiled and said “Good day”.

Times Have Changed

Society’s view of marijuana changed.  Many cities now have legal methods for getting marijuana to ease symptoms of diseases like glaucoma and reduce the nausea caused by chemotherapy.  But, boomers aren’t just smoking to treat a medical condition.

We gave up the parties for a family and carpool, but did we really change inside?  Or are we still the generation that pushed the envelope and changed the world.  Now that all those responsibilities are behind us, we’re toking up.

Plus, a few puffs helps ease the pressures caused by the crummy economy — losing jobs, homes, nest eggs.  In some ways, baby boomers are hit harder by tough times than younger workers and I know lots of boomers who have little chance of finding another job because of their age or have lost their entire retirement account in the stock market crash.

Still others never lost their taste for Marijuana — and have smoked steadily since first trying pot in their teens or early 20′s.  Increased acceptance brought them out in the open.

Plus, the product quality increases as licensed growers are free to share tips and collaborate to improve their product.

Dangers of Marijuana

Although certainly not as dangerous as we were lead to believe, marijuana still poses some major health problems.

Like smoking regular cigarettes, smoking marijuana can cause heart problems above the risk posed simply by age and other lifestyle issues.  Problems with the mouth, throat, and lungs caused by inhaling hot gases (potentially with some carcinogenic properties) can also cause problems.

 

 

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Why Do We Gain Weight as We Age

January 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

loosing weight Why Do We Gain Weight as We AgeStatistics say that Americans typically gain, on average, one pound a year. As we get older, we tend to gain more weight around our waistlines, which is the kind of weight gain that is more dangerous for our overall health. Why does this happen, and what can baby boomers do to resist this weight gain?

 

Why Do We Gain The Extra Weight?

Frank Hu, a Harvard professor of nutrition and health, has written a report analyzing twenty years of data following the health habits of 121,000 men and women. From this study, Hu concluded that the following factors resulted in the most significant weight gains or losses:

  • Sleeping either less than six hours or more than eight hours per night was associated with weight gain
  • Drinking as little as one extra sweetened drink per day (sugar was the sweetener) resulted in an average gain of an extra pound every four years
  • Eating as little as one extra serving of potato chips each day resulted in an average gain of an extra 1.7 pounds every four years
  • People who regularly ate nuts were more likely to gain less weight each year
  • People who ate processed foods (such as white bread) were more likely to gain weight each year

 

But Why Does The Weight Gain Start to Increase Around Our Waistlines?

It’s not just that Mother Nature is out to make us less attractive; it’s just the side effect of the hormonal changes we all go through in our 50’s and 60’s. Unfortunately, the hormonal changes we experience cause our bodies to start storing extra fat around our middles. Many people in their 50’s and 60’s start slowing down in regards to exercise, which also leads to weight gain in these areas.

 

What Can We Do To Fight It?

Interestingly enough, many people begin to naturally lose weight as they hit their 60’s, mostly due to shrinking appetites and a reduced need for sleep. If you remain fit enough to be active in your 60’s you may experience an almost effortless shedding of excess weight, simply because you don’t feel like eating as much and have more energy during the day.

 

However, if you’re not one of the lucky ones who naturally begin shedding pounds in your 60’s, you may want to try some of the following tactics:

  • Exercise twice a day. It may sound excessive, but people who exercise twice a day tend to lose more weight than those who work out once a day. This maybe because you’re revving up your metabolism twice per day, which means you burn more calories throughout the day.
  • If you can’t work out twice a day, make your one workout a day really count. Vigorous exercise that utilizes your larger muscles (think: swimming, running) will have more impact than slower-paced, less demanding workouts.
  • Lift weights. You’ve heard it before, but this is especially valuable for baby boomers. Lifting weights builds muscle, and muscle burns more calories than fat. However, lifting weights also provides two more benefits—it strengthens your core muscles (which prevents falls and injuries, since a strong core is essential for balance) and increases bone density, which protects you from broken bones if you do fall.
  • Take up an active hobby. Most baby boomers are finally free from the obligations of raising a family, which means you finally have time for a hobby or two! Instead of watching more television or taking up a sedentary hobby, deliberately choose to take up at least one new active hobby that will keep you moving. The number of hours you spend watching television is directly correlated to how likely you are to gain weight (and is also correlated to how likely you are to feel depressed).  Make an effort to replace television time with active hobby time and see if you don’t feel better and lose weight at the same time.

 

Most baby boomers have to deal with weight gain, so don’t get down on yourself for it. Instead take it in stride and make efforts where you can.

 

About the author:

 

Amanda Tradwick is a grant researcher and writer for CollegeGrants.org. She has a Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Delaware, and has recently finished research on how to get grants for college and college grants for teachers.

 


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Dementia patients increasing in hospitals; Music therapy being sought for recovery

November 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I came across an article this morning on Dailyrx.com
about the rise of dementia in elderly people. Studies have shown that there isdementia 300x163 Dementia patients increasing in hospitals; Music therapy being sought for recovery
an increase in the number of patients over 85 being hospitalized from dementia.
People over the age of 85 account for 40% of all hospitalizations dealing with
dementia.  Dementia is a loss of brain function that occurs with certain diseases. It affects memory, thinking,
language, judgment, and behavior. It can be caused by several different reasons
including a stroke, brain damage, alcohol use, and trauma. This irreversible
disease can also stem from certain metabolic disorders or neurological
diseases.

Dr. Marya Zilberberg with the EviMed Research Group’s department of epidemiology led this study on dementia
patients over 85 to gain a better understanding of its implications in planning
future health care policies. The study took place from 2000 to 2008. Researchers
found that the number of hospitalizations among patients over 85 climbed from
700,000 in 2000 to 1.2 million during the study’s final year and estimate that
by 2050 between 3 million to 4 million dementia patients could be hospitalized
each year. With baby boomers growing closer to this age this could pose as a
potential threat to the generation.

Doctors and patients are turning to music therapy as a means to help treat dementia. Music Therapy
is defined as a target-oriented and purposeful activity in which therapists
work with individuals or groups, using musical expression and the memories,
feelings, and sensations it evokes (Agingwellmag.com).
Music therapy is steadily gaining popularity as a method to a more speedy and
relaxing recovery.

There are many other positive effects from music besides health reasons. For one, music can
stimulate people’s creative side that they might not normally be able to tap
into. Music is heard by both the left and right side of the brain which can
bring about some very creative ideas. Music also has an effect on your mood.
Listening to more upbeat and loud music can make you feel very excited or
energized, where as a slow tempo song can make you feel calm and relaxed. There
has also been evidence that indicates music’s ability to positively affect a
person’s performance and overall productivity.

The fll article on the study can be found here:

 http://www.dailyrx.com/news-article/dementia-patients-hospitalized-despite-no-quality-life-improvement-16207.html

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Five Active Baby Boomer Vacations

November 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

bigstock Outdoor Joy 938274 300x200 Five Active Baby Boomer Vacations

As the common vacationer often flees to the warmth, relaxaing beauty of a tropical getaway, others choose to stay back and enjoy the features of the fall.  For those who would rather kayaks to cruise ships, here are some destinations to look into for your next {active} vacation!

 

1. Archeological Digging in the Southwest

Help professional archaeologists discover ancient cities beneath the sands, restore rock art, or gently probe for artifacts.

How: Submit a free application through the UDSA Forest Service’s Passport in Time program.  If chosen, be prepared to pitch a tent or pay for accommodations nearby.

This opportunity is also available through certain field schools, such as the  Totah Archeological Program at the San Juan College in Farmingdale, New Mexico, and is open to non-paying students.

 

2. Fly Fishing  in Montana

 Wade on your own, fish from a drift boat, or raft with the help of a professional guide along the Madison and Flathead Rivers of Montana, surrounded by the Rocky Mountain Vistas.

How: Half- and full-day float trips start at $225 for one person or $250 for two. Nearby Ennis has accommodations ranging from simple motel rooms to cabins, B&Bs, and classic log-timbered lodges.

 

Summer 2009 Mary Jo Mark Trail Ride LBL Five Active Baby Boomer Vacations3.  Horseback Riding in Wyoming

 The backdrop for hundreds of western movies, Wyoming’s landscape of mountains and plains practically defines awesomeness. Its ranches draw an international clientele, with wranglers and horses you can trust.

 How: Some Ranches to look into include Goosewing Ranch in Jackson, and Diamond 4 Ranch in the Wind River Range near Lander.

 

4.   Walking/ Touring in Quebec

Multi-faceted geography, diverse landscapes, vegetation and climate, and a rich history spanning five centuries from colonial regime to the present-day make Quebec one of the most historical cities in the world.

How: The historical landmarks as well as the remarkable French design which has been so carefully preserved over centuries invite walking tours of several kinds.  Try a self-guided tour called the VivaCite (marked by a circle on the sidewalks) or inquire about a certified tour through Quebec’s Tourism Site.

 

5. Paddling Paddling in New York’s Adirondack Mountains

The Adirondacks are as majestic as the Rockies and as wild as Alaska. Take to the water and listen for loons while camping in a lean-to. Or paddle by day and then relax in one of the “great camps” like White Pine on secluded Osgood Lake (it was the summer White House for President Coolidge).

How:  You can rent a canoe or kayak in the town of Saranac Lake for as little as $35 a day, or head up to Ampersand Bay where a suite atop its lakefront boathouse is $2,450 per week; a more modest cedar hewn cabin is about $1,500. Canoes, kayaks, and loons are complimentary.

 

For More Destinations, visit Gorp.com’s list of Top Ten Active Baby-Boomer Vacations

 

Written By Michelle Previlon

 

 

 

 

 

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The Three Healthiest Exercise Methods for People Over 40

October 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for best online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: blauren99 @gmail.com. 

 

walking couple The Three Healthiest Exercise Methods for People Over 40

Image: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

There is no end to the articles and advice out there claiming to know the secrets to health, fitness, and weight loss. Everyone is looking for the secret key to endless youth and for some reason we are all looking in the same place: online.

Of course, the internet is swarming with “expert” opinions on ways to lose weight using fancy new mobile applications, futuristic looking exercise machines, or the next big trendy celebrity diet. While all of these things may very well help with weight loss and overall health, there are other more basic ways to secure a healthier body, mind, and lifestyle.

After a certain point in our lives we begin to realize that our health is everything. Without your health there is very little else to life. Though this may sound rather harsh and cynical to some, for anyone who has been in the hospital, been extremely ill, or had a loved one pass, it is undeniably true.

For this reason, it becomes ever more important as we age to mind our health and find healthy ways to stay fit and in shape. These three exercising methods are great for people over the age of 40 who want to find safe and effective ways to workout.

 

Swimming

There are so many aspects of swimming that make it one of the most beneficial exercises any individual could do. Swimming is a low impact form of exercise that is perfect for older adults looking to gain better respiratory and heart health. Aerobic exercise is one of the most important forms of working out an individual can do.

However, many people over the age of 40 struggling with joint and muscle pain are unable to run or bike for their aerobic workouts. Swimming is a wonderful way to get a very thorough and challenging aerobic workout without putting undue strain on your already weary joints.

Just swimming a few yards every now and then provides your lungs, heart, and muscles with a thorough and stress-free workout. Swimming laps works out nearly every muscle in the body and is a wonderful mental exercise as well. Allowing your mind a time for utter release, many individuals use swimming as a form of meditation.

There are various forms of aerobic exercise that can be performed in the water for a non-weight bearing workout. Water aerobics is a great way to get a workout in without having to swim laps.

 

Walking

Yes, walking. While this may sound dull and far too simple, walking is a wonderful way to get in regular exercise for any individual.

As we age, we have to become more and more aware of what our bodies are telling us. Joint injuries become more common the older we get. For this reason, running long distances and doing other exercises that are particularly stressful on the joints can be very problematic and is not recommended for individuals later in their adulthood.

Walking can be a wonderful way to still get some exercise in without overstressing your joints. Walking is one of my favorite forms of exercise because it allows you to still get outside and move about. Take your dogs for a walk every night or walk to your local park every now and again with your kids or grandkids. Walking has many of the same benefits that running does for your muscles, lungs, and heart.

 

Stretching Exercises

Oftentimes, when we think of good forms of exercise we think about running, cycling, or swimming. Everything that comes to mind initially tends to be high strain, aerobic exercises. However, some of the best exercises that we can do when we are older are stretching exercises.

Doing a regular regimen of stretching each day can help prevent future injuries and will actually make your muscles longer and leaner. Obviously, it is a good idea to combine your stretching with a regular aerobic exercise that focuses on heart and lung health, but if stretching is all you can get to, it is certainly worth it.

Focus on stretching out all of your major leg and arm muscles, paying close mind to your back and shoulders as well. Stretching is a great way get into the right mindset about health and fitness.

Start your new fitness efforts with regular stretching and work your way up to walking regularly and swimming every now and again.

Filed Under: Health Tagged With: ,

Health Roundup: Home Remedies and Speeding Your Metabolism

October 7, 2011 By 1 Comment

A couple of health stories  attracted my attention this week, so I’ll share them with you — home remedies for minor ailments and Dr. Oz’s show on Friday about speeding up your metabolism to lose weight.

Health Roundup: Home Remedies

These recommendations come from Healthy Lifestyle Success:

  • Hangover remedies
    • Have a little too much to drink last night? Eat a little bread with honey – the fructose helps you process the alcohol quickly.
    • Other foods high in fructose like cherries, apples, grapes and tomatoes also help.
  • Bad breath – Green tea is a good remedy for bad breath.  The catechins in green tea neutralize the sulfur smell produced by bacteria in your mouth or stomach.
  • Indigestion – lots of folks, especially baby boomers, suffer from indigestion as the muscles begin relaxing with age — allowing acid to flow back up into the esophagus.  A number of non-drug remedies can help:
    • Drink milk – in can neutralize the acid.
    • Lie on your left side – this tends to keep acid in the stomach, where it belongs.
    • Raise the head of your bed a couple of inches.  This also encourages acid to stay where it belongs.

Health Roundup: Speed Your Metabolism

Dr. Oz talked about this in his show on Friday and it’s an important topic for baby boomers.  Our metabolism slows steadily from about 40 on.  That means, each year you eat the same diet, you gain more weight and you actually have to eat LESS each year just to stay at your current weight.

By speeding up your metabolism, you can get your body to work WITH you in reaching your weight loss goals.

Here are tips from WEBMD on speeding up your metabolism:

  1. Build more muscle as muscle burns more calories (5)  than fat does (2).  If you’re over 40, you’re loosing a little muscle mass each year so weight-bearing exercises like lifting weights are needed to maintain or build muscle.
  2. Aerobic exercise doesn’t build more muscle, but speeds up you metabolism after a workout.  And, the more intense your workout, the longer the high metabolism burn lasts.  If you can’t do an intense workout, add short bursts of intensity to your existing workout — such as adding short bursts of running or jogging to your walks.
  3. Drink LOTS of water — this helps your body burn the food you eat.  Add ice to your water or drink chilled drinks and you also burn calories to bring these fluids up to body temperature.
  4. Eat frequent, small meals.  Long periods between meals signal that your body should retain calories — in the form of fat — to sustain life when food isn’t available.  By eating frequently, you let your body know everything is ok and it should just burn the food rather than storing it.
  5. Add a little spice to your diet.  Not only will spicy foods speed up your metabolism, but you’ll likely eat less at each meal because the intense flavors are more satisfying.
  6. Eat lots of low-fat proteins like fish, nuts, eggs, and chicken breasts.  It takes more energy to digest them, so you burn more calories.
  7. Drink coffee — just use low-fat milk and skip the sugar.  Coffee speeds up your metabolism and gives you some quick energy.
  8. Drink green tea (preferable cold to burn more calories).  Green tea speeds up your metabolism and burns more than 15% more calories.
  9. Don’t diet — this causes your body to slow down and store more food as fat.  Unattractive, unpleasant, unfulfilling meals encourage you to cheat on your diet.  Small, flavorful meals full of lots of colors encourage you to eat less.  And add lots of bulk with vegetables, which have low-calorie to bulk ratios.

Your Turn

Do you think these things would work for you? What other tips do you have for speeding up your metabolism?

 

Filed Under: Dieting, Health, Recipes and Food

Can Alcohol Solve Your Problems?

September 30, 2011 By 2 Comments
drinking a beer Can Alcohol Solve Your Problems?

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1408

Alright, I know with the lingering recession and its high unemployment, declining home prices, and dwindling 401Ks, even the most resolute baby boomer is tempted to down a drink or two.  Recent actions by states such as Maryland, Tennessee, and Georgia show states are using alcohol taxes to bolster sagging tax revenues.  Here are some recent changes:

  • Maryland recently increased state alcohol taxes to 9%, the first such change in 38 years!
  • Georgia voters will consider lifting laws against alcohol sales on Sunday.
  • Tennessee may change existing laws allowing the Jack Daniels distillery to offer tastings, hoping to draw more tourists.
  • Washington proposed laws to privatize their alcohol retail operations.  These changes create revenue through the sales of state-run liquor stores and potential increased alcohol sales.  Virginia is considering similar privatization.
  • Connecticut, Massachusetts and several other states are increasing taxes on alcohol.

Sin Taxes

Cigarettes are also helping cut revenue shortfalls, with 33 states considering tax increases.

Why are cigarettes and alcohol seeing big increases in state sales tax? The reason is simple — because these products are seen as sinful and taxing them is seen as a way of discouraging consumption.  They’re also seen as optional, folks can choose to just drink less and  quite smoking.  Thus, taxing them is more palatable than taxing necessities like milk and bread.

Sure, there are those, including the New York Times,  who argue that states will provide less enforcement on underage drinking when they get significant revenue from it, but that seems pretty weak logic to me.  I work on a college campus and can tell you that existing alcohol laws do little to curb underage drinking and providing a sip of Jack during a tour of the distillery is unlikely to create serious alcohol-related problems.

Your Turn

What do you think about increasing taxes and loosening laws on alcohol consumption? Do you think changes will cause more serous alcohol problems?  Is it fair to single out certain products for extra taxes?

 

Filed Under: Health, Politics, Travel and Lifestyle Tagged With: , , , , ,
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