To The Editor:
Re: They may call it a Vote for Growth but is it instead really a vote for convenience?
In March last year, the U.S. Census Bureau released its latest report on population growth among Arkansas’ 75 counties. Surprisingly (to some) two of the fastest growing counties in Arkansas are “dry” Faulkner County (which at 4.8 percent population growth since 2010 had the highest growth rate in Arkansas) and “dry” Craighead County with 3.4 percent population growth which made it the 5th fastest growing county in the state.
Now I know we don't want to dwell on the actual facts (or statistics) of how alcohol sales effect growth but ... if we were going to discuss facts they would be compelling.
Despite the claim at SAU’s community Wet vs. Dry forum that “going wet” “will not increase drinking or crime,” study-after-study has found that making alcohol more accessible in a community increases the number of drinkers, increases the amount purchased and consumed, increases law enforcement and health-care costs, and increases alcohol related crime and social ills.
(Scribner et al. 1994, 1995), (Roncek and Maier 1991), (Jewell and Brown 1995), (Gorman et al. 2001 and 2006), (Lipton and Gruenewald 2002), (Britt et al. 2005), (Wood, 2006), (Zhu et al. 2006), (Banerjee et al. 2008), (Remer 2006), (Livingston 2008), (Roman et al. 2008).
So since we’ve established that you don’t have to go wet to be among the fastest growing counties in the state … exactly what are we going to gain in exchange for increased law enforcement cost, health-care costs, alcohol related crime and social ills?
And will it be worth it?
James F. McClellan
Magnolia