Battle over flavored alcohol to reach county

COLUMBUS - An anti-teen drinking coalition will take its battle against flavored alcoholic beverages to the county courthouse on Tuesday.

Tuesday morning's meeting of the Platte County Board of Supervisors will be the next forum for Project Extra Mile's fight against the reclassification of the beverages allowing them to be taxed at a lower rate, which make them more appealing to teens.

The coalition has filed a lawsuit claiming the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission's decision to reclassify flavored alcoholic beverages circumvents state law.

On Tuesday, the Platte board will be asked to sign a resolution supporting the coalition's position on flavored alcoholic beverages, said Diane Riibe, executive director of Project Extra Mile in Omaha. Riibe was the guest speaker for Thursday's meeting of the coalition's local chapter.

The coalition was unsuccessful last month in a request for a City Council committee's resolution of support, Riibe said.

The Project Extra Mile lawsuit seeks to order the liquor commission to tax and regulate such products as Mike's Hard Lemonade and Smirnoff Ice, also known as alcopops, as liquor, not beer.

Taxes on liquor are $3.75 per gallon, compared with 31 cents per gallon on beer. Beer also can be sold at more types of locations than liquor.

Flavored alcoholic beverages are sweet, often fruit, tea or cola-flavored drinks. They have about the same alcohol content as beer but get most of their alcohol from distilled spirits. Critics say they are especially targeted at young girls.

The drinks start out being brewed like beer, but with most of the beer taste, color and alcohol stripped away. Various flavors derived from distilled spirits are then added. A similar process is used to create wine coolers.

“They taste nothing like alcohol,'' Riibe said. “The industry calls them starter drinks.”

Riibe said enlisting the support of city government leaders in the classification of alcopops can be a step in building a community attitude aimed at curbing underage drinking.

A community needs a champion in city government, Riibe said. “When you get that, you begin to see change.”