Government should get out of the booze business

Recent news reports are advising us that alcohol causes cancer and that consumers need a warning label to advise of the risk to health.

As consumers of alcohol, we are not surprised by the news that alcohol presents a risk to us. We have known all along that addiction is a risk. It is alarming that warning labels on bottles of alcohol is being advocated to warn us about the risk of cancer.

Given the risk level and the desire to post a warning, two things come to mind for me. The first is, governments should abandon their involvement in the purchase, distribution, and sale of alcohol given the new perceived health risk.

The second thing that comes to mind is that there are a myriad of health risks of daily living. For example, driving a vehicle can result in a motor vehicle accident that can cause injury or death. Given this risk, let’s put a bold sign on each passenger window of a vehicle that driving or being in a vehicle as a passenger involves a risk of being injured or death. Yes, I agree that is ridiculous notion. But let’s recognize that living involves many risks to our good health and safety.

I am not advocating for prohibition. It generates more adverse effects than attempting to deny folks a beverage that is a part of our lives and that of our ancestors for thousands of years.

If is true that alcohol causes cancer, then governments should get out of the business and avoid any financial gain from the consumption of alcohol. It is duplicitous to tax plus manage a commodity along with a health warning.

Government already plays a role to protect us through the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in the products that we consume. Alcohol should not be any different.