2/13/2012: URGENT! ACTION NEEDED RE: MIKE BROWN"S DECLARATORY RULING REQUEST – from Michigan Alcohol Policy

Advocates and Coalition Leaders Help Is Needed! 

A pressing issue has surfaced.  If everyone that receives this email just takes 5-10 minutes to contact Commissioner Deloney and Governor Snyder we believe it could influence them to make a positive decision for public health and safety.  

Attorney Mike Brown representing Lansing liquor licensee the Tin Can-West Saginaw has asked the MLCC Administrative Commissioners for a declaratory ruling permitting the Tin Can to operate a CUSTOMER LOYALTY PROGRAM.  Apparently Tin Can has been giving customers one stamp each time a customer visits the establishment.  After the customer has received 10 stamps the customer is given a $10 gift certificate which customers can redeem for food, alcoholic beverages, and/or nonalcoholic beverages.

We believe this to be in violation of current Michigan law - MCL 436.2025(1), which provides as follows:  "A vendor shall not give away any alcoholic liquor of any kind or description of any time in connection with his or her business, except manufacturers for consumption on the premises only." 

Mike Brown contends  that the customer loyalty program does not violate the law because the program does not dictate how the gift certificate will be redeemed.  It appears that they have been trying to make the argument that it's no different than a coffee customer loyalty program.  However, two differences are that alcohol is not coffee; and with the coffee programs (and other programs) you purchase something.  A purchase does not seem to be required to get a stamp. 
 
Attached is the request for declaratory ruling.  On page 2 Mr. Brown talks about the law dating back to prohibition.  While that may be the case he wrongly attributes the purpose of this law as prohibiting unsavory practice of offering free alcohol to customers as an inducement to lure them into their establishments.  I believe that he is wrong.  The unsavory practice was bars and saloons putting excessive salt in the food so unsuspecting patrons would drink more alcohol.  Whether or not this dates to prohibition is not relevant.  Research is clear that low alcohol prices results in more problems.  The intention of the law is to not give away alcohol because cheap or free alcohol will result in more social problems.  
 
Free alcohol is not good public policy and we cannot let this go without a fight.  Now is the time to contact Commissioner Deloney and Governor Snyder!   We will be issuing a press release very soon so stay tuned!  Follow the action steps below and contact us with any questions.  Thanks in advance for your help. 
 
Mike: 517.803.5586      Marie: 517.230.7884
 
ACTION STEPS:  Contact Commissioner Deloney and Governor Snyder and copy us as soon as possible.   Tell them to uphold the law and to not permit this scheme to give away free alcohol.  Educate them on how lower alcohol prices are related to excessive alcohol consumption and problems.
 
1. Email and call Commissioner Deloney and carbon copy Governor Snyder (rick.snyder@michigan.gov) and Michigan Alcohol Policy    (michiganalcoholpolicy@gmail.com) on any email communications.
deloneya@michigan.gov   517-322-1353
 
2. Call Governor Snyder (517) 335-7858.
 
3. Share this information with other individuals and organizations that might be interested in it. View Declaratory Ruling Request (PDF)

2/1/2012: Enhanced Prenatal Quitline launches February 1, 2012
On February 1, 2012 the Michigan Tobacco Quitline will launch an enhanced service for prenatal callers who are uninsured or on Medicaid.  Callers will receive up to nine calls during pregnancy and postpartum (6 during pregnancy and 3 postpartum).  They will receive a personal quit coach who has received special training in working with pregnant women.  They have the opportunity to receive text messaging-this is optional as we know not all people have text messaging or have limited texts each month.  Enrollees will receive a reward card each time they complete a call.  The card is worth $5 for prenatal calls and $10 for postpartum calls for a total of $60 if they complete the whole program.  The cards are prefilled MasterCards and can be used anywhere.

Some of you were hoping for rewards that could be used only for baby supplies and I hear your concerns.  Our vendor chose the MasterCard option because it can be difficult for many of our callers without transportation or in rural areas to get to a specific store.  The MasterCard can be used for anything from helping to pay a phone or utility bill to nutritious foods, gas to go to a medical appointment or baby supplies.  The Quitline will be encouraging the recipients to use the cards for appropriate things and I hope all of you in the field can help us with that too.

Please remember that this program does not start until February 1.  Anyone calling prior to February will not be getting the special benefits.
Download Flyer (PDF)

9/13/11: Smoke Free Air Alert
Dear Smokefree Air supporter,

The Dr. Ron Davis Smokefree Air law is under attack! Bills that were introduced earlier this session to make exemptions to the law may be considered and debated by the legislature this fall. Now is the time to speak up and contact your legislators and stop them from destroying the law that we all worked so hard to pass.

Any attempt to open up the law is an attempt to undo it altogether. We cannot let the smokefree law be gutted by legislators. We need your help! Contact your State Senator and State Representative today and let them know how much you love the smokefree law and that you oppose any changes to weaken it.

The law has been in effect for well over a year now and a recent poll shows that 74% of active or likely Michigan voters support the law. Additionally, there is no credible or compelling data that shows the law has been anything but positive.

There is simply no reason to weaken or change this law.

Unfortunately, a small number of people have been fighting to have our elected officials change this great public health law. The media and some legislators are listening to these people and our voice is not being heard. Don't let a few people in our state sabotage the health of Michigan workers.

Let your legislators know that the residents of Michigan are happy with the smokefree law as it is currently written. Do not let them weaken this law.
 
Sincerely,
 
Regina Calcagno, J.D.
Policy Director
Tobacco Free Michigan

8/23/11: Liquor Control Rules Advisory Committee Mtg
A few weeks ago the Office of Regulatory Reinvention announced the members of the Liquor Control Rules Advisory Committee.  We are concerned that the interests of public health and safety are not adequately represented.  Click the link below to see who is on it.  Please let us know if you personally know any of these people or if you know people that know them personally.  We will begin to educate and talk with members of the committee about the importance of alcohol regulations.   
 
http://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-10576_35738-260375--,00.html
 
The first meeting is this Wednesday, August 24 from 1:30-5:00pm.  We are encouraging people to attend the meeting assuming that it will be open though we have heard that the other Office of Regulatory Reform (ORR) Advisory Committees are not.  We would like to get a group of about 25 and some members of the media to attend this first meeting in an effort to discourage it from being closed.  Please let us know if you can attend the meeting.  Even if you can't attend the entire meeting it would be helpful to show up from about 1-2pm so members of the committee and the media see that there are lots of people expecting to attend the meeting.  It's very important for people to monitor these meetings since the Liquor Control Advisory Rules Committee will "assist the Office of Regulatory Reinvention (ORR) in reviewing Michigan's liquor control system in order to ensure that the regulations are simple, fair, transparent and efficient, and conducive to business growth and job creation." 
 
The address for the meeting is:  611 W. Ottawa St., 4th Floor, Lansing.  If you can attend the meeting please try and be there around 1:00pm. 
  
Thank you for your attention and please contact us with any questions.  We hope to see a few of you Wednesday. 
 
Mike                               Marie
517.803.5586               517.230.7884
 
P.S.  Later this week we will be asking organizations you belong to, to join us and sign on to a letter that supports Michigan's system of alcohol regulations.  MAP is also compiling a memo to the committee informing them what regulations we want kept and as well as a list of our recommendations.  We encourage all of you to do the same.  Per their instructions - "please send input on specific rules you would like to see changed or other regulatory reinvention ideas to ORR@michigan.gov, or via the public comment portion of our website at www.michigan.gov/orr."