Here are some thoughts pertaining to “Community.” Other topics are featured on their own pages. Just look to the right column and select the category of your choice for more information and articles.
By the way, the photo you see here is of a group of young people from the “Mayor’s Summer Youth Program.” These kids, from neighborhoods all over the City of Buffalo, work to clean up areas throughout the city all summer long. You might say they are an important reference to “Community.”
Quality of life issues are all around us and sometimes feel insurmountable. Sure, we’ve had issues through the decades, but it seems harder than ever to assure safe neighborhoods and the underlying issue is quality of life.
For example, a neighborhood is wrought with vandalism, street crime, and break-ins. Actually, that may be tame compared to some areas. However, for the purpose of this article, we will use it as an example.
What creates the crimes experienced such as these, whether in the city or suburbs, are issues that have gotten away from us. A recent study by Ricky Bluthenal of the Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science states that MLBs are at the base of many quality of life issues. MLBs? Malt Liquor Beverages.
Says Bluthenal: “Measuring MLB consumption is difficult because MLBs differ from other beer beverages in two important aspects: container size and alcohol content by volume. We found that the combination of these differences resulted in the average malt liquor drinker in our study consuming 80 percent more alcohol per drink than the average regular beer drinker. Although we did not report consequences in this paper, typically the more alcohol consumed the greater the probability of negative alcohol-related consequences for an individual and their community.”
“MLBs can be sold in containers as large as 40-ounce bottles, or ‘forties’ as they are referred to,” said Rhonda Jones-Webb, associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. “‘Forties’ are commonly sold chilled and wrapped in brown paper bags for immediate consumption, and independent web sites devoted to malt liquor as well as rap lyrics and movie scripts encourage ‘chugging’ the bottles before they get warm. The combined effects of higher alcohol content, larger serving size, and faster consumption can result in higher blood alcohol levels, an increased risk of aggressive behavior, and other alcohol-related problems.”
Last month, After 50 ran a terrific article on Buffalo Police Commissioner H McCarthy Gipson. Most of the minor crimes his troops see could be avoided by policing quality of life issues. However, there are just so many officers available and they are needed to address the crimes that, unfortunately, are catapulted into a higher level, due to the quality of life our community has forced upon them from alcohol distributors and mom and pop stores that sell MLBs.
These containers (“40s,” “pounders,” and other nicknames) are largely targeted to Afican American and Hispanic youth along with other young adults. Jones-Webb continues, “Malt liquor brands such as Steel Reserve, Hurricane, Magnum, and Panther are used by the alcohol industry to connote power and machismo and lure youth and young adults into the market. Rap artists have been popular images in malt liquor advertising and ‘gangsta’ rap performers portray malt liquor as a sign of masculinity. The targeting of minority youth for malt liquor sales is of particular concern because alcohol advertising has been shown to influence brand choice, and brand choices during youth can influence beverage choices as adults.”
So, what does this all mean? We need change – change in legislation. These small stores that sell these containers dot practically ever other street corner in the city, while convenience stores in the ‘burbs offer them up, as well. The marketing and pricing, along with the alcohol content is destroying lives. Some of the consumers are being taken advantage of, as this is the beverage of choice due to pricing and the opportunity for an economical and quick “buzz.”
Columbus, Ohio has legislation on the books that prohibits MLB sales. But, we need more and more folks aware of the issue so we can affect the change.
In that manner, Commissioner Gipson and his crew will be able to concentrate on crimes not fed by the prey of alcohol pushers such as the stores that sell to the over served, and the distributors who blatantly advertise these products.
Now, it’s your turn to be an activist. If you live in the city, contact your Common Councilmember and request a review of the Columbus, Ohio law to be implemented into the City Charter. If you live elsewhere in the state, contact Attorney General Andrew M Cuomo and request the same review. Not only will you be contributing to the quality of life in your area, you will be contributing to another person’s lifestyle.
In Other Words... 