Taxing beer could decrease gonorrhea rates
■A study asserting higher taxes on beer relates to lower rates
of STDs is underfire by the scientific community
By Adam Jude
Oregon Daily Emerald
A recent study conducted by
the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) suggests
that a higher tax on beer relates to
a decreasing rate of gonorrhea,
one of the most common sexually
transmitted diseases among
young adults.
Many, however, are skeptical
about the CDC findings.
“It sounds very peculiar,” Uni
versity health educator Annie
Dochnahl said. “Unless it was
purposely set up to compare ap
ples and oranges ... it’s crappy
science.”
The CDC report, “Gonorrhea
Rates Decline with Higher Beer
Tax,” is based on a national study
of 36 states where the alcohol tax
increased from 1981 to 1995. The
results were compared to the
changes in gonorrhea rates among
people aged 15 to 24 in the states
that raised the tax vs. states that
did not, said Cynthia Glocker,
spokeswoman for the CDC sexu
ally transmitted disease division.
Both Glocker and Dochnahl
said that there are numerous stud
ies that correlate alcohol con
sumption with unprotected sex
and sex with multiple partners.
“Alcohol has been linked to
risky sexual behavior,” Glocker
said. “More particularly, alcohol
is associated with high risk sex
that can cause STD transmission
more easily.”
Glocker said that the beer tax
increase is associated with a 75
percent decrease in the STD rate
among 20- to 24-year-olds.
“CDC researchers estimate that
a 20-cent state tax increase per
six-pack of beer could reduce the
U.S. gonorrhea rates by almost 9
percent,” according to the report.
CDC also reported that gonorrhea
rates dropped in the states that in
creased the legal drinking age.
“The Department of Health and
Human Services has highlighted
higher alcohol prices and im
proved enforcement of the mini
mum legal drinking age regula
tions as potential strategies to
CClt sounds very pecu
liar. Unless it was pur
posely set up to compare
apples and oranges...
it’s crappy science.
Annie Dochnahl
health educator
further reduce teenage alcohol
consumption,” the report suggest
ed.
University Health Center direc
tor Dr. Gerald Fleischli said there
are many variables that must be
considered when this type of
study is conducted and it doesn’t
appear that the CDC results reflect
all of the possibilities.
“I think this is a case where cor
relation is not the same as causa
tion,” Fleischli said.
An editor’s note appears at the
end of the CDC report that states
there are limitations to the discov
ery.
“Given these limitations, the
study findings ... are consistent
with but do not prove a causal re
lation between higher taxes and
declining STD rates,” the footnote
stated.
Mrs. Oregon
continued from page 1
against everybody,” she said.
But Tarver-Thompson said the
contest was about much more
than just winning.
She said contestants became
friends over the weekend and en
couraged each other to get
through the stressful moments of
the pageant.
“We would all stop and pray to
gether,” she said. “It was so neat
to see all of us come together.”
And there were some nerve
wracking moments, not only dur
ing the contest, but also before.
Tarver-Thompson said she had a
designer dress made to wear at the
evening gown competition, but at
the last moment, the dress, which
she had spent more than $300 on,
just did not work out. Tarver
Thompson said it was just her
luck that she happened to find a
perfect replacement during a
Good Friday sale for only $9.99.
Tarver-Thompson said it was
especially nerve-wracking not to
be able to see the other contest
ants on the stage; contestants
waited backstage and were with
out sound as each woman pre
sented herself to the judges.
But all the anxiety during the
contest turned out to be worth it.
“It was- just amazing. When
they finally called me, I just raised
my hands in the air and I just kept
saying Thank you, Jesus,”’ she
said.
Heidi Albertson, the pageant’s
stage director, competed in the
pageant in 1998. Albertson helps
the women prepare for the on
stage appearances, by teaching
them how to walk, turn and look
at the judges.
Albertson said she had a great
experience as a contestant herself
and plans to continue to be in
volved in the pageant in the fu
ture.
“It’s not just based on your out
side beauty,” she said. “It’s based
on your marriage, your family and
It’s here Now!
JO Summer
p Session
Duck Cal.
Summer session starts June 19. Pick up your free summer bulletin today in the
Summer Session office, 333 Oregon Hall, or at the UO Bookstore. You can speed
your way toward graduation by taking required courses during summer.
University of Oregon Summer Session
http://uosummer.uoregon.edu/
your community involvement. It’s
not a beauty pageant.”
Tarver-Thomspon said her
wide involvement on campus and
in the community has prepared
her for her new role as Mrs. Ore
gon.
“I’ve done a lot of stuff and all
that stuff has prepared me to be a
spokesperson for Oregon, for the
educational system,” she said.
She said a number of sponsors,
including the University’s School
of Journalism and Communica
tion and Mercedes-Benz, believed
in her and made her participation
possible.
“I could not have done this
without my sponsors,” she said.
Tarver-Thompson’s husband,
Jason Thompson, was with her all
weekend, escorting her onto the
stage and watching her from the
audience.
He also got to put the crown on
his wife’s head at the end of the
contest.
“It was a great experience,” he
said. “I was really happy to see
that she was rewarded for all of
her accomplishments.”
Thompson said he thought all
contestants were great and de
serving to be in the competition,
making it difficult to anticipate
his wife’s win.
“I really wanted to think, ‘Oh
yes, she’s got it in the bag,’ but I re
ally couldn’t,” Thompson said.
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