Center for Alcohol Policy briefs committee on regulation, recalls and new beverage trends

Kelly Roberson, executive director of the Center for Alcohol Policy, presented to a joint session of the House Business and Labor and Senate Economic Affairs committees on the history and regulation of alcohol and recent developments regulators should monitor.

Roberson told legislators the U.S. approach — a three-tier system separating producers, wholesalers and retailers — balances public health and marketplace order. She said Montana's control-state model, in which the state acts as wholesaler for distilled spirits, has functioned to protect product integrity and tax revenue and to enable quick recalls.

Roberson reviewed long-run historical concerns that led to regulation and offered survey results the Center recently collected: she said roughly 85% of respondents reported satisfaction with their state's system and that the top public priorities were reducing drunk driving, protecting public health and reducing underage drinking. She cautioned legislators to weigh public-safety priorities as bills affecting alcohol reach the floor.

The presentation flagged several regulatory trends: direct-to-consumer shipping that can circumvent taxation and product tracking; the rise of so-called "functional" beverages that mix alcohol with hemp or other ingredients and raise questions about labeling and health claims; and ownership structures that re-create "tied-house" problems if suppliers or national chains gain cross-tier control. Roberson also noted recalls handled quickly because of robust distributor and wholesaler tracking, and urged lawmakers to ensure regulators remain funded to enforce rules.

Committee members asked whether mailed or packed-in-luggage beverages present a tangible problem for Montana. Roberson said such shipments occur but are often under the radar; she recommended the state examine what is known about unregulated inbound shipments and make targeted enforcement decisions.

Roberson encouraged lawmakers to consult state regulators and national resources when bills on novel beverages reach the legislature. She also invited legislators to national conferences and said the Center will provide its survey and materials to the committee.

The session included brief exchanges with members who stressed public-safety priorities and raised questions about THC-mixed and other new beverage products. Administrator Becky Schlau of the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association was present; Roberson thanked Schlau for longstanding work with state regulators.

The presentation was informational; committee members did not vote on legislation during the briefing.