ALEXANDRIA, Va. –National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) President David Rehr has written to National Academy of Sciences (NAS) President Dr. Bruce Alberts reiterating concerns that the NAS panel tasked by Congress with reviewing existing underage drinking programs lacks balance and objectivity.

 “In a letter dated August 12, 2002, NBWA expressed concerns that NAS did not meet the requirements of the 1997 Amendments to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA),” Rehr wrote.  “Those requirements state that individuals with conflicts of interest are to be excluded from committee panels, and that those panels be fairly balanced in terms of the points of view represented and the functions to be performed.” 

“Oddly enough, the contents of the copy of this letter that exists in the NAS public file have been redacted, barring the public and media from its review.  We find this highly unusual and request an explanation as to why it was done.”

NBWA supported language in the 2002 Labor-HHS Appropriations Conference Report calling for a comprehensive study of existing underage drinking programs, and was successful in that effort.  Shortly thereafter, several members of Congress, NBWA and industry allied groups made independent recommendations of various, well-respected experts for inclusion on the panel.

Unfortunately, NAS ignored those suggestions and selected a panel of individuals who do not represent diverse views or opinions on the issues they are tasked with reviewing. Several panelists are outspoken critics of the licensed beverage industry and have publicly advocated for anti-alcohol policies, such as dramatic tax increases and further limiting the availability of licensed beverages for law abiding citizens.

Already more than 138 members of the House of Representatives and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) have written to Dr. Alberts encouraging NAS to work with the licensed beverage industry. 

“NBWA supports comprehensive solutions to the problems associated with the illegal underage purchase and consumption of licensed beverages,” said Rehr.  “Unfortunately, the directive of Congress has thus far been ignored by the NAS panel, making it highly unlikely that this process will yield a credible study that Congress can rely on for unprejudiced results.  The real losers here are the taxpayers who entrusted Congress to spend its money wisely and those who are seeking real solutions to the problems associated with underage drinking.”

A copy of Rehr’s letter to Dr. Alberts is available upon request.