SACRAMENTO, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- California's Board of Equalization has voted to accept a petition to raise taxes on sugary alcohol beverages and bar them from being sold in convenience stores.
The petition, drafted by teenagers from nonprofit anti-underage drinking group California Friday Night Live, requests that the classification of such beverages, including Smirnoff Ice, Mike's Hard Lemonade and Bacardi Silver, be changed from beer to distilled spirits, The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.
The proposal goes into a period of public hearings for several months before a final decision is made.
Steve Westly, the outgoing controller of the Board of Equalization, said he is confident the proposal will pass.
"When you're selling a product that is flavored with distilled spirits, that you're marketing as distilled spirits, I think common sense dictates that it should be taxed as distilled spirits," said Westly. "I see no public policy rationale why we should provide a lower tax rate to companies that are promoting distilled spirits to young people in California."
