The Michigan Council on Alcohol Problems (MICAP) was created early in the 20th century with a mission of fostering public education and good public policy regarding beverage alcohol in Michigan. When prohibition ended, MICAP recognized the need for controls in the sale of beverage alcohol between the manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. MICAP and other organizations encouraged the formation of the Michigan Liquor Control Commission and lobbied the state legislature until it was formed.

 

From the beginning the main thrust of MICAP has been and remains to nudge the Michigan Legislature and the Michigan Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) toward a “Best Public Policy” regarding beverage alcohol, and not to cave to the whims of the liquor and hospitality industries. 

 

While a great emphasis is being placed today, through federal grants, federal policies and federal guidelines on drugs, beverage alcohol - a legal drug - remains the most insidious drug in our country. It is a “gateway” drug through which users find their way to other illegal drugs. The cost of beverage alcohol to our state and nation, in dollars and cents alone, irrespective of human and family suffering, is staggering. The Board of Directors, therefore, has agreed that most of our energy and resources will be aimed, both in the legislature and in our newsletter, The MICAP-RECAP, toward the best state policy on beverage alcohol.

 

A fitting conclusion to this history is the purpose statement for MICAP which has been adopted and which guides us into the future. It reads:

 

“The Michigan Council on Alcohol Problems (MICAP) works to educate Michigan citizens about the consequences of the abuse of beverage alcohol and other impairing drugs and promotes public policies that eliminate or mitigate those consequences”.

 

We hope you will see the significance of that statement and want to lend your personal and/or financial support toward that effort. Much remains to be done to create a “Best Public Policy” for Michigan. And each of the tasks requires swimming upstream, so to speak, against the whims of the liquor and hospitality industries whose bottom line is to sell more beverage alcohol to whomever.