State’s Alcohol Sales Jumped During Pandemic
17% increase in sales tax revenues on beer, wine, cider and liquor.
Beer sampler. Photo by QuinnDombrowski (CC-BY-SA)
Wisconsin, one of the heaviest drinking states in the country, consumed even more alcohol than normal during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released this week.
State tax revenues on beer, wine, cider and liquor jumped by nearly 17% during the 2021 fiscal year, which ended June 30, according to a report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum. The increase represents the largest jump in alcohol tax revenue since 1972 when the wine tax rate increased and the drinking age was lowered to 18.
With bars and restaurants closed or operating at partial capacity for part of 2020 and many people avoiding social gatherings, the report suggests people turned to drinking at home during the stressful year.
“Since March 2020, Wisconsin and every other state has dealt with the consequences of the pandemic, including restrictions on gatherings and social interaction,” the report states. “For individuals, this period also may have generated increased stress about personal health and the health of loved ones, lost or reduced employment, fewer work or leisure activities, and challenges with school and child care. During such a period, it is perhaps unsurprising that alcohol sales increased in Wisconsin.”
Long one of the state’s most vexing health challenges, the report warns that this trend needs to be watched to protect people from drunk driving deaths and other alcohol related health concerns.
“It also is clear that excessive alcohol use is a leading public health concern in Wisconsin,” the report states. “Surveys routinely show Wisconsinites engage in binge drinking more frequently than residents in most other states.”
Wisconsin alcohol consumption jumps during pandemic was originally published by the Wisconsin Examiner.
