Raising Booze Prices Leads to Less Drinking

That, and angrier drunks.

A study on the boozing habits of British Columbians found that there's a strong correlation between the price of alcohol and how much people drink. Using data from the provincial government on alcohol sales and prices between 1989 and 2010, a team at the Centre for Addictions Research in Victoria determined that for every 10-per-cent increase in the cost of alcohol, there was a 3.4-per-cent decrease in the amount of alcohol purchased in the province. Across the various kinds of alcohol, that 10-per-cent hike meant 13.9 per cent fewer ciders and alcoholic sodas being sold, 8.9 per cent fewer bottles (and boxes) of wine, and 6.8 per cent fewer bottles of sweet lady liquor, but just a measly 1.5 per cent fewer beers. Public health and addictions experts will of course say that this suggests the key to lowering the manifold health problems related to drinking is raising the price of booze, but for those who feel equal access to alcohol should be enshrined in the constitution, this seems like a surefire way to punish the less-fortunate drinkers among us.