Are we not drinking enough in Connecticut?
In this story by JC Reindl about changing liquor laws, Gov. Malloy reveals that Connecticut ranks close to last in the country in per-capita liquor consumption.
Malloy also told reporters that among all the states, Connecticut ranks 49th in per-capita purchases of alcohol. He said the state should be ranked much higher.
But the governor goes on to suggest that it's not that we need to drink more. We just need to buy it at home.
"What that's telling us is we're losing large amounts of sales to New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts," he said.
The governor cited one industry estimate that $570 million a year in alcohol sales revenue is lost to other states.
Maybe he's right, given that state law now sets a minimum price for booze.
"This has been a 100 percent regulated and protected industry and, in so many ways, quite un-American," Malloy said. "I go into a pharmacy and there's no minimum price for aspirin, there's no minimum price for NyQuil."
The governor seems to be on to something. Lowering the price of liquor:That's an accomplishment to run on.
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