Rising liquor sales in Ohio may be a sign of a growing state economy. The Ohio Department of Liquor control recorded $825 million dollars in sales in 2012, marking a 7 percent increase from last year.
“The sales for 2012 did increase and they have increased each year for quite a number of years,” said Matt Mullins, spokesperson for the Department of Liquor Control. “Total sales have increased every year since 2000.”
Athens has been a steady part of the contribution to state liquor sales, with the local Kroger making more than $4.5 million dollars in sales last year alone. Athens’ steady stream of bar patrons has also been a contributing factor to the state’s liquor revenue.
“The wholesale of liquor to restaurants and bars is a good indicator of the strength of the economy,” Mullins said. “We have seen the wholesale of liquor to restaurants and bars increase the past two years.”
Local officials have not seen a great fluctuation in the number of arrests due to drinking.
“Our alcohol arrests have not fluctuated considerably,” said Andrew Powers, chief of police at the Ohio University Police Department.
Athens Health Recovery Services has not seen a rise in the number of patients with alcohol dependence issues despite the large increase in liquor sales said Executive Director Dr. Joe Gay.
“What has happened over the last five or six years is there has been an increase in opiate use,” Gay said. “Many people who used to come to us for abuse of alcohol are now coming to us using opiates.”
Gay added that for many in the area opiates have replaced alcohol, making a difficult problem even worse, but that their programs for minor alcohol offenses are seeing a rise in referrals from the University and the local municipal court.
“We run a couple of programs for people with minor alcohol offenses,” Gay said. “Both programs are running full blast with more referrals than before.”
Gay added that the increase in referrals to minor alcohol programs is not a sign of increased use of liquor in the county, but a change in school and city policy when dealing with minor alcohol offenses.
bm471311@ohiou.edu
