Uncostly Cocktails
Booze Bargain? 1 in 5 Americans believe low alcohol prices contribute to drinking problems in their community, reveals poll.
1 in 3 (29%) say alcohol companies market their drinks too aggressively.
1 in 5 have bought booze in bulk to save money.
More than 1 in 3 (36%) people say alcohol is part of their weekly grocery shop.
GreenhouseTreatment.com, a leading provider of addiction treatment resources, conducted a survey of 3,000 drinkers, revealing that 1 in 5 (20%) believe low alcoholic drink prices contribute to drinking problems in their community. This issue may be a particular concern during the pandemic, considering many people have faced challenging life adjustments, economic struggles and emotional difficulties as a result of the coronavirus, which brings to the discussion the Covid ‘Cocktail Crisis’. Stress, boredom and isolation are potential emotional triggers for alcohol consumption – all of which are common feelings experienced by many due to social distancing and lockdown regulations. Combined with low alcohol prices – such as online sales and in-store discounts – this could be a recipe for vulnerable people.
Broken down across the country, those in Arkansas have the strongest feelings about low alcohol prices contributing to drinking problems in their community with 50% saying they felt this was the case. Comparatively, just 10% of those in rural Wyoming think low-cost liquor is a contributing factor.
See the table below for the % of Americans who think low alcohol prices contribute to drinking problems in their community.
| State | Yes % |
| Alabama | 36 |
| Alaska | 20 |
| Arizona | 23 |
| Arkansas | 50 |
| California | 26 |
| Colorado | 21 |
| Connecticut | 26 |
| Delaware | 33 |
| Florida | 11 |
| Georgia | 13 |
| Hawaii | 20 |
| Idaho | 18 |
| Illinois | 21 |
| Indiana | 14 |
| Iowa | 20 |
| Kansas | 15 |
| Kentucky | 32 |
| Louisiana | 11 |
| Maine | 25 |
| Maryland | 16 |
| Massachusetts | 29 |
| Michigan | 22 |
| Minnesota | 16 |
| Mississippi | 16 |
| Missouri | 16 |
| Montana | 13 |
| Nebraska | 21 |
| Nevada | 26 |
| New Hampshire | 20 |
| New Jersey | 22 |
| New Mexico | 35 |
| New York | 24 |
| North Carolina | 26 |
| North Dakota | 20 |
| Ohio | 21 |
| Oklahoma | 31 |
| Oregon | 23 |
| Pennsylvania | 15 |
| Rhode Island | 20 |
| South Carolina | 41 |
| South Dakota | 33 |
| Tennessee | 18 |
| Texas | 21 |
| Utah | 11 |
| Vermont | 20 |
| Virginia | 20 |
| Washington | 20 |
| West Virginia | 40 |
| Wisconsin | 18 |
| Wyoming | 10 |
The survey also found that over more than two-thirds (68%) of respondents think non-alcoholic beverages, such as mocktails, are too expensive. This could be another reason why some feel low prices of alcoholic drinks are contributing negatively to their community’s drinking problem. Perhaps more people would be inclined to order non-alcoholic alternatives if there was less of a price discrepancy between their alcoholic counterparts.
Despite the fact that 14.1 million American adults (aged 18+) had alcohol use disorders in 2019, as well as the fact that alcohol is the most regularly used addictive substance in the United States, the alcohol market still continues to grow. In fact, the US distilled spirits industry spent $345.5 million on broadcast advertising alone in 2019, $107.4 million on magazine advertising and $27.5 on outdoor advertising. Perhaps this could be part of the reason why 1 in 3 (29%) people think alcohol companies market their drinks too aggressively, according to the survey by GreenhouseTreatment.com.
More than 1 in 3 (36%) people say alcohol is part of their weekly grocery shop, which could suggest the low cost makes it more affordable for regular consumption if some are consuming it on a weekly basis. Additionally, 18% of people say they buy alcohol in bulk in order to save money.
On the other hand, more than 1 in 10 (16%) people admit to buying alcohol at the store purely because there was a special offer, even if they had no intention of buying it before getting there.