Idahoans are buying more liquor from state liquor stores, but they’re not drinking more alcohol.
That’s because consumption of spirits is increasing at the expense of beer, part of a nationwide trend, according to the state Liquor Division Director Jeff Anderson.
The Idaho Press reports, he told state lawmakers last week that the Liquor Division returned a record dividend of $85.3 million in fiscal year 2019, an increase of $6.8 million.
Over the next decade, he estimated that the state Liquor Division, which controls sales of hard liquor in the state but not beer and wine, will distribute more than $1 billion in net revenue to beneficiaries, including the state general fund, city and county governments, court services, substance abuse programs, public schools and community colleges.