I was having a conversation the other day with some family. Of course, the novel coronavirus came up along with the sharp rise in unemployment levels.
22 million Americans are now unemployed according to the Washington Post. An astounding number when you consider that this equates to 14.7% of the country is now unemployed.
Despite the unemployment rate and businesses closing, liquor stores remain open. Greed must be the sole reason for this.
“Liquor stores bring in to much money for the state to close them. That is the only reason why they are open,” my cousin said. It is true that they do bring in a little bit of money. Over $700 million in 2018 alone, to be exact.
At first glance, it is easy to blame the state’s greed as the reason it leaves the liquors open. But we do not have all the facts yet.
New Hampshire ranks number one in the country for alcohol consumption per capita. This means people drink more regularly in NH than any other state.
This statistic surprised me. It also made me think more about why liquor stores remain open in the 603. We all hear on the news about the limited supply of medical equipment and beds at hospitals. So why does this matter?
Closing liquor stores in a state like this could backfire. Someone who needs medical attention for alcohol during a pandemic may have issues.
The state could keep these stores open to prevent an influx of new patients into the emergency room. This is the smart decision to make, especially during a pandemic.
This is the reason liquor stores are essential in the state of NH. So that people who may have the coronavirus can receive the proper treatment they need.
