Why can't sellers mail alcohol to their customers through the U.S. Postal Service? Other carriers will ship alcohol, so why can't the U.S. Postal Service?
Why can’t anyone mail alcohol through the USPS?
Category: Economics
COVID-19 and Unemployment & Alcohol Related
The coronavirus pandemic caused serious problems around the world. Many companies and their employees are hit hard. COVID-19 and unemployment were closely connected. COVID 19 especially threatened restaurants and bars. These had been places where people typically gather in groups. But social distancing and sheltering in place threatened to destroy such businesses. Trying to survive, …
Drinkers Make More Money (It’s Because They Drink)
It’s a simple fact. In general, alcohol drinkers make more money. As one newspaper reported, “Who said boozers are losers? Just take a look at their paychecks.” Women in the US who drink earn 14% more than nondrinkers. Men who drink make 10% more than abstainers. That’s according to an economic analysis in the Journal …
Café Culture Benefits Everyone and Is Easy to Create
Café culture has spread from Europe to countries around the world. With its emphasis on eating and socializing, it appeals to many people. Café culture promotes a diverse and vital downtown area. It attracts visitors and improves the economy. In short, café culture benefits everyone. The city of Chapel Hill in North Carolina realized the …
Alcohol Ads and Underage Drinking: What Does Science Say?
Are alcohol ads and underage drinking related? Can reducing or preventing alcohol ads on TV reduce underage drinking? Simple solutions to complex issues are always temping. But news reports can mislead if they don’t accurately report research findings. Misleading Reporting In reporting the findings of a study1 on the subject, the New York Times failed to …
Drinking Alcohol or Using Marijuana (What Influences Choice?)
Does price influence decisions about drinking alcohol or using marijuana? That is, do differing prices or availability of alcohol influence the use of marijuana and other drugs? Substitution Economists note that some products can, at least to some degree, be used to replace one another. In such cases, as the price of one goes up, …
Sin Taxes on Alcohol Beverages: What You Need to Know
“Sin taxes on alcohol beverages.” Perhaps that phrase is a justification for raising them. The news is full of debates about increasing so-called sin taxes. But what’s sinful about alcohol? Absolutely nothing. Saint Thomas Aquinas said that no substance is sinful, “but only the misuse of it that makes it so.” Drinking in Moderation is …
Alcohol Monopolies are Anti-Consumer (High Prices, Poor Choice & Service)
Competition among producers of goods and services benefits consumers. It increases consumer choice, reduces prices, and improves customer service. Therefore, alcohol monopolies are anti-consumer. Monopolies Harm Consumers It was abolishing the old telephone monopoly that made possible the dramatic expansion of communication products that we take for granted today. And it was deregulation of the …
Alcohol Monopoly States: Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC)
Why are some states government alcohol monopoly states? The reason lies in the past. Repeal of National Prohibition was in 1933. At that point, some states decided to continue their own prohibition within their borders. Other states decided to leave the choice up to local jurisdictions (counties and/or cities). This is local option. So even …
How Much Does Alcohol Cost Society? (Discover the Facts)
Does alcohol cost society? The answer is debatable. Alcohol may cost society or it may economically benefit society. And, of course, the costs and profits may cancel each other. But it’s essential to distinguish between drinking in moderation and abusing alcohol. Failure to do so leads to radically different estimates. That’s because drinking in moderation …