California IN BRIEF : SACRAMENTO : Survey Shows Drop in Drinking Habits

Californians drank 15% less wine and almost 5% less hard liquor in the last fiscal year, and only slightly more beer, researchers report. Figures compiled by the State Board of Equalization showed the per-capita consumption of wine declined by 15.1% during fiscal 1988-89, which ended June 30. Californians drank 3.82 gallons of wine, on the average, compared to 4.5 gallons in 1987-88. The cumulative decline over three years was 22.4%. For hard liquor, Californians averaged 1.67 gallons in 1988-89, a drop of 4.6% from the previous fiscal year and a 32% decline since 1978. Beer consumption, meanwhile, rose by 0.6% to 23.36 gallons per person in 1988-89. The California Council on Alcohol Problems, which reported the Board of Equalization findings, attributed the overall declines to improved education about alcohol-related health risks.