The Effects of Increased Liquor Sales

"It starts about the end of October, Halloween," says Zane Jones, owner of the Water Hole.

From there, business doesn't slow down until the new year.

"We pretty much work all year for the last three months," explains Jones. "December will almost double any other month."

The biggest seller this holiday season, eggnog and lots of it. In the month of November alone they sold over 100 bottles.

But even if they aren't buying more alcohol, they're buying better.

"They might buy a lower end Canadian but at Christmas time they'll go ahead and spend money on one of the higher end products like crown or crown reserve," says Jones.

Unfortunately, high alcohol sales also mean higher driving related problems.

"In years past those holidays mean an increase in DWI's for us. It also means an increase in fender benders, property damage, injury crashes, fatalities due to alcohol," says Sr. Trooper Sparky Dean.

The solution is nothing new or revolutionary, but it's effective.

"Get a designated driver before they start drinking and that way they're assured they can have a fun time before they start drinking," explains Dean.

And if not, they will find you.

"We're out there looking for those folks because we don't want anybody to have crashes," says Dean. "And so that's one of the things we take a priority in, is looking for drunk drivers."

Next time you cruise down the aisle of the liquor store, just remember they'll be cruising down the street.