Impaired judgement : Economic and social consequences of liquor privatization in Western Canada

Retailing of alcoholic beverages in Canada and elsewhere has traditionally been controlled by government agencies, such as liquor control boards. Privatizing this retail sector has been a recurring political issue since at least the early-1990s when the provincial government of Alberta implemented a major privatization scheme. A decade later, liquor retailing in Alberta's western neighbour, British Columbia (BC), also underwent a major ownership shift. In contrast, Alberta's eastern neighbour, Saskatchewan, maintains public control of liquor retailing. With the aim of more fully understanding the consequences, if any, of liquor retail privatization, this report assesses the merits of the differing liquor retail ownership models existing in western Canada based on government revenue, prices, and public health.