The State : Beer Consumption Drops

The annual report by the state Board of Equalization said that the per-person consumption of beer in the year ended last June 30 was 24.23 gallons, down 1.2%. Average consumption of hard liquor was 2.04 gallons, down 0.3%. The average person drank 4.65 gallons of wine, up 1.1%. The per-person consumption of cigarettes was 106.5 packs, the eighth straight year that smoking declined in California. Consumption was 110.1 packs in 1983-84. It hit a high of 147.2 packs per person in fiscal 1960 and 1961. The board reported that personal income tax, which replaced the sales tax as California’s top revenue producer in 1983-84, continued its lead in 1984-85. The personal income tax totaled $10.8 billion, up 16.3%, while the sales and use tax collections totaled $9.8 billion, up 11.4%.