A North Carolina proposal to raise the price of some of the cheapest liquor sold in the state is being presented in part as a public health measure aimed at reducing excessive drinking, particularly among teens and young adults.
WRAL Investigates reviewed the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission’s more than 100-page report that shows public health is only part of the equation. The commission also identifies generating revenue as a central goal of the proposal.
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After WRAL's initial report on the proposed minimum pricing policy, more than 200 viewers sent questions and comments, many expressing skepticism about the commission's public health argument for increasing liquor prices. WRAL Investigates reviewed the commission's full report to examine the reasoning behind the proposal.
On page 6, the commission states that control and revenue are co-equal goals of the policy. Under the proposal, the state would establish minimum base prices for certain liquor products, primarily affecting some of the least expensive liquor currently available in North Carolina ABC stores.
The commission argues that increasing the price of inexpensive, high-volume alcohol products could discourage excessive consumption. But the report also examines how the policy could increase liquor sales revenue.
ABC estimates at least $5 million in additional annual retail sales
The commission estimated the proposed pricing changes could generate about $5 million a year in additional retail sales from 11 products included in its analysis.
That figure does not capture the proposal's entire potential impact.
The commission said it could not calculate the effect on products from another 12 suppliers because it did not have the sales-volume data necessary to do so. Due to that missing information, the report describes the $5 million figure as a “floor on the estimate rather than a projection.” That means the total increase in retail sales could be higher.
Liquor sales volume nearly flat while sales dollars rise
WRAL Investigates also examined recent ABC sales data to look at whether North Carolinians are buying more liquor than in previous years. Comparing May 2025 with May 2026, sales volume among the state's top-selling 100 liquor products increased just 0.4%.
Sixty-six of those 100 products actually sold fewer units. At the same time, the amount of money generated by liquor sales continued to rise. Statewide ABC sales reached $155.8 million in June 2026, an increase of 3.08% compared with June 2025.
The commission's report points to an important distinction between rising sales dollars and rising consumption. On page 10, it says the difference between relatively flat sales volume and higher sales revenue reflects higher prices and changes in the mix of products consumers are purchasing, “rather than consumption growth.”
In other words, recent increases in ABC sales do not necessarily mean North Carolinians are buying substantially more liquor.
Inflation plays a role
With people looking for ways to save, ABC Chairman Hank Bauer, says more customers are turning to cheaper liquor. That may save consumers money, but Bauer says it also means less money coming into the ABC system.
“Our dollars were down last year 1.27 percent, but case sales have been up every year since I’ve been here since 2021. We're shipping more cases, we're selling more cases, but the dollars are going down because we're selling these inexpensive products,” Bauer said.
Public health or revenue? ABC says both
The commission's report makes clear that the proposed minimum-pricing policy is intended to accomplish two things: discourage excessive alcohol consumption and increase revenue.
The commission has not yet adopted the minimum-pricing plan and has said additional North Carolina-specific research is needed before moving forward.
The next monthly meeting of the North Carolina ABC Commission is scheduled for Sept. 9, 2026, at 10 a.m. at the commission's headquarters at 400 E. Tryon Road in Raleigh.