Thirteen states limit alcohol purchases to state-run stores. Washington was among these states until 2011, when voters passed Initiative 1183, which privatized liquor sales and imposed taxes and fees on them. As a result, the number of retail sites increased dramatically, and the cost of liquor went up. The authors compared the amount of alcohol purchased by households in Washington metropolitan areas to the amount purchased by households in 10 states that retained monopoly control of alcohol sales, before and after privatization
