Utahns don't support looser state liquor laws, group says

• By a 2-to-1 margin, Utahns do not believe raising the alcohol tax will discourage consumption.

• More than 70 percent favored keeping the alcohol content of beer sold at grocery stores at 3.2 percent.

• Forty percent of those questioned believed loosening alcohol laws would boost tourism and financially benefit the state.

• Some 80 percent believe alcohol advertising leads to increased consumption.

• About one-third believe alcohol laws are too restrictive, while half said they are "about right."

• The population was about split on whether to eliminate the state's "private club" system.

• About two-thirds were opposed to selling wine in grocery stores, whereas 31 percent were in favor.

Van Komen said economic benefits should never justify changing state liquor laws if it means even one more baby being born with fetal alcohol syndrome or one more person dying in a drunken driving accident.

"The cost appears to be too great," he said.

Insight Research surveyed 418 Utahns last June, asking 39 questions about alcohol consumption, alcohol laws and potential outcomes from changes to those laws, as well as demographic information about the respondents. The margin of error is plus or minus 5 percent.

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