Happy Hour Banned in Several States

Not every state allows restaurants and bars to host “happy hours.”  In fact, there are several states that have banned happy hour or any other advertising of reduced alcohol prices completely. These states include: Alaska, Indiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah and Vermont. This list recently included Illinois, but the state’s legislature overturned the ban just last month.

Many people in Illinois are overjoyed by the decision, claiming that the banning of happy hour does not reduce binge drinking. But studies by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) argue otherwise. Their data shows that happy hour specials encourage overconsumption which may then lead to drunk driving.

According to the NHTSA, over fifty percent of people driving while intoxicated were served their last drink at a licensed establishment. It is possible if there was no happy hour this drink would never have been served. The NHTSA data also shows that lower priced alcohol encourages people to drink more, because they are not worried about overspending. This leads to people binge drinking on a regular basis during happy hours, which is a very unhealthy and dangerous habit.

Whether it is called happy hour or not, having reduced prices for alcohol during specific time periods can lead to trouble.