How many do we need - liquor stores that is

About a 100 years ago, when to become tea-total was a patriotic duty in order to somehow help in the effort to defeat the dreaded Hun, Bertie Russell, the non conforming philosopher, conscientious objector and life long non drinker, remarked in a letter to the London Times, that it was time for him to learn how to drink. Of course making sacrifices for the troops was fashionable in Canada as well. Given the importance this government has attached to the reforms of liquor rules, all presumably to encourage us to drink more and to pay more in taxes. Should we all be resolving to drink rather less?
 Obviously people have total freedom to make their own choices about their own health. In fact various BC Health Ministry publications suggest moderate alcohol consumption is beneficial to health. However, I would have thought that between the govt store, and those at the Hospitality, Barkley, Arlington, Beaufort, Westwind, and the Lake Shore, as well as the new stand alone on upper Johnston, we had sufficient choice and price variety for our pocket and our health. Apparently not, as a new huge store is being constructed on the flats on 3rd Ave. Granted that the two new ones are a relocation of old licenses, from the Port Pub and the Somass, but they are both to larger and smarter premises than they occupied before the move and with new, and presumably well financed, owners. Meanwhile, government is apparently contemplating allowing the sale of VQA wine and craft beers in grocery stores, ('grocery' undefined), but excluding corner stores. Then there is the liquor store in a supermarket idea. However, the existing locations of our liquor stores would seem to remove any possibility of our 6 or so large grocery outlets qualifying due to a 1 km rule, unless a close by liquor store was to be purchased, shut and the license moved. More likely perhaps is an existing license moving to a new community which is apparently already allowed, or on the drawing board.  We are a community of about 27,000, whose elected leaders were getting very interested at our poor health indicators a few years ago, and more recently about the silly evaluation of Canadian cities by Money Sense magazine. This supposed objective rating system gave points to a wide range of fairly arbitrary but measurable factors, including health. Port Alberni was at the bottom of their table with 36.5 points from a possible 103, with St. Albert at the top with 71.5. See attached for the Money Sense justification:http://www.moneysense.ca/property/canadas-best-places-to-live-2014-metho...Liquor stores per head was not a measure for Money Sense. They would more likely have given high marks for speciality wine and VQA stores as they did for luxury cars per head.  So with nine large liquor stores, or one for every 3,000 people, including minors, we would seem to have over choice, even if tourist and visitor traffic must help sales for some, especially those on the highway. The US industry average for profitability would suggest sales per square foot need to be in the area of at least $100/per year, although this figure is probably needs to be much higher in Canada. Clearly the ownership by, or a relationship with, a big liquor chain must also helps with profitability, and allows more specials to be offered. In general will this very high level of competition result in lower prices and perhaps in more alcohol related issues?