The availability of alcoholic beverages was assessed by giving each USA state a score on 8 items concerning legal beverage control such as minimum legal age for purchase, density of outlets. Sunday sales and closing hours. The correlation between per capita consumption and availability was positive and significant. The correlation between consumption and income was even greater and that with urbanism was also positive. With the effects of income and urbanism controlled, availability was not significantly correlated with either consumption or alcoholism rates. Slight changes in availability may have relatively little effect on human consumption or alcohol problems, provided that neither income nor urbanism are changed.