Yukoners at top in tippling alcohol, by a wide margin

Yukon residents are at the top in Canada when it comes to tippling alcohol, according to the latest statistics.

The territory has led the per capita consumption of alcohol survey ever since the figures were gathered starting back in 1950, said Gary Brown of the Yukon Bureau of Statistics.

However, Brown said the numbers have to be looked at with caution because of the influence tourists may have on the annual results.

Based on the territory's population, the average Yukoner aged 15 and over spent $1,332 on booze from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013, the bureau said.

People in Newfoundland-Labrador were in second place, shelling out $981 during the same period, while those in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut came landed in the third spot, spending $954.

The lowest average consumption, at $631, was recorded in New Brunswick. The Canadian average was $734.

Of the $1,332 spent by Yukoners, $647 went toward beer, $403 was spent on hard liquor and $282 was dropped on wine, according to the statistics. The figures do not include sales from make-it-yourself wine and beer retailers.

Total sales for all of Canada were $21.4 billion.

Brown said the impact from the purchase of alcohol by tourists in the Yukon has to be taken into consideration.

He said that unlike other jurisdictions, the territory hosts 350,000 visits annually, or 10 visits for every single Yukoner, he said.

Brown said the 2012 household survey provides a more accurate reflection of alcohol consumption in the Yukon.

It indicated that the average household, with its two-plus residents, spent $1,271 for alcohol that year.