RD390 - 2011 Annual Report of the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC)


Executive Summary:
ABC completed Fiscal Year 2011 with a record $692.7 million in annual gross sales, up $17.3 million from the previous year. Sales to mixed beverage licensees (restaurants) went from a 2.5 percent decline last year to a 2.9 percent increase this year, creating new confidence in the economic situation in Virginia.

In Fiscal Year 2011, ABC collected more than $114 million in excise taxes, $32 million in wine liter taxes, $27 million in general sales taxes, $43 million in malt beverage taxes and $121 million in profit transfers for a total of $333,190,561 in transfers. ABC has contributed more than $1.5 billion dollars to the Commonwealth in the last five years.

Special agents from the agency’s Bureau of Law Enforcement monitor compliance in licensed establishments statewide. During the fiscal year, ABC special agents conducted 11,259 criminal investigations, made 2,213 arrests, completed 1,012 written warnings and 716 written violation reports for administrative action against licenses. ABC agents take an active role in promoting compliance. They trained 1,515 participants in the Responsible Sellers and Servers: Virginia’s Program (RSVP) statewide this fiscal year.

In Fiscal Year 2011, the Hearings, Appeals and Judicial Services Division received 813 cases for processing and achieved its goal for the processing average to be 118 days. The division collected $1,041,730 in civil penalties during the fiscal year.

ABC continues to be a leader in alcohol prevention and community education initiatives. The agency provides thousands of dollars in grant funding to enhance community and university coalitions. In Fiscal Year 2011, ABC distributed 163,536 education/prevention/compliance pieces throughout Virginia and an additional 64,500 training pieces to licensees.

The ABC-sponsored 25th Annual College Conference, 26th Annual YADAPP (Youth Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Project), the Naval Safety Center PSA partnership and the middle school “Alcohol Has No Place” poster contest were among the educational highlights of the fiscal year.

ABC remains committed to the public safety of Virginia’s citizens, providing alcohol education for people of all ages; excellent customer service at each retail location; and generating a consistent source of revenue for the Commonwealth of Virginia.