Hayden residents vote ‘wet’ for alcohol sales

By Neisha Roberts

The Alabama Baptist

The last time Hayden residents voted on the legalization of alcohol sales they voted to remain “dry” in 2015 with a margin of only five votes. But on Jan. 24 voters determined the city would become a “wet” city with 153 votes in favor and 121 votes opposed (unofficial results).

The referendum, which will not go into effect for 60 days, according to news reports, will make Hayden the fourth city in Blount County (which is “dry”) to become “wet.”

Of Alabama’s 67 counties only 24 are “damp,” meaning they are a “dry” county but have “wet” cities, according to abcboard.alabama.gov. The remaining counties are “wet.” The last totally “dry” county, Clay County, became “damp” when Ashland and Lineville voted to legalize alcohol sales in March 2016.

Joe Godfrey, executive director of Alabama Citizens Action Program, has expressed his disappointment numerous times to The Alabama Baptist when “another community has been misled into believing that alcohol will raise their standard of living.”

“The fact is that the social costs far outweigh the revenue from alcohol sales, but no one ever wants to talk about that,” Godfrey said. “Our culture continues to become more and more addicted to alcohol and governments continue to become more and more addicted to the revenue it produces without counting the costs.”