There are about 150,000 convenience stores in the US, and somewhat to the tune of 65,000 bars.

There are 88,000 alcohol-related deaths year over year, and 440,000 related to tobacco.

Put more simply:

(440,000 + 88,000) / (150,000 + 65,000) = 2.46

2.5 deaths per vendor per year.

Every convenience store. Every bar. Averaged out, each one is associated with two and a half deaths annually from the products they sell.

For Contrast

There are about 67,000 pharmacies in the US, and roughly 106,000 deaths per year attributable to adverse drug interactions.

106,000 / 67,000 = 1.58

1.58 deaths per pharmacy per year. The places we go to get healthier have a better ratio than the places we go to get a six-pack and a pack of Marlboros, but not by as much as you’d hope.

It Gets Worse

Alcohol-related deaths are 3x higher in dry counties than in wet ones. Banning the vendor doesn’t remove the demand. It removes the regulated access point and replaces it with unregulated alternatives.

The number is painful either way you look at it. Sell it, and 2.5 people per storefront die each year. Ban it, and the rate triples.