Let’s use the beer tax for intervention and education measures

As our long hot summer of holidays, barbecues, beaches and lake time comes to its dreaded close, I was left pondering that beloved drink, beer.  
It was recently pointed out to me by an old friend that Wyoming has a beer tax. Who knew there was a tax specifically targeted
for beer? 
Now before you get out the pitchforks, torches and polearms to raid your local liquor store and take the beer and dump it in the LAK in a modern day Boston Tea Party, the tax is only $0.02 per gallon. To put that into perspective it is roughly 1 penny per six pack, or just slightly more as a half gallon is 64 ounces and a six pack is 72.  
A price you will admit you would not notice one way or another.
So a bit further research on the subject showed me that in the fiscal year 2008 the revenue from this tax was $260,000 into the state general fund. Not a lot, but do the math on that will ya!  
That is revenue from roughly 13 million gallons of beer. For perspective on that, there are roughly 590,000 humans and 400,000 antelope living in Wyoming by 2022 estimates. A little more math shows that is just over 13 gallons for every man, woman, child, and speed goat in the state. That’s a lot of barley hops, and water going down.
Switching gears for just a sec to tie some things together. Wyoming sits middle of the pack in education, by most measures we are mid twenties as a whole. So let’s say instead of that beer tax going to a general fund — to be used for whatever whims the state so decides — it were to go into the education fund?
I can hear you now, “Dustin, $260K does not even make a dent in what our schools need.”Yes, I get that, but say the tax was raised to $0.50 per gallon. Then you are talking real money at $6.5 million dollars or more per year, because let’s face it, no matter the economy the beer gets drank in celebration or misery.
Another side of the coin that I read was why not abolish the tax altogether? This tax was put in place at this amount in 1935. A dollar in 1935 compared to today based on inflation calculators is $21.62, so this tax has most certainly not kept up with the times. 
The argument for getting rid of the tax has some very strong points.  Between beer, wine and liquor taxes the revenue is $1.7 million dollars. By way of comparison, the state of Wyoming lays out $27.6 million to combat alcohol abuse and its related offenses. A totally untenable situation.
Personally, I say use that inflation and raise the tax by 25 times the amount that it is at current, if not more. (Let’s be honest again, a quarter or so added on to your favorite six-pack isn’t going to put you off.)  Then take that revenue and plow it back into the education system for alcohol and substance abuse classes and intervention measures. Maybe help curb some of
that $27.6 million before it gets
out of hand.
If you are interested in a state by state breakdown of beer taxes, try taxfoundation.org/state-beer-taxes-2022/. It lists a breakdown of taxes on the golden nectar by state.  You will see that Wyoming far and away is the lowest.  
As I said this is just some beer, er, food for thought, enjoy the research if you are so inclined. Sometimes the interwebs can provide a bit of fun that is also eye opening and educational. I hope you have found this educational and entertaining. I will be back on occasion to dazzle you with useless knowledge, fun facts, and things to make you stretch your mind.
You are welcome to come along for the ride if you want.