Alcohol News December 2003

Friday, December 19, 2003

Diageo to Put Nutrition Labels on Liquor
The New York Times, December 18, 2003
"Diageo, the British liquor company whose brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness and Smirnoff, said yesterday that it would put nutrition labels on its products to detail how much alcohol and how many calories and carbohydrates are in each bottle.

Executives at Diageo North America said the labels, which will be introduced next year, would also list serving sizes and the amount of other macronutrients, like sugar and fat.

The move comes a day after a coalition of more than 70 consumer groups and experts petitioned the Treasury Department to require that its Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which regulates alcohol labeling and advertising, require nutrition labels on all alcoholic beverages..."
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Schielke slaps 3 businesses for selling booze to minors
Kane County Chronicle, Batavia, IL, December 18, 2003
Three businesses that sold alcohol to minors more than once were fined and had their liquor licenses suspended Thursday.

Mayor Jeff Schielke, who also serves as the city's liquor commissioner, imposed the fines and suspensions as a reminder that multiple violations won't be tolerated.
"What we want is strict and strong compliance with requirements for identification checks in order to prohibit the flow of liquor to minors," Schielke told the license holders during Thursday's hearing.

The hearing stemmed from a Nov. 14 police sting in which nine of 18 restaurants, bars and package liquor stores in the city sold alcohol to minors..."

The toughest penalty was placed on Cafe Cancun, which was cited for a third violation. Schielke fined the restaurant $1,000, and suspended the establishment's liquor license for seven days starting Dec. 24.

Full Moon and Bistro America, which each were cited for a second violation, were fined $1,000 and had their licenses suspended Dec. 24 and 25.

The six other businesses, all first-time offenders, were spared a public hearing and a license suspension and were fined $750. Schielke said the money collected from the fines will be used for drug and alcohol prevention programs in Batavia schools..."
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Wednesday, December 17, 2003

East St. Louis To Limit Alcohol Sales
KSDK TV, St. Louis, MO, December 16, 2003
"The New Year could bring about major changes for those who buy alcohol in East St. Louis. Simply put, you may not be able to buy alcohol anywhere at any time!
At Monday night's city council meeting, Mayor Carl Officer announced he was not renewing any of the city’s 71 liquor licenses that expire at midnight on December 31.

Broadway Plaza has been selling liquor for more than 20-years. Owner Russell Hudlin, Junior says losing his license would definitely hurt business, because as much as 20% of that business comes from selling alcohol.

Those numbers are much higher at area nightclubs.

Mayor Officer made the decision to not renew licenses after the city council refused to approve $160,000 to hire a team of inspectors to make sure license holders are complying with state laws..."
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Tuesday, December 16, 2003

'Alcohol Facts' Label Proposed for Beer, Wine, and Liquor
PRNewswire, Washington, DC, December 16, 2003
"A proposal for a uniform "Alcohol Facts" label was submitted today by the National Consumers League (NCL), the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), and others in a petition to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The petition urges the agency to require a new label for alcoholic beverages that would give consumers clear information about alcohol content, serving sizes, calories, and ingredients. The groups argue that "Alcohol Facts" labels will do for alcoholic beverages what Nutrition Facts labels have done for packaged food: provide readable information that would empower consumers to make informed decisions about the products they consume.

Rules governing alcoholic-beverage labeling suffer from jurisdictional gaps between the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Treasury Department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB, formerly the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms). The FDA can weigh in on alcoholic- beverage labeling in only a small number of cases. And, TTB has no institutional expertise in diet or nutrition. Adding further confusion are TTB's inconsistent standards for beer, wine, and hard liquor, and the abundance of products that increasingly blur those three traditional categories of alcoholic beverages..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/16/2003

NJ State Assembly OKs lowering blood-alcohol limit to .08%
Press of Atlantic City, NJ, Trenton, NJ, December 16, 2003
"The Assembly voted overwhelmingly Monday to lower the state's blood-alcohol content threshold for driving while intoxicated.

The Assembly voted 58-10 with nine abstentions to lower the limit from .1 percent to .08 percent.

The state Senate still must approve the measure. It also needs Gov. James E. McGreevey's signature.

Should it be fully approved, it would ensure the state gets millions of dollars in federal transportation funds.

Approval in the Assembly came despite arguments from bill opponents who charged it further, saying the bill unfairly strengthens New Jersey's drunken-driving laws. The law already provides for what amounts to an unfair, automatic conviction, they said.."
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Is Advertising To Blame For Under Aged Drinking?
KGO-TV 7 News, Oakland, Ca, December 10, 2003
"Some people are calling it an epidemic of underaged-drinking saying alcohol abuse among young people is growing faster than any other drug and they're laying the blame squarely on the alcohol industry and it's advertising...

Studies are showing drinking among young people is on the rise, growing faster than any other drug.

Researchers say the alcohol industry spent nearly $2 billion last year on advertising. Much of it was seen by people too young to drink.

Dr. David Jernigan, Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, Georgetown University: "These are family oriented shows. They attracted larger than proportional youth audiences. We've even found ads on the wonderful world of Disney..."

Assembly member Wilma Chan has been trying to get a bill passed to discourage advertising alcohol to minors.

Assm. Wilma Chan, (D) Alameda County: "What my bill would do is it would assess a fee to producers of alcohol only for that proportion of alcohol that's sold to underaged drinkers. In other words, illegal sales, which is estimated to between 10 and 20 percent in California..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/16/2003

Monday, December 15, 2003

Alcohol, cars mix for local retailers
Monroe News Star, Monroe, LA, December 10, 2003
"Purchasing alcohol is almost as convenient as picking up a hamburger at a fast-food restaurant in Monroe these days...

Maj. Robert Biggers of the Monroe Police Department has seen several drive-through liquor stores over the years.

The choice to offer drive-through liquor purchases rests with the businessperson, he said.

Biggers said he hasn't seen any statistics to measure whether such establishments encourage drinking and driving.

There is "obviously a problem" with drive-through liquor stores, said Maj. Royce Toney, chief investigator for the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office...

"The problem with drive-through is that you drive in with a two-ton vehicle, hand money and receive an alcohol beverage prepared for immediate consumption."

He said he believes this encourages consumers to drink and drive. The legal blood alcohol content set by the state Legislature is .08..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/15/2003

Thanks to Cable, Liquor Ads Find a TV Audience
The New York Times, December 15, 2003
"Almost two years ago, an experiment to allow American liquor marketers access to the biggest, most powerful advertising medium of all - national broadcast network television - ended in acrimony. Since then, those advertisers have pieced together an alternative, virtual TV network, enabling them to expose consumers to more pitches for vodka, gin and whiskey than ever before.

Commercials for distilled spirits, once relegated to the fringes of the television landscape, now appear on two dozen national cable networks from AMC to WE, more than 140 local cable systems and 420 local broadcast stations. That patchwork network lets the liquor marketers take advantage of the benefits of selling on television - primarily the ability to reach large numbers of consumers quickly and frequently - even if its most potent form is barred to them...

"At this point, liquor ads have saturated cable," said George A. Hacker, director for the Alcohol Policies Project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, who has long fought against such commercials because of fears that they are more visible to children than print ads and glamorize drinking more..."
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The Nicotini
The New York Times, New York, NY, December 14, 2003
"There is nothing as alluring as vice, except possibly the combination of two vices. A Florida club owner may have come up with a cure for smokers' rage over their recent exile from bars: a martini infused with nicotine-rich tobacco. (Sound delicious? How can it not be?) The Nicotini, as it is known, comes in various forms -- among them a Quick Puff (a single shot) and, more enticingly, a Black Lung (mixed with Kahlua). Result: The stimulant and the depressant enter the boxing ring that is your body and battle for dominion -- but then, that's hardly a new sensation for anyone who has ever smoked in a bar..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/15/2003

Friday, December 12, 2003

Senate approves Michael's Law
Bridgeton News, New Jersey, December 12, 2003
"First District Assemblyman Nicholas Asselta announced Thursday that the state Senate unanimously approved a measure he is co-sponsoring that would enhance penalties for repeat drunken drivers.

The bill, dubbed Michael's Law in memory of 19-year-old Vinelander Michael Albano, who was killed in an accident with a repeat drunken driver Dec. 20, 2001, was approved by the Senate 34 to 0..."

The legislation would require mandatory minimum jail sentences of 90 days and $1,000 in fines for third and subsequent driving-while-intoxicated offenses, according to Asselta. Offenders would also be required to participate in 90-day drug or alcohol inpatient rehabilitation programs approved by the court.

Under the bill, drivers with three or more DWIs would lose their drivers licenses for 10 years..."
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New Jersey State Assembly: No. 2386 (Michael's Law) (.pdf)

posted by Shanita | 12/12/2003

Hispanics targeted in new drunken driving campaign
The Holland Sentinel, Washington, DC, December 11, 2003
"For the first time, the government is launching a drunken driving campaign targeting Hispanics, who are at higher risk of death in alcohol-related accidents.

Alcohol-related crashes account for half of all Hispanic traffic deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In the general population, alcohol-related crashes accounted for 41 percent of traffic deaths in 2002.

"States have been clamoring for good-quality Spanish-language materials," agency spokesman Rae Tyson said Wednesday..."
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Thursday, December 11, 2003

Time to ban alcohol advertising
The Journal Standard, Freeport, IL, December 10, 2003
"Mayor Gitz and council members, why don't you do something positive for Freeport and the area? Please pass an ordinance making Freeport one of the first cities in the country to ban all outdoor advertising of alcohol, including such words as pub, lounge, tavern, depot, outlet, and of course, beer, wine, liquor and alcohol. Ban advertising of these products. Change the laws of the sale of these products. No sales on Sunday, not even when dining out. Close drive-up windows and make the job of the Freeport Police easier..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/11/2003

Bay Area Officers Kick Off Massive DUI Campaign
ABC 7 News, California, December 10, 2003
"Bay Area law enforcement officers served nonalcoholic "coptails" to San Francisco restaurant patrons this afternoon, to mark the start of the holiday drunken driving crackdown...

Representatives from a number of Bay Area law enforcement agencies, including San Francisco Police Chief Alex Fagan and Assistant Chief Jerry Tidwell with the California Highway Patrol, met at Momo's restaurant near Pac Bell Park to announce the enormity of this year's DUI campaigns...

The state Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control will also play a part in the enforcement efforts, making sure liquor stores and bars are checking for IDs and making sure intoxicated people can't buy any more liquor. Acting ABC Director Jerry Jolly said businesses can expect to pay a $1,000 fine for serving a minor..."
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California Office of Traffic Safety: Campaigns and Coalitions

Kilpatrick cracks down on alcohol
The Detroit News, Detroit, MI, December 11, 2003
"With the swipe of a brush, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick on Wednesday painted over the word "liquor" on the wall of an east side party store and gave a symbolic start to the city’s campaign to cut liquor’s public presence.

"What we’re doing here today will ... forever eradicate the proliferation of alcohol and alcoholism" in the city, Kilpatrick said.

The city announced a six-part crackdown on the sale and presence of spirits. Besides asking store owners to paint over liquor signs, the city also plans to:

- Forbid new neighborhood liquor or party stores from opening. Detroit has 338 liquor stores and 379 stores that sell only beer and wine, according to city officials.

- Ask the state Liquor Control Commission, which issues licenses, to make it harder for people to keep inactive licenses and to transfer licenses. The city is 164 licenses over a state quota for party stores based on population, officials said..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/11/2003

Large liquor retailer expands campaign on illegal sales
Anchorage Daily News, Anchorage, AK, December 8, 2003
"One of the state's biggest liquor retailers already has a reputation for being extra aggressive in preventing sales to underage, would-be buyers, and now is expanding its scope.

Brown Jug wants to transform its campaign against underage drinking into an effort that not only stings the wallet but also convinces youths not to drink.

Under the Brown Jug campaign, anyone who goes through a new alcohol awareness program will get a break on a $1,000 civil penalty. The store will seek $300 instead of $1,000.

"We're trying to educate on the responsible approach to the product," said Ed O'Neill, one of Brown Jug Inc.'s owners.

The program isn't free. Participants will have to pay another $290 for the main course, 15 to 16 hours of classroom sessions led by Akeela Inc., a private substance abuse prevention and treatment agency..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/11/2003

Wednesday, December 10, 2003

Alcohol ordinance still on hold after Borough Council meeting
The Daily Princetonian, Princeton, NJ, December 10, 2003
"Despite objections that student binge drinking has worsened this fall, the Borough Council took no action on the controversial alcohol ordinance last night.

Instead, the council heard from student leaders, University administrators and community groups on how to combat a "culture" of drinking on campus and at the eating clubs...

The ordinance would allow police to cite underage drinkers on private property, including the eating clubs.

Representatives of the Princeton Alcohol and Drug Alliance opened the discussion with a call for more education and prevention rather than passage of the ordinance..."

At the council's April 23 meeting, when the ordinance was tabled by a unanimous vote, PADA was charged with reporting on efforts made by the University and student groups to curb dangerous drinking..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/10/2003

Town proposes ban on festival liquor sales
The Natchez Democrat, Vidalia, LA, December 10, 2003
"To applause and a chorus of "amens" from a packed house, the Vidalia Board of Aldermen on Tuesday scrapped a proposed amendment that would give them the power to grant a liquor license to public festivals.

Instead, aldermen prefiled an ordinance to prohibit the sale of alcohol at public festivals such as the annual Jim Bowie Festival. A public hearing on that ordinance will be held at the board's January meeting.

Town attorney Jack McLemore said the board has been discussing the sale of alcohol for some time, particularly after last fall's festival.

"We've had a lot of concern about this ordinance," McLemore said. "I was asked to draft a new ordinance that prohibits the sale of alcohol..."
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Tuesday, December 09, 2003

State (KS) high court weighs liquor laws
The Lawrence Journal-World, Topeka, KS, December 9, 2003
"Cities can make local ordinances that are more strict than state law, but they don't have the right to make them less restrictive, a state attorney told the Kansas Supreme Court on Monday...

The arguments were made as the state appeals a Wyandotte County district judge's ruling that a loophole lets cities decide whether to permit Sunday liquor sales despite a state law that prohibits them.

Since the ruling in May, more than a dozen Kansas cities, including Lawrence, have passed ordinances that allow liquor stores to do business on Sundays..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/09/2003

Alcoholic Zipper shots: Don't sell 'em
The Grand Island Independent, Nebraska, December 9, 2003
"Don't sell 'em" was the initial stance of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission regarding Zipper shots, when it voluntarily banned the alcohol-infused gelatin product. Containing 12 percent alcohol, each single-serving cup is equivalent to two beers. In August, however, the commission inexplicably lifted the statewide ban....

Granted, caring and attentive parents would certainly make sure that their children do not have access to Zipper shots. But no effort is foolproof. One moment of a parent's carelessness or one instance of a child's unexpected discovery of more "Jell-O" in the back of the refrigerator could have dire consequences.

In addition to alerting parents, Project Extra Mile has also notified area law enforcement agencies. Now along with watching for open containers of alcoholic beverages, officers must inspect plastic containers of innocent-looking gelatin which could also result in a citation..."
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CADCA: Educate Your Community about "Zipper Shots"

Battle royal over wine shipped interstate Winemakers want direct Internet sales; distributors say no
San Francisco Chronicle, Wshington, DC, December 8, 2003
"From Napa Valley's verdant vineyards to the starchy K Street offices of Washington lobbyists and lawyers, a battle is playing out that could determine the future growth of California's $7 billion wine industry.

The fight over direct Internet wine sales, pitting winemakers against deep-pocket liquor distributors, has grown into a high-powered struggle led by well-known pillars of the capital's conservative legal establishment. Eventually, it seems, only a U.S. Supreme Court decision will end the wrangling.

Opponents of freer shipments follow a two-pronged strategy. In addition to their constitutional argument, they point to the dangers of underage drinkers using the Internet to get alcohol.

"This issue is about kids, communities and common sense,'' Juanita Duggan...
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posted by Shanita | 12/08/2003

Univ. Delaware campus and Newark sober up
The News Journal, Delaware, December 6, 2003
"Since 1996, the University of Delaware and City of Newark have been in the forefront nationally in addressing high-risk drinking among college students.

Efforts have been supported by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and resulted in a volunteer organization of residents, students, faculty and staff known as the Building Responsibility Coalition. This has grown to more than 130 individuals and has been an important influence on campus and in the community.

The efforts in Newark and on campus have centered on excessive use of alcohol as a public health issue. Solving it is dependent on changing the environment that permits, encourages or sustains the problem..."
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Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Lobbyist Keeps Louisiana's Alcohol Laws at Bay
Alcohol Policies Project, December 5, 2003
"Eighty-year-old George Brown, executive director of the Beer League of Louisiana, is a big reason why Louisiana's alcohol laws are not as strict as other states, the Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 1.

Brown has become one of the most effective advocates for the alcohol industry in the nation. For example, he managed to get frozen alcoholic drinks excluded from the state's open-container law for friends in the drive-through daiquiri business. Brown has also been influential in enabling gas stations to sell cans of beer on ice, allowing grocery stores to sell liquor 24-hours a day, and permitting bars to stay open around the clock.

While public opinion has shifted nationally towards tougher regulations on alcohol sales and drinking while driving, Brown has managed to block bills in Louisiana that would have prevented underage drinkers from entering bars, tightened punishment for repeat offenders, and toughened the open-container law.

Even though other states have increased alcohol taxes to address budget deficits, Louisiana's excise taxes on beer haven't been increased since 1948, thanks largely to Brown's advocacy efforts..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/08/2003

Friday, December 05, 2003

Last call to come at 2:30 a.m. in Atlanta
Southern Voice, Atlanta, GA, December 5, 2003
"Bar owners took one on the chin early Tuesday in their fight to keep pouring alcohol until 4 a.m., as the Atlanta City Council approved a 2:30 a.m. last call for every day except Sunday.

The new ordinance takes effect Jan. 1, when businesses that sell alcohol for "on premises consumption" must close by 3 a.m. instead of the current 4 a.m. State law prohibits the sale of alcohol in bars on Sundays; restaurants and other venues can sell alcohol until midnight that day.

But the last call issue may not be dead, as the legislation mandating the earlier closing time was part of a compromise that said alcohol licenses issued, renewed or transferred for 2004 are effective from Jan. 1 to March 31. After that, the City Council could revisit the issue as license holders must apply for another alcohol license that would be valid for the remainder of the calendar year..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/05/2003

Outside Panel to Review Campaign for Alcohol
The New York Times, December 5, 2003
"Another large marketer of alcoholic beverages has agreed to having its advertising reviewed by outsiders as part of efforts to defuse the growing criticism of the industry's sales tactics.

Allied Domecq Spirits North America in Westport, Conn., a unit of Allied Domecq that sells brands like Beefeater gin and Stolichnaya vodka, said yesterday that it had formed an outside review board to help ensure its advertising is responsible and aimed only at consumers of legal drinking age. The panel, made up of three executives, will also examine any complaints against the company in areas like inappropriately targeting under-age drinkers.

In May, the Coors Brewing Company division of the Adolph Coors Company agreed to allow the Council of Better Business Bureaus to resolve complaints about its ads..."
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Thursday, December 04, 2003

Local Law Enforcement Partners With ABC to Combat Binge and Underage Drinking On UC Campuses
Yahoo News, San Luis Obispo, CA, December 4, 2003
The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) announced today that, along with the University of California (UC), it is partnering with six local law enforcement agencies to address student alcohol abuse. The following local law enforcement agencies are joining in the effort to increase enforcement activities around selected UC campuses...

The State of California will now have active partnerships with both the UC and California State University System (CSU) by the signing of Memoranda of Understanding that commit the resources of the State to work cooperatively to help identify the scope and nature of the problems on individual campuses and focus specific strategies to address the problems in the communities. As the lead agency, ABC has worked with the CSU Chancellor's Office and the UC Office of the President to pursue grant funding opportunities and develop joint programs. The efforts are believed to be the first in the nation to address statewide, multiple institutions of higher education in such a comprehensive, coordinated effort..."
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California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control

posted by Shanita | 12/04/2003

Council considers limiting U-District alcohol sales
The Daily, Seattle, WA, December 4, 2003
"The Seattle City Council will hold a public hearing tonight on proposals to restrict alcohol sales in the U-District and other areas.

Possible restrictions include limiting the hours of alcohol sales or prohibiting sales of single cans, bottles and malt beverages - drinks containing high amounts of alcohol.

If the Council passes the proposals, the restricted U-District area will extend from east of Interstate 5 to 15th Avenue Northeast, and from south of Ravenna Boulevard to North Northlake Way.

Neither Greek Row nor the University Park Neighborhood lies within the designated Alcohol Impact Area (AIA).

“These AIAs have been proposed in response to neighborhood concerns,” said Councilwoman Margaret Pageler. “We are very interested in hearing from neighbors and others who feel strongly about this tool...”
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Wednesday, December 03, 2003

City council to amend rule on alcohol use on city property
Muskegon Chronicle, Muskegon, MI, December 2, 2003
"For years, the Grand Haven City Council has given groups the green light to operate beer tents on city-owned property for various festivals, including the popular Winterfest.

As it turns out, that's a legal no-no -- according to city ordinance.
The city council has discovered a flaw in an ordinance that allows "the sale" but not "consumption" of alcohol on city property. The discovery was made Monday during a city council discussion on whether the proposed "Salmon & Song Fest" should include a beer and wine tent at the Municipal Marina parking lot..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/03/2003

Survey finds drug use common among students
Marin Independent-Journal, San Rafael, CA, December 2, 2003
"A recent survey of Marin high school students indicates what many already know - teens can get drugs, alcohol and tobacco easily.

That information - along with observations by law enforcement and school officials that students are using alcohol, marijuana and tobacco as early as in middle school - prompted the Marin County School/Law Enforcement Partnership to step up anti-drug education efforts.

A survey of 588 students from Marin high schools by the Youth Health Advisory Council found that 49 percent of youths surveyed buy drugs. And of the 44 percent who say they can get drugs from friends and family, 86 percent count on their classmates.

Three quarters of the students surveyed said they used alcohol at social events or parties, and 55 percent said they used drugs on such occasions.

The school and law enforcement partnership is boosting efforts to heighten awareness of the problem..."
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Youth Health Advisory Council Survey

Advertising and Price Effects on Adolescent Drinking
National Bureau of Economic Research, December 2, 2003
"Intensive advertising by the alcohol industry has such a strong influence on adolescents that its elimination would lower underage drinking in general and binge drinking in particular, according to a study by Henry Saffer and Dhaval Dave. In Alcohol Advertising and Alcohol Consumption by Adolescents (NBER Working Paper No. 9482), the authors also find that hefty price increases could have a similar effect.

While many public health advocates claim that advertising plays an important role in adolescent drinking, the alcoholic beverage industry has rejected the connection. Companies contend that their advertising is aimed at adults and is intended to influence brand choice, not the decision of whether or not to drink. But neither side has produced much in the way of objective data to either support or refute a link between advertising and underage drinking..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/02/2003

Iowa Passes Keg Registration Ordinance
KTVO TV3, Sigourney, IA, December 1, 2003
"Monday in its regular meeting, the Keokuk County Board of Supervisors passed a county-wide ordinance requiring keg registration, in hopes of holding whoever buys the keg accountable for underage consumption. As of January 7, 2004 anyone who buys a keg of beer will need to supply more than just a valid form of identification saying they're of age. They'll soon have to leave behind their name, address and driver's license number, identifying which keg goes where and with whom..."
Keokuk Co., Iowa Passes Keg Registration Ordinance

City dealing with issues raised by liquor-by-drink passage
The Pulaski Citizen, Pulaski, TN, December 2, 2003
"...The complications of implementing liquor-by-the-drink in Pulaski come mainly from the unexpected effects it has on the city's laws pertaining to beer sales.

In some cases the city's ordinance controlling the sale of beer have more requirements than the state's laws regulating the sale of mixed drinks. These conflicts present the city with discrepancies that could be challenged in court if not changed.

"We want our beer laws to be about the same," Speer said.

One discrepancy between the beer and liquor laws the city will deal with is the time period in which beer and mixed drinks can be sold in the city. Prior to last Thursday's passage of liquor-by-the-drink, the city allowed the sale of beer between 6 a.m. and 2 a.m except Sundays. On Sundays, the city's ordinance allowed for the sale of beer between noon and 2 a.m.

State laws regulating liquor-by-the-drink allow the sale of liquor between 6 a.m. and 3 a.m. all days except Sundays. Having passed what is often referred to as the "Titans Law," the state allows for the sale of liquor-by-the-drink as early as 10 a.m. on Sundays. However, cities have the option to maintain noon as the time to allow the sale of alcohol..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/02/2003

Monday, December 01, 2003

Louisiana Lobbyist Keeps State Laws On Drinking Loose
The Wall Street Journal, Metaririe, LA, December 1, 2003
"Business was brisk at Bayou Daiquiri's drive-through window on a recent Friday night, as cars lined up four deep to buy vodka-laced frozen drinks in 32 flavors. A young woman with two children in the back seat bought a large strawberry margarita in a styrofoam cup, then weaved one-handed back onto the busy highway.

She can thank George Brown, executive director of the Beer League of Louisiana, the industry's powerful trade group. A state law passed three years ago forbids drivers to carry open containers of alcohol, but there's a line buried in the law exempting "any amount of frozen alcoholic beverage" in a cup, as long as a straw isn't stuck through the lid. Mr. Brown doesn't mind taking credit. "We did it for one of our friends" in the daiquiri business, he says.

In Louisiana, cans of beer packed in ice beckon from gas-station bins, grocery stores sell liquor 24 hours a day and many bars never close their doors. Taxes on beer are so low that a 16-ounce Busch "tall boy" sells for as little as 89 cents, less than the same amount of milk or apple juice. Unlike in most other states, bars are explicitly shielded by state law for whatever drunk patrons do once they walk out the door. Louisiana was one of the last states to raise its drinking age to 21, and among the last to set tougher blood-alcohol limits for drunk drivers..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/01/2003