Liquor law - a danger for public health

Liquor law - a danger for public health LiquorLicenseFL.com 239-205-4770 Recently, there have been rumours about potential changes in Florida’s law related to liquor selling license. The news according to which local stores or supermarkets will be allowed by law to sell alcoholic beverages has created a huge fuss, attracting a lot of complaints not only from individuals but also from various organizations. It seems that most people would prefer that the law remains unchanged, due to its multiple negative effects on society. At the moment, ordinary stores are allowed to sell liquor only if they have a special area dedicated to this and also a separate entrance, which is aimed to limit minors’ access to alcohol. This is likely to change if the law takes effect, and people will be able to go to the supermarket to buy foods, domestic products and a bottle of vodka, without having to go to a special partition dedicated to this type of merchandise. Nowadays, the presence of a child in a liquor store is suspicious for the vendor and the other buyers, and this is discouraging for minors who may be willing to buy alcohol. This is the main reason for which separate locations represent the easiest manner to keep children away from alcohol. For financial reasons, some large retailers have complained for years about their inability to sell liquor, while under this new senate bill, they will be able to offer alcoholic drinks to their clients, as same as any other products. This is beneficial to them, because it will increase their profits considerably, while different NGOs and other official institutions are concerned that children under the age of 21 will have easy access to alcohol, as if it was a common non-addictive product. In addition to this, the current law forbids youngsters under the age of 21 to work as vendors in places where liquor is sold, while this new regulation’s amendments will allow underage employees to have easy access to alcoholic drinks. This represents a string contra argument for the opponents, especially in the context where regulations and underage sales are remotely applied and checked. The changes related to liquor law are considered unnecessary by some people, taking into consideration that the existing regulations work and are known by everyone. Furthermore, these are also supporting the sustainable balance as far as costs are concerned: the prices are not too low (this would streamline consumption) nor too high (which would push frauds or thefts). As beneficial as introducing alcohol in supermarkets would be for retailers and local businesses, the main concern of authorities must be the health and security of the citizens. For this reason, in case the legal proposal will be accepted and takes effect, there should be taken additional safety measures. On the other hand, the state law of Florida has multiple restrictions regarding alcohol production, distribution and consumption, which is why there are many people who consider that some freedom is not a bad thing. However, the topic is still debated and there are many pros and cons for both sizes of the matter. LiquorLicenseFL.com 239-205-4770