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No Wine-ing

Submitted by Gene Patterson on March 20, 2009 - 4:29pm

Tune in Sunday to Tennessee This Week. Among the topics: wine sales in grocery stores. Right now Tennessee is just one of about 17 other states that ban sales of wine in its groceries.

The Tennessee Grocers and Convenience Stores Association - through its campaign called Red, White and Food - is hoping to change that by getting consumers to join their fight in supporting wine sales in stores.

Liquor store owners and others - though - aren’t rolling over. They are also marshaling forces to stop a bill that is currently sitting in committee.

On Tuesday in Nashville - both sides will present their arguments - to the House Local Government Committee.

Jarron Springer, president of the Tennessee Grocers and Convenience Store Association, and local liquor store owner, Thad Cox - square off on the subject on Tennessee This Week.

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Thank you Gene for pointing

Submitted by Kurt Williams (not verified) on March 22, 2009 - 11:50am.
Thank you Gene for pointing out that this is not simply a full-size grocery store issue. The law would allow convenience stores to also sell wine. As a practical matter, many of these smaller independent convenience marts will only stock inexpensive, and often fortified wines such as Mad Dog 20/20 which is 3-4 times as strong as beer and half the cost of a cheap six-pack of beer. When you read about police stings in which they attempt to send in an underage person to purchase alcohol, the guilty parties are often these convenience marts, and rarely, if ever, a liquor store. When I was underage, there were always a few stores stores that would sell beer to underage kids, even when I was sixteen. Now imagine trying to regulate sales of 20% alcohol Mad Dog at $1.99/ 750ml bottle in 10 or more times the outlets currently capable of selling the products. Ask any law enforcement officer if this is a good idea. If this bill passes, we will see more teen alcohol-related deaths.

Dear Mr. Williams, I respect

Submitted by BayardJDonahoo (not verified) on March 27, 2009 - 12:13am.
Dear Mr. Williams, I respect your argument, but alcohol is alcohol, right? Does it really matter what the delivery medium is? I think your reasoning about saving lives has merit, but if society really bought your thinking about saving teens, wouldn't it also outlaw beer from being sold in groceries and convenience stores? Placing all alcohol sales in the hands of discerning liquor store clerks would probably shield many or our young people from alcohol-related deaths. But . . . . . . when it comes to not selling beer in convenience stores --- huge sales, lots of jobs and massive buyer demand trump saving teens. This is one of those grim, dark, statistical places where a number of lives are (metaphorically) placed on a scale and weighed against a strong societal desire. Democracy decides which has more weight. Thanks.

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