Pubdate: Wed, 16 Dec 1998 Source: Louisville Courier-Journal (KY) Contact: http://www.courier-journal.com/ Copyright: 1998 The Courier-Journal LIQUOR/BEER REGULATIONS The recent deaths of the University of Kentucky students have prompted me to write this letter. The tavern at which the students where drinking is licensed only for beer sales. I would like to show how beer has long been treated as a lesser alcohol by society and by the laws that regulate the sale of alcohol. It is a fact that a can of beer is the same as a glass of wine or a mixed drink. Look at the differences in the regulation and sale of beer. One of the first points to make is that liquor and wine cannot be sold at a location that sells gasoline. Beer is available at every gas station in a wet county. If there is logic to not selling liquor at a gas station, why does it not apply to beer? At a minimum, beer should not be sold cold and ready to drink at a gas station. To be fair about it, ban drive-up windows at package stores at the same time. What a great message we send to the young driver when he or she sees the iced-down single beers at the checkout counter. Liquor and wine package sales licenses are limited under a quota system. For example, Jefferson County is authorized approximately 200 liquor-store-type licenses. There are over 1,500 beer licenses in the same county. There is no quota system for beer licenses. You can have beer licenses right next door to each other. Liquor licenses must have a minimum distance between them. If a liquor store has its license suspended for seven days for selling beer to a minor, that liquor store closes up during the time of suspension. If a grocery store, gas station or mini-mart receives the same suspension, the store simply stops selling beer that week. The suspension is of little significance for these stores because they continue on with their primary business. The punishment's deterrent effect is lost. If you remain open for business, then beer sales should be suspended at the rate of five days for every one day of suspension, otherwise close the entire business during the suspension. What about selling beer? You can be 18 years old and sell beer by the package at the local grocery store, mini-mart or gas station. You must be of age to sell liquor. Talk about the fox guarding the hen house. Have you ever had the checkout clerk ask you to "scan the beer"? Well, thanks for helping that 16- or 17-year-old child break the law. Take another look at the selling of alcohol at college sporting events. We added Jack Daniel's cocktails right next to the pizza. We still have alcohol ads inside the stadium. There are many companies that wish to advertise at Papa John's stadium; they just cannot match the money offered by the alcohol guys. Why is beer advertised on television and liquor ads are taboo? Take them all off the television. On the overall subject of alcohol: Current state laws only require the seller to not sell alcohol to a minor. There is no minimum standard for what is an acceptable identification card for alcohol purchases. Use of a fake ID is considered a mitigating factor in determining punishment. Tobacco sales laws mandate that the ID must be a driver's license or personal ID issued by a government agency. There is no mandate for the licensee to keep a book that depicts other state ID cards. Do you know what an Iowa license looks like? People who sell tobacco must have each employee sign a statement indicating that they were briefed concerning the law on selling tobacco to minors. Not so with alcohol sales. Alcohol sellers accept off-the-wall ID as proof of age and believe they are "off the hook." They are still liable for the offense, but the horse is out of the barn by then. I have confiscated many a bogus ID from underage persons, only to learn that they have used the ID for years. The fine for a kid buying alcohol is $100. In Arizona, an attempt to buy alcohol while underage will cause a six-month driver's license suspension. In closing, I would urge people to contact their legislators about these concerns. Cut this letter out and mail it to them. I have seen the smoke from this fire for years and have been yelling "Fire" for a very long time. My voice is not strong enough. I need your help to get the message out. KEN SINGER President Expressway Liquors Inc. Louisville 40208 Mr. Singer is vice president of the Louisville Metro Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and president of the local Champions For a Drug Free Kentucky. - Editor. - --- Checked-by: Joel W. Johnson