British Columbians are being tapped for their thoughts on how to improve the province’s often-criticized liquor laws.
John Yap, Parliamentary Secretary for Liquor Police Reform, introduced the government’s new Liquor Policy Review website Saturday during a tour of Steamworks Brewery in Vancouver.
The site is aimed at gathering feedback on liquor laws from the public “through blog discussions, Twitter chats and feedback forms.”
Input will be gathered until the end of October, and Yap will present a final report to Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton by Nov. 25.
“This is the first review to take place in over a decade and the time is now to also hear from British Columbians,” Anton said in a release.
So far, many of the comments on the website are calling for relaxed laws like allowing drinking on beaches, later hours for liquor retailers, and permitting alcohol sales in places like gas stations, supermarkets and convenience stores.
“The hours of sale are ridiculously backward in a 24/7 world,” Linda Clement wrote in a comment. “What difference does it make to anyone, anywhere, if the booze was purchased at 3 a.m., 5:15 a.m., or 11:20 a.m.?”
“Alcohol sales should be allowed in supermarkets, etc., just like the rest of the civilized world,” said a commenter named Brian.
The government has already made a number of changes in an attempt to modernize the province’s liquor laws.
In April of last year, it bowed to demands for revised laws allowing consumption of alcohol in adult-only movie theatres.
Restaurant patrons were also given the go-ahead to bring their own wine into a licensed establishment, a move the restaurant industry and consumers considered a big win.
Key stakeholders including Island Health, B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer Dr. Perry Kendall and the Victoria Police Department have already provided Yap with their recommendations on updating liquor laws on the review website.
Have your say: Should B.C. allow liquor sales in convenience stores and supermarkets?
