The head of B.C.'s liquor policy review is stirring up the debate on selling booze in grocery and convenience stores just days after asking for the public’s feedback on the province's outdated alcohol laws.

John Yap, a Liberal MLA and the parliamentary secretary for liquor policy reform, said a government website to gather input from British Columbians has received more than 9,000 visits since launched last Saturday.

“We’re really encouraged that there’s a lot of traffic, a lot of activity, people are interested in reading the opinions and suggestions and commenting on the blogs,” he said.

Many of those comments are from people suggesting B.C. needs to get with the times, and let convenience stores, supermarkets and gas stations sell alcohol as they do in the United States.

In a blog posted yesterday, Yap asked commenters for more feedback on the issue, saying it’s not a straightforward as it may seem.

“When this topic comes up in my meetings with health, safety and law and order advocates, the question will surely become that already we see 30 per cent of the late-night attendees at a typical B.C. emergency department report alcohol consumption in the six hours prior to their injury or illness,” he wrote. “If we make it more available for the sake of convenience, will we see rates like these rise?”

Yap said the government is excited to see the discussion the issue has sparked on the website and social media, and that all feedback is taken into account.

“We have a need to balance many public interests,” he said. “At the end of the day, we want to come up with some ideas to increase convenience, to update the regulations and also maintain a sense of balance with regard to social responsibility and health and public safety.”

Surrey Coun. Bruce Hayne said the province doesn’t need to make it easier to buy alcohol because there are plenty of places to do that already.

“I haven’t seen any data that would suggest why we should be putting it in convenience or grocery stores at this point,” he said.

Key stakeholders including wineries, breweries and health and police authorities have also weighed in on B.C.’s liquor laws – which haven’t had a comprehensive review in over a decade.

In 2013, British Columbians bought more than $1-billion in beer and $1.9-billion in wine and spirits, Yap said.

With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Ed Watson