Neo-Prohibitionists in Alberta

Wetaskiwin, to be precise, where the temperance movement seems to have a firm grasp on city council.

 

Civic politicians in Wetaskiwin have decided that they don't like the idea of people purchasing alcohol in the late evening: 

The matter came to a head Nov. 9 during the second reading of the controversial proposed bylaw 1753-09, which originally called for the closing of all Wetaskiwin liquor stores by 8 p.m. daily.

Following last month's public meeting, which attracted a standing room-only crowd of more than 250 people at the Memorial Arts Centre, council made several amendments to the proposed bylaw, including extending hours to 10 p.m. daily, as well as a clause, which includes the potential of revoking business licences, and issuing a stop work order for those businesses, which fail to comply with the bylaw, if it is indeed passed into law by city council. 

 

 

More here:  

"You talk about democracy. Let's have a democracy where we open liquor stores 24 hours because someone wants to? I don't think so."

(Ald. Bill Elliot) pointed out he has spoken to a number of people about the bylaw, and there aren't many who purchase alcohol after 10 o'clock at night.

Elliot said he also spoke to a liquor storeowner, who told them the amount of sales made after 10 p.m. was less than 10 per cent.

"And I said, 'Who is that less than 10 per cent sold to?' People coming out of the bars. That doesn't sound like a very safe city to me.

"Currently, we have liquor stores, liquor stores selling to intoxicated people, we have under aged people. I've seen it and had it reported to the city, so we'll ask the liquor commission come down and inspect to make sure people are within the law," said Elliot.   

Where to start? First of all, yes, in a democracy we could have 24-hour liquor stores. If our elected politicians wished to change the regulations we could indeed have that. I'm not aware of many businesses clamouring for such a change, but it's hardly the terrifying concept Mr. Elliot makes it out to be.

 

It's ironic that in attacking the liquor stores, Mr. Elliot is acting as though he's doing them a favour: you don't really want to be open past 10pm.

 

It's really not the concern of government: if this business feels there's little reason to stay open past 10pm, then they can make the decision on their own to close at or before 10pm. If they have clients who are coming in later, it's the store's decision to remain open to serve them.

 

There are already laws about serving to intoxicated individuals, so beyond that, it is not really the business of the state if a person wishes to buy a bottle of wine at noon or at midnight.

 

There are, of course, laws dealing with the sale of liquor to minors - the answer, therefore, would seem to be enforcing the current laws rather than create new ones.

 

As for "people coming out of the bars", Mr. Elliot makes it sound as though everyone "coming out of the bar" is now poised to embark upon a crime spree. I suppose someone "coming out of the bar" and stopping to buy a six-pack is probably on his way home to drink it.

 

Although, if we're now assuming the worst about people inclined to purchase liquor, then isn't it possible that with this new law, thirsty troublemakers will drive to, say, Millet, Ponoka, or Leduc, thus creating new problems?

 

If Wetaskiwin or any other community has a crime problem, the answer is to target those committing the crimes, not to punish everyone.

 

Yes, Wetaskiwin may have a crime problem - it lives right next door to a community with a severe crime problem - but do they really think it's all going to go away by closing liquor stores a little earlier?

 

We, of course, once had a government monopoly on liquor sales where early closing times was the norm. Are we now operating under the illusion that those were wonderful crime-free times?

 

There is an assumption - common among neo-prohibitionists - that alcohol turns normally law-abiding folks into raging criminals. I dare suggest that those committing crimes in and around Wetaskiwin might be doing so regardless of what time the beer store closes.  

 

Now, I don't live in Wetaskiwin (though I once did for about 18 months or so), and the city isn't exactly in Calgary's backyard.  So why does this matter?

 

It matters because this sort of neo-prohibitionist ideology seems to be spreading in this province - this is only the latest example. See here, here, here, and here for more on this trend.