Pa. maintaines antiquated liqour law

Coffee isn’t the only thing some Sheetz patrons are buzzing from.

Pennsylvania is running… Coffee isn’t the only thing some Sheetz patrons are buzzing from.

Pennsylvania is running the risk of ruining its tradition of hideously outdated liquor laws this week after a Sheetz in Altoona, Pa., received a license to sell takeout beer.

In a debate that has been brewing for weeks, Sheetz, as well as several other grocery and convenience stores, has been continuing to sell beer while the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board appeals the decision of the Commonwealth Court, according to an article from the Associated Press.

The PLCB is appealing the decision because it claims the specific license that Sheetz obtained requires that some of the alcohol purchased be consumed on the premises. However, Sheetz does not allow customers to enjoy beers with their MTOs – beer can only be consumed outside of the store.

Opponents of the convenience store and supermarket beer sales say that it might harm existing beer distributors, increase drunken-driving rates and lead to more underage drinking.

Now, let’s be honest here. It’s not like they’re asking for a license to sell beer without asking for ID. Just because booze is available in places other than liquor stores and beer distributors doesn’t mean it will be more readily available.

And as far as the “it will increase drunken driving” argument – totally ridiculous. We’ve seen drive-thru beer distributors. If those are allowed, we should be able to purchase our beer when we get our bread, milk and eggs.

For those people out there who believe that this will increase drunken-driving rates, they should be asking themselves if the problem is with selling the beer or if it lies somewhere else. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Pennsylvania had 636 alcohol-related traffic fatalities in 2005.

That is more than every other state beside Florida, Texas and California. States that sell alcohol in grocery stores such as Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and almost every other state in the entire country have far less. With a population around 12.5 million, Pennsylvania still has more alcohol-related traffic deaths than both Virginia and Maryland combined, which clock in at 575. So all things being equal, sell us the damn beer.

It’s not as if buying your beer at a convenience or grocery store is a novel idea to begin with. That system seems to be working fine for the numerous other states in the United States that permit patrons to pick up a six pack after pumping their gas. If our antiquated laws were so superior, you’d think more states would jump on the Puritan bandwagon.

But in reality, all of these outmoded laws in our commonwealth serve only to make the process of buying beer as inconvenient and expensive as possible. In basic economics, competition is a good thing, and if multiple outlets can begin to sell liquor, it may lead to lower prices and wider selection.

By saying that these new licenses will harm already existing business, the Board is setting an absurd precedent. Why not cap the number of places that can sell groceries? After all, every new Giant Eagle or Whole Foods can only harm the other businesses.