For now, Pennsylvania liquor laws still unusual

It’s 12:01 a.m. on a Sunday, and students on every block of South Oakland are hosting parties…. It’s 12:01 a.m. on a Sunday, and students on every block of South Oakland are hosting parties.

But if they happen to run out of beer, they are out of luck until Monday.

Beer distributors and most liquor stores are closed on Sundays in the state of Pennsylvania. Sure, six-packs and 40s can be purchased at places around town, but those hoping to buy large quantities of alcohol have to wait.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is slowly working to change the law. Since 2003, the PLCB has allowed 64 stores to remain open on Sundays. Since Feb. 6, 62 new liquor stores were opened for business on Sundays, from noon until 5 p.m. New legislation will eventually increase this number to 25 percent of its 637 stores, according to an article from PittsburghLive.com.

“It’s just a shame that people can’t even go out to most liquor stores and buy a bottle of wine on Sundays,” Pitt junior Lauren Maruca said. “It makes the state lose revenue.”

The sale of alcohol is not the only unusual law concerning booze in our state.

It is illegal, for example, for a pedestrian under the influence of alcohol — or any controlled substance — to walk on or even to be on a highway in the state of Pennsylvania.

It is illegal in Pennsylvania to produce, distill, develop or process alcohol without a license, with the exception of wine. It is not illegal for a person to manufacture wine from grapes grown in Pennsylvania, though it must be done by fermentation only and with no alcohol or alcohol product added by way of fortification. This wine must also be sold only to a licensed winery.

In most cases, it is obviously illegal to sell or furnish any type of alcohol to minors, but even here in Pennsylvania there is an exception to the rule.

For the purpose of religious services or ceremonies conducted in a private home or place of worship, minors may be served an amount of wine that does not exceed the quantity traditionally required as part of the ceremony.

Although minors are permitted to drink alcohol for religious reasons, they are not allowed to drive afterward. According the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, minors caught driving with alcohol in their system have to pay a $100 fine upon conviction.

There is even an exception to the law that forbids those under age 21 to purchase, possess or transport alcohol — though those people must meet strict criteria. They must be at least 18 years of age and an officer, employee or intern of the Bureau of the Liquor Control Enforcement division of the Pennsylvania State Police.

The person must have also finished training specified by the bureau and be acting within the scope of prescribed duties. Finally, the individual must also be acting under the direct control or supervision of an adult bureau officer.

Pennsylvania is not the only state with strange liquor laws.

According to an article in The New York Times by Frank J. Prial, it is illegal to buy any alcoholic beverages by television, fax or e-mail in Alabama.

Also, it is legal to feed wine to dogs in Chicago, according to the same article.

The article also reported that though there was once a law that prohibited serving champagne to dogs in Chicago, it has been repealed.