Drinking beer has long been a pastime for many college students. At Penn, obtaining a small amount of beer can be bit of a hassle because outdated state laws currently prevent any beer from being sold in supermarkets and only allow beer distributors to sell kegs and cases. State Sen. John Rafferty recently announced a plan to change the status quo and allow distributors and other stores to sell six- and 12-packs. We encourage the state legislature to loosen restrictions on alcohol and pass a bill like this.
Pennsylvania has some of the strictest alcohol laws in the country, which have largely remained the same since right after Prohibition ended in the 1930s. A majority of states do not have a monopoly on alcohol sales, and the keystone state should at least make changes to keep up with the times. Preventing people from buying beer in supermarkets doesn’t stop people from drinking, but it does make purchases inconvenient.
But we’re not just for the new bill because we’d rather get beer from Fresh Grocer or Wawa than having to trek farther east or west of campus. Loosening restrictions on purchasing beer can also help stimulate the local economy.
Selling beer in more places may increase the amount of beer purchased, and as a result the state could receive more tax revenue. Supermarkets and convenience stores could increase their profits by selling an in-demand product with a markup. And beer makers could see their business do better because there would be more places for them to display their products.
