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what are the legalities of drinking alcohol in Utah? I mean, I do enjoy my margarita's with dinner at a restaurant every now and then...will I be jailed?
Nope, you will not be jailed. You can get mixed drinks. Although they are measured out. All hard liquor is.
You can also get wine at many restaraunts.
The problem is with beer (and I love nice beers...) It is all 3.2% beer here. You can pay a membership fee to a "private club" aka bar, and get "strong beer", which is regular beer. However, there is no "strong beer" on tap in the state. That part is what bothers me the most since I am a beer drinker.
Strong beer can also be bought in state liquor stores for a very inflated price.
I just watched a discussion about this subject on TV the other day. A state official admitted that Utah's liquor laws are somewhat restrictive, BUT because so many crimes are commited by people after drinking liquor it helps keep the state safer. Ummmmm, that sounds OK on the face of it. But carrying the logic to it's conclusion the state shouldn't allow it at all, much less being the sole provider of it. SIN? not here by golly' unless,of course, we can make a buck from it. Poor Utah, it isn't easy being a quasi-theocracy.
I just watched a discussion about this subject on TV the other day. A state official admitted that Utah's liquor laws are somewhat restrictive, BUT because so many crimes are commited by people after drinking liquor it helps keep the state safer. Ummmmm, that sounds OK on the face of it. But carrying the logic to it's conclusion the state shouldn't allow it at all, much less being the sole provider of it. SIN? not here by golly' unless,of course, we can make a buck from it. Poor Utah, it isn't easy being a quasi-theocracy.
Utah is on the correct tract. Outlawing the consumption of alcohol would result in many of the same conditions experienced during Prohibition, namely criminals filling the void of distribution for the consumer.
England does the same for its heroin addicts, which drastically reduces the criminal behaviors associated with the drug, and I don't think one can call England a quasi-theocracy.
Well Sarg you got me. We sure don't want the criminals to control the distribution of liquor. Like those shady 7-11 franchise owners and family owned convienence stores. It's better for Utah to decide what's best and moral for it's residents. And I've got to admit, I've never heard a news story about an alcohol user robbing a bank to get enough money for a bottle of Jack Daniels. Must be working.
I find it pretty ironic that the church, through its 80% representation in the legislature, is so determined to control the actions of non-members. LDS do not drink alcohol, so all of the archaic and repressive anti-alcohol laws only affect those of us they can't control otherwise.
Well. Sarg you got me. We sure don't want the criminals to control the distribution of liquor. Like those shady 7-11 franchise owners and family owned [convenience] stores. It's better for Utah to decide what's best and moral for it's residents. And I've got to admit, I've never heard a news story about an alcohol user robbing a bank to get enough money for a bottle of Jack Daniels. Must be working.
Please accept my apology, Rick. You seemed to be positing the State of Utah should outlaw alcohol, if its logic of restricting the sale of alcohol keeps the state safer. I see now you were simply expressing sarcasm. It seems you want alcohol to be sold at the retail level, as it is in many other states.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aerorick
I just watched a discussion about this subject on TV the other day. A state official admitted that Utah's liquor laws are somewhat restrictive, BUT because so many crimes are [committed] by people after drinking liquor it helps keep the state safer. Ummmmm, that sounds OK on the face of it. But carrying the logic to it's conclusion the state shouldn't allow it at all, much less being the sole provider.
Let me address some reasons Utah restricts the distribution of alcohol. First, Utah wants to reduce the sales of alcohol to underage and intoxicated persons. Although I am sure you were once again expressing sarcasm when you wrote “like those shady 7-11 franchise owners and family owned convenience stores,” your sarcasm contains great truth. I spent 35-years in California law enforcement. My agency regularly cooperated with Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) in undercover alcohol stings. The vast majority of alcohol sales violations occurred at 7-11 type establishments. The reason for this is simple. Many such stores employ younger clerks, who work with little to no supervision and have no compunction about selling to underage or obviously intoxicated customers. Additionally, the profit margins at 7-11 type stores are thin, so operators are under great pressure to sell product, and the most profitable product is alcohol, which has a tendency to lead to underage and intoxicated sales. The problems with 7-11 type establishments are serious, and the vast majority of liquor license revocations and suspensions occur at such stores. By strictly controlling the sale of alcohol, the state hopes to create controls and avoid the issues I have explained.
Next, by creating a restrictive, yet not insurmountable distribution system, the state satisfies certain objectives. One, for those who want alcohol, they can find it. Two, by making the process of purchase somewhat laborious, the process may discourage those who are not absolutely determined to consume alcohol, which may lead to one less person in the state with a bad habit at best and an addiction at worst. Three, allowing but controlling the sales of alcohol reduces or eliminates criminal distribution incentives. Four, restrictive laws reduces the total number of persons involved in sales and therefore makes supervision and enforcement easier. Fifth, and finally, the state hopes to reduce alcohol consumption, which leads to reduced inhibitions, which can be directly linked to a number of antisocial or illegal behaviors and a whole host of mental health and medical problems.
Unfortunately for the non-LDS population, living in Utah has many disadvantages. The laws and customs of the state are rooted in LDS ideology and that can be tough on non-Mormons; however, in the case of Utah’s alcohol laws, they are in fact less restrictive than some other states. I lived in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and both states had state controlled liquor stores and neither state could be termed religious.
I also understand the resentment of non-Mormons living in Utah. Many feel disenfranchised by the social and political system in the state. I felt the same way when I lived in California, so I moved to Utah where my moral and political values are the norm. I can only suggest that anyone, who is not satisfied with Utah and its operations, consider relocating to a state that more closely represents their particular values. I know I am significantly more satisfied living in Utah than I ever was in California.
Please accept my apology, Rick. You seemed to be positing the State of Utah should outlaw alcohol, if its logic of restricting the sale of alcohol keeps the state safer. I see now you were simply expressing sarcasm. It seems you want alcohol to be sold at the retail level, as it is in many other states.
Let me address some reasons Utah restricts the distribution of alcohol. First, Utah wants to reduce the sales of alcohol to underage and intoxicated persons. Although I am sure you were once again expressing sarcasm when you wrote “like those shady 7-11 franchise owners and family owned convenience stores,” your sarcasm contains great truth. I spent 35-years in California law enforcement. My agency regularly cooperated with Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) in undercover alcohol stings. The vast majority of alcohol sales violations occurred at 7-11 type establishments. The reason for this is simple. Many such stores employ younger clerks, who work with little to no supervision and have no compunction about selling to underage or obviously intoxicated customers. Additionally, the profit margins at 7-11 type stores are thin, so operators are under great pressure to sell product, and the most profitable product is alcohol, which has a tendency to lead to underage and intoxicated sales. The problems with 7-11 type establishments are serious, and the vast majority of liquor license revocations and suspensions occur at such stores. By strictly controlling the sale of alcohol, the state hopes to create controls and avoid the issues I have explained.
Next, by creating a restrictive, yet not insurmountable distribution system, the state satisfies certain objectives. One, for those who want alcohol, they can find it. Two, by making the process of purchase somewhat laborious, the process may discourage those who are not absolutely determined to consume alcohol, which may lead to one less person in the state with a bad habit at best and an addiction at worst. Three, allowing but controlling the sales of alcohol reduces or eliminates criminal distribution incentives. Four, restrictive laws reduces the total number of persons involved in sales and therefore makes supervision and enforcement easier. Fifth, and finally, the state hopes to reduce alcohol consumption, which leads to reduced inhibitions, which can be directly linked to a number of antisocial or illegal behaviors and a whole host of mental health and medical problems.
Unfortunately for the non-LDS population, living in Utah has many disadvantages. The laws and customs of the state are rooted in LDS ideology and that can be tough on non-Mormons; however, in the case of Utah’s alcohol laws, they are in fact less restrictive than some other states. I lived in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and both states had state controlled liquor stores and neither state could be termed religious.
I also understand the resentment of non-Mormons living in Utah. Many feel disenfranchised by the social and political system in the state. I felt the same way when I lived in California, so I moved to Utah where my moral and political values are the norm. I can only suggest that anyone, who is not satisfied with Utah and its operations, consider relocating to a state that more closely represents their particular values. I know I am significantly more satisfied living in Utah than I ever was in California.
Thank you for that information. Long story short, it seems Utah makes it extremely hard for the "hard-core drinkers" but for the casual drinker that wants to mix a drink at home, the laws aren't that restrictive considering the time between purchase of one bottle is probably 3-4 months.
Two, by making the process of purchase somewhat laborious, the process may discourage those who are not absolutely determined to consume alcohol, which may lead to one less person in the state with a bad habit at best and an addiction at worst.
I lived in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and both states had state controlled liquor stores and neither state could be termed religious.
I think it is a myth among non-drinkers that drinking is always "bad" so I wanted to comment on this. I would not necesarily call light to moderate drinking a "bad habit", when in fact it has been found to have certain health benefits. The vast majority of social drinkers do not drink to get drunk, and do not behave irresponsibly as a result of their drinking. When I drink I usually have 1 or maybe 2 drinks in an evening.
NJ does not have state controlled liquor stores, and to my knowledge it never did. There are liquor stores where beer, wine & hard liquor can be purchased, but alcohol is not sold in grocery stores or convenience stores (not even beer), as it is in some states. Even so, it's pretty easy to find it. While PA and NH both have state run liquor stores, beer can be purchased at beverage distributors and at least in the case of NH, in convenience stores & maybe grocery stores (I'm not sure).
I guess this is similar in Utah, but only low alcohol beer is sold in grocery stores? Is is pretty restricted in terms of what brands of beer are available? I doubt they all even make low alcohol beer. For example, I like Corona which comes from Mexico. Even Corona Light probably contains too much alcohol to qualify as 3% or whatever it is. But wine, hard liquor & reglular beer are just in state stores, right? Are there a lot of these stores around or are they pretty spread out?
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Near beer is here
