fulfilling the caricature of Mormons as rock-ribbed Republicans
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I always heard tales about how the sophisticated French would let their children drink wine which resulted in a much more enlightened society. Not like us uptight Americans.
French lawmakers have voted to ban alcohol sales to minors as part of a crackdown on teenage binge-drinking, but dropped contested plans to ban wine tastings and alcohol ads on the Internet.
Good for them. I’m sure it’s not the perfect answer but it’s interesting they have the same problems too.
Much ado has been made about this week’s “normalization” of Utah’s alcohol policy. In fact, much ado has always been made of Utah’s alcohol laws and any discussion wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the predominant religious culture’s influence on them.
Granted, Utah’s alcohol regulations can’t help but be influenced by the values of its people (see “The LDS Church and alcohol control policy” for more), but looking at other states it’s clear that Utah is far from being the only state to have “curious liquor laws.”
And yet, despite “Utah’s quirky alcohol laws,” the New York Times reported this year that local pubs and breweries here have been able to flourish and “don’t seem to be holding anyone back.”
To see that Utah is not alone, here is a cursory look at some of the alcohol laws around the rest of the country:
Also check out “Odd Alcohol Laws Keep the Party Spirit, Within Limits Of Course” and “Cheers! Stupid beer laws falling off.”
Perhaps Utah’s liberalization of alcohol laws will be a good thing. Some of the changes sound reasonable but on the whole, I’m not convinced that claims of boosting tourism are worth risking more DUIs. I would be happy if they made the punishments for DUI much more draconian (serious prison sentences and a permanent loss of drivers licenses) but at least it sounds like they will be increased somewhat.
It would be nice to think that these changes will at least end the need to feel sheepish about Utah’s alcohol laws (somehow I doubt that will happen). Rather than reflecting some theocratic plot to oppress the drinking rights of its citizens, Utah is just like many other states, regulating alcohol to make it safe while accessible.
Here’s a twist, a British columnist suggests looking to Utah as a model for dealing with the UK’s alcohol problem. The usual trope is that Utah has byzantine and oppresive alcohol regulations where Europe is much more progressive and trouble free. During the 2002 Olympics, Mayor Rocky Anderson biggest concern seemed to be showing that not everyone in the state was as “uptight” and took reporters bar hopping.
And while government officials in Russia are asking people to take a day off and make babies, the U.S. Census just announced that Utah has the highest rate of married couples with children in the U.S.
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