Q: Why do you oppose expanding Sunday sales?
A: Increased alcohol sales on Sunday will increase the availability and misuse of alcohol in our communities at a social cost far exceeding any additional tax revenues or “conveniences.” Off-premise Sunday sales would provide another opportunity for minors to access alcohol and increase incidences of drunk driving.

Legislation recently passed in Indiana, House Bill 1118 aims to help keep alcohol out of the hands of minors. Adding off-premise Sunday sales counters the purpose of HB 1118. It doesn’t make sense.

The sale of alcohol with other normally purchased consumer products already sends the wrong message to kids that alcohol is just another harmless item on the shelf. We should be stressing that alcohol beverages are regulated products and should be marketed in a controlled manner. Off-premise Sunday sales would only encourage more aggressive marketing by those seeking to increase their market share and increase their profits. 

Q: Don’t you think consumers should have a choice to buy alcohol any day of the week?
A: Consumers should and do have choices, but we don’t think allowing the increased access of off-premise Sunday sales would be worth the price, we as citizens of Indiana, would pay in increased alcoholism and alcohol-related accidents. Indiana alcohol laws and regulations are intended to limit access – not increase opportunities for underage and other illegal sales/theft.

Q: Why should Sunday alcohol sales be limited to sporting events, bars, restaurants and taverns?
A: There is a huge difference between having a beer or a glass of wine with a meal and buying alcohol by the case. One is for immediate consumption and the other is not. There is no need for 7 day sales if it is not for immediate consumption.

Sunday sales are allowed at sporting events, bars, restaurants and taverns where bartenders, waitresses and other servers should be taking responsibility for encouraging moderate and responsible alcohol consumption in their facilities. Drug, grocery, and gas/convenience stores refuse to accept the restrictions imposed on restaurants that encourage moderate and responsible alcohol consumption.

Q: Do you think it’s fair that package stores are the only establishments allowed to sell cold beer?
A: It is not true that package stores are the only establishments that sell cold beer. Over 6,400 restaurants, taverns, and package stores can sell cold beer for off-premise consumption.

Cold ready-to-drink beer is a product that should be sold in the most regulated environment - especially since it is the alcohol preferred by underage drinkers.

Expanding cold ready-to-drink beer sales to thousands of Indiana gas/convenience stores, drug stores and grocery would dramatically decrease the number of package stores, especially the smaller package store owners unable to compete with the larger gas/convenience store and drug chains. Putting package stores out of business would cost Indiana jobs and reduce beer, wine and spirit beverage selections for consumers. Is that what they mean by choice?

Q:Not allowing off-premise Sunday sales will continue to enforce the monopoly package stores have when it comes to selling cold beer. Shouldn’t there be fair competition across the board?
A:Competition works best in an open market. Cold beer, like wine and liquor, is a regulated beverage that should be sold in a controlled environment, especially since beer is the alcohol beverage preferred by underage drinkers. Package stores operate in a regulated market.  They do not have a monopoly. Package stores are subject to regulations not imposed on other retailers in order to control access to minors. The proposed change would result in “unfair” competition by national chains that are seeking to put package stores out of business.

 If Indiana allows Sunday cold ready-to-drink beer sales at gas station/convenience stores and others, the number of cold beer retailers other than restaurants would immediately grow from about 1,000 to about 3,000, with many more who would apply for permits. With 2,000 additional Indiana outlets selling ready-to-drink cold beer common sense tells you that our state’s alcohol-related deaths would increase substantially. That’s way too high a price to pay for increased access.

Q: Don’t you think Indiana’s alcohol laws are outdated?
A: No! The truth is that Indiana’s system of alcohol regulation has resulted in the fourth lowest alcohol-related fatality rates in the nation. While special-interest groups that want to deregulate the sale of alcohol claim Indiana’s laws are “outdated” and “archaic” it is important to remember that Indiana’s three-tier system works well to ensure the proper regulation, distribution and tax revenue collection for alcoholic beverages in Indiana.

One of the reasons alcohol is sold in package stores is in deference to those who want only those who chose to purchase alcohol to be subjected to it when they shop. The legislators who set the system up knew what they were doing.

Q: Would not off-premise Sunday sales allow for safer roads since consumers will be able to buy alcohol on Sunday and take it home as opposed to going to a bar or restaurant and drinking too much and then driving?
A:Research in states that have repealed Sunday sales shows quite the opposite. After New Mexico allowed Sunday sales a study published in the American Journal of Public Health found a 29 percent increase in alcohol-related crashes and a 42 percent increase in alcohol-related crash fatalities on Sundays. Greater access to alcohol means a potential increase in alcohol-related traffic accidents. The consumption of alcohol purchased for off-premise use is not monitored by licensed and trained servers.  

Q: Would allowing off-premise Sunday sales bring more tax dollars into the state?
A: To believe that Indiana would benefit from increased tax revenue from alcohol sales on Sunday is to believe the state benefits from the court costs of convicted felons.  The burden of incarceration to the state is greater than any fee collected by the court.  So is the case with the taxes collected on alcohol. A recent study in Minnesota showed economic costs associated with alcohol use in Minnesota in 2001 amounted to an estimated $4.5 billion. This is more than $900 for every person in the state. These costs are 19 times greater than the $234 million in tax revenues collected from alcohol sales.

Q: Won’t you make more money if you’re open seven days a week?
A: Whatever profits are made would be offset by expenses to operate and staff the store. Package stores would actually lose money. Moreover, seven-day sales would not significantly increase state tax revenue, but rather spread out existing sales while increasing operating costs to small retailers.