By Silvain Charlebois, University of Guelph
The provincial rule books governing the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages are changing.
Recently the B.C. Government announced details of which stores will be eligible to stock booze in 2015. The Saskatchewan Government is planning to implement similar changes. People in the province of Ontario are even suggesting ending the foreign-owned beer store distribution joint venture.
This slow march towards a more liberalized distribution system for alcohol may point to a broader societal change. While that change may be market-driven and fueled by our pursuit of convenience and accessibility, there may be more to it.
First, let's be honest. When it comes to selling alcohol, there is no place like Quebec. La "Belle Province" has been, by far, the most progressive province in our nation. Private alcohol sales in Quebec have been a non-issue for decades.
But even in Quebec, things have changed dramatically. There was a time when countless minors were able to purchase alcohol in convenience stores as if the legal drinking age were just a suggestion. By concealing the alcohol beneath a loaf or two of bread in a brown bag, some convenience stores were able to hide the content for young patrons exiting the store. Many bars never asked for IDs either.
It was a way of life back then. But today, minors are hard-pressed to find any businesses willing to sell to them without asking for proper identification. Effective marketing campaigns have made a point of it. Consumers are expecting privately owned companies to behave differently - more responsibly.
All of the regulatory changes we are seeing across the country speak to how we are changing as a society. In an era in which social accountability and transparency have gained tremendous currency, we may be reaching the limits of the moral state. More Canadians seem to be willing to trust businesses and citizens to do the right thing, even knowing full well that some may at times be irresponsible. As such, laws and regulations exist to address inappropriate, unacceptable behaviour. While the duty of government is to protect the individual against his own idiocy, many Canadians now agree that businesses and consumers should also play a role.
Some may argue that therein lies a paradox. Why would our society, obsessed with risk mitigation, allow more freedom when purchasing alcohol products? In fact, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, in a very detailed report, suggests that alcohol is one of the greatest public health threats in Canada. The report concludes by recommending more regulation, less advertising of alcoholic products, and more support for alcohol abusers. Some have hinted that Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec, where the legal drinking age is currently 18, should comply with other provinces and raise their legal drinking age to 19. Backed up with sound data, these arguments certainly have merit.
But Quebec, where beer, wine and spirits are extremely accessible and the rapport between consumers and alcohol has arguably been unique, has one of the lowest rates of alcohol abuse in 2014, and the lowest number of police-reported drinking incidents in the country.
Nevertheless, the reality is that many lives in our country have been negatively affected, or even destroyed by alcohol. As it is a sensitive issue for many of us, provincial governments need to proceed with extreme caution. Essentially, provincial governments looking at options for the sale of alcohol to consumers is an indication of how we have changed as a society.
For industry, more access for consumers will indeed mean more accountability. It must put even greater emphasis on health issues and ensure that an awareness of these issues is embedded at the highest level of its businesses.
This should never be just about generating more revenues, but about making our lives more enjoyable.
Sylvain Charlebois is a professor of food distribution and policy at the University of Guelph in Ontario.
Courtesy of Troy Media .
