Certain restaurants and bars will now be able to add alcohol to their take-home menus. As reported by WRLN, the proposal would allow restaurants and certain bars to deliver alcoholic beverages along with food. This has been allowed by Gov. Ron DeSantis as a way to reopen restaurants amid the pandemic.
The bill would make this concept permanent. Drivers are required to place the drinks in locked compartments or vehicle trucks. However, some people don’t approve of the bill.
“I’m all for capitalism and open markets, and I’ve been supporting the restaurants, but I just don’t see how you can support allowing alcohol to be delivered to homes and to allow restaurants to give people alcohol to drive home with,” says Teresa Miller, representing Families Struggling with Addiction with the need to afford a clinic like Pacific Ridge in Portland, OR.
Some representatives, however, are in favor of the bill. Rep. Emily Slosberg, who is heavily involved in traffic safety issues, thinks the bill could be promising. “I tend to think this might actually prevent some people from drinking and driving if they have the option to order it from a restaurant,” says Sloberg.
The opinion is divided on if this bill is helpful or harmful. Some see it as a safety hazard while others see it as a way to boost income during the pandemic.