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Grocers Might Give Free Beer, Wine |
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Monday, 10 March 2008 |
OLYMPIA, Wash.: A handful of grocery stores in Washington state could be allowed to offer customers free samples of beer and wine under a proposed pilot program.
Thirty stores statewide could participate in the controversial pilot project, The Seattle Times reported Sunday. Under the program approved Friday by the state House, tasting areas will be segregated and advertisements will be restricted to inside the store.
"You won't be seeing signs out on the street: 'Come and get your free wine sample,'" said Republican state Rep. Dan Newhouse.
Other lawmakers say the one-year pilot, modeled after a program in neighboring Oregon, is a bad idea.
"Let's take a look at this bill. It's about drinking -- in grocery stores," said Democratic Rep. Roger Goodman."What are we thinking?"
One lawmaker from a wine-growing region, said critics are being a bit overzealous.
"Wine is a legal product," said Republican Rep. Maureen Walsh of Walla Walla. "And if we quit putting such a stigma on that, maybe our kids, when they grow up, would not think that it was such a great thing to have alcohol."
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
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