[THE VIEW] The Strange Capitalistic Liquor Sales Law in the US

Leave Alcohol-Related Laws to Each State Government
17 States Ban Sales in Marts and Convenience Stores
Liquor Store Employees Selling Alcohol Are Public Officials

Contrary to its reputation as a symbol of capitalism, the United States has many anti-capitalist laws. Among them, the most difficult for Koreans to understand are the laws related to alcohol sales. While in Korea you can buy alcohol at supermarkets or convenience stores, in 17 U.S. states, you cannot buy alcohol at regular supermarkets or convenience stores at all. This is because the law stipulates that only the state government can operate liquor stores in these states. An interesting fact that follows from this is that the employees selling alcohol at liquor stores are actually government officials.

There are also specific days when alcohol can be purchased. In four states, it is legally prohibited to sell alcohol on Sundays. For example, in Texas, you can buy beer or wine at supermarkets on weekdays and Saturdays, but not on Sundays.

Furthermore, except for Nevada, all other states prohibit alcohol sales at night. Even convenience stores open 24 hours often cannot sell alcohol late at night. This restriction also applies to alcohol sales for dining out. After 1 a.m., bars, clubs, and restaurants are not allowed to sell alcohol, so many clubs close their doors at that time.

Indiana, where the author lives, has a unique alcohol law: refrigerated beer cannot be sold. Therefore, in supermarkets, all beer is displayed at room temperature, while only water or carbonated drinks are kept in refrigerators.

There are also significant restrictions on alcohol pricing. Laws require that retail prices must always be higher than wholesale prices, prices cannot be changed for up to a month once set, and restaurants or bars cannot offer alcohol discounts during rush hours, among various other pricing regulations.

The laws are strict not only on sales but also on consumption. In Korea, it is common to spread a mat and drink alcohol by the Han River, but in the U.S., drinking alcohol in public places such as parks or beaches is prohibited by law. Additionally, in university dormitories, alcohol cannot be consumed in shared kitchens or living rooms. It is illegal not only to drink but also to possess opened alcohol containers. Therefore, when you buy alcohol, stores usually put it in a brown paper bag to indicate that the alcohol was just purchased and the seal is unbroken.

This background stems from Prohibition introduced in the early 1900s. The U.S. had a tendency to view alcohol as sinful for religious reasons, and based on this, it constitutionally banned the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcohol for about 14 years. Although alcohol consumption significantly decreased during this period, Prohibition was repealed due to problems like black markets and tax revenue shortages. Since then, alcohol-related laws have been left to each state. Because drinking was still stigmatized, states devised various laws to limit alcohol consumption. As a result, even though nearly 100 years have passed since Prohibition was repealed, unique laws unheard of in Korea still persist today.

Seo Boyoung, Professor at Indiana State University

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.