Free market just went into effect here in Washington after a voter approved bill. Prior it was state run (franchise) liquor only. Now those stores can not compete with the BIG stores and are closing....
It does appear they have ramped up "stings" and have made money on fining those stores who in fact do sell to underage rummies

here in Quebec, they sell beer and wine at convenience stores and grocery.
For liquors and better wine its the SAQ government store unless you live in a 'region' with a touristic label.
I dont know since when, but i always saw beer at convenience store and i'm 36.
They ask for ID in case of doubt, you need to be at least 18yrs old to buy tabacco and alcohol.
Marc

Pretty much what WD said.

I have seen signs that say " If you dont look over 40, you will be carded"  I sure dont look under 40.. and these days dont look under 50.. cause i  aint... I get carded most times.

the times .. they are a'changing... be it easy access to weed or beer, the US, re-structuring is and isnt good.

In California and Nevada the grocery stores, mini-marts, convenience stores, pharmacies and liquor stores sell beer, wine and alcohol. Alcohol is soo prevalent and accessable down here that all the underage kids have pill, meth, xstasy, pot and cocaine addictions.  

So either alcohol is the expressway-gateway to drugs or kids will just do whatever they feel like. Maybe alcohol is too easy to get and, thus, not a challenge. I am sure there are kids with alcohol problems but it sure seems like those are in the minority.

& the only sugar free thing I know of that is safe is Stevia. Aspartame breaks down to wood alcohol type alcohol,

I was in Arkansas last week at a tough job..... tired as hell later and hungry. I was in a little mill town and all it had were crappy hotels so drove 45 miles to El Dorado, AR or maybe it was Monticello, AR.... Both dry counties... You run into that a lot in Arkansas. Plenty of little crappy liquor stores to buy a few beers in, but all I really want to do is sit down at a table, order a steak or a burger and have a couple beers.....   You have to ask the hotel guy for the one or two restaurants in town who have paid off whomever they need to pay off so they can serve beer at dinner..... Some places in Arkansas still get around this by saying they are a social club in which alcohol is legal. So you go in, pay a token membership fee, sign a card, sit down and have a meal and beer. Silly.....

Yes, it's a holdover from the viewpoint of conservative Southern Baptist (of which I grew up in) but like many viewpoints, they evolve over time. Sooner or later, Arkansas will do away with those laws and they should. The use of alcohol is so common place in the US, there's no reason. Now weed, is another matter. I am not in favor of legalizing that anywhere. There is a social aspect to having a brew with a buddy that's simply not there with weed. Also, why in the world would we make it easier for some people to waste part of their life away.....

Pine wrote on 04/30/14 at 08:16:07:


Accursed rent seekers!!!!!  

Seriously, though, imagine a set of laws enacted to protect illegal activity. It's my Rangel and Geithner aren't in prison soiling each other.