KELOWNA — The B.C. Government and Services Employees’ Union (BCGEU) is asking the provincial government to put the brakes on the sale of B.C. wines in grocery stores.
It says the sales of wine in grocery stores will, among other things, make it easier for minors to obtain alcohol.
The BCGEU says grocery store employees don’t have the same expertise as liquor store employees and “may not be experienced about rules around the legal drinking age, ID and how to identify false ID.”
It also fears that teens who want to steal alcohol will target grocery stores instead of liquor stores.
“We suspect it may be easier for youth to shoplift alcohol from a large grocery store than from a BC Liquor Store,” the BCGEU says in a news release.
Finally, the BCGEU says the sale of wine in grocery stores may expand to other alcohols and that selling only B.C. Wines in grocery stores may be a violation of international trade obligations.
The BCGEU is asking the provincial government to halt the sale of B.C. wines in grocery stores for six months and to consider whether the privatization of liquor sales is in the best interests of British Columbians.
So far there are only two grocery stores selling wine in B.C. Both are in Surrey and there are no grocery stores in the Okanagan selling alcohol.
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