Who hasn’t been happily celebrating at home with friends, loved ones and an empty bottle of wine when the brilliant idea of home-delivered alcohol comes up? Anyone? In Mississippi, that idea could become a reality, but not without a few concerns about the safety of leaving a box of vino at the door of a private residence.
Drinking at home could reduce Mississippi DUI rates.
Mississippi lawmakers feel doorbell deliveries could invite minors to order, possess and/or consume alcohol. Underage drinking is a valid concern, even in a state where it is still legal to drink while driving under certain circumstances. But, alcohol isn’t the only adult-geared product that is delivered to residences that require an appropriate signature, and those types of deliveries have been successful transactions for decades now. Allowing home delivery of alcohol gives adults more freedom to stay home and safe, avoiding a Mississippi DUI, ignition interlock requirement and worse.
Among arguments against the delivery service is the laws that determine whether a Mississippi county is wet, dry or somewhere in between. Almost half of the state’s counties are dry, and some don’t even allow a person to transport alcohol through the county. Also, less taxes can be collected with home—delivered alcohol. Those regulations could impede doorbell delivery of alcohol, increasing administrative and compliance efforts by the state’s alcohol regulatory agency.
A consistent approach to alcohol and the crimes that can occur as a result of lenient laws may be a better approach than fighting against home delivery of wine or alcohol in Mississippi. While we can appreciate the convenience of alcohol at our doorstep, it is hard to ignore the obvious safety considerations that service brings about. A doorbell delivery service won’t end Mississippi DUI, of course. It could help others plan for a fun night of drinking at home instead of putting the rest of us at risk on the roads.
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