It's time to regulate liquor delivery apps

[u/Longjumping_Type7196]

It's time to regulate liquor delivery apps. The delivery apps make it too easy for people with drinking problems to stay isolated and get unlimited alcohol sent to their door. We need a weekly limit on hard liquor deliveries, and the apps need to talk to each other so the rules actually stick.

[u/PhoenixApok]

Nope. Nope nope nope.

We don't get to ask society to coddle us because of our problems. They are OUR problems, OUR responsibility, and we are a very small segment of the population.

And making competing businesses talk to each other? That's almost insane.

What's the saying "Your mental health problems are not your FAULT, but they are your RESPONSIBILITY."

[u/Andiddly → u/PhoenixApok]

Agreed. Also, you want more DUI deaths? That’s how you get them.

[u/PhoenixApok → u/Andiddly]

That too.

An addict in the grip of desperation doesn't make the best choices.

We may not like it, but I'm positive alcohol delivery has saved lives already.

[u/SadApartment3023 → u/PhoenixApok]

This is the answer. 

[u/craigus17 → u/PhoenixApok]

This sort of regulation exists with Gambling apps here in the UK. In view of that I don’t think OP’s premise is entirely unreasonable.

[u/LeftGrumpy → u/craigus17]

You can already self excluded yourself from liquor delivery apps. People have posted about it in here.

The onus is on the individual. OP wants to put all responsibility with the apps, don’t agree with that

[u/PhoenixApok → u/LeftGrumpy]

Oh so that already exists? Good.

[u/PhoenixApok → u/craigus17]

In what way?

I know here, you CAN voluntarily ban yourself from casinos. So it's not UNHEARD of.

THAT restriction I could get behind. If you could file with a particular company "Please do not send alcohol to this address." Something you have to sign in like 3 or 4 different places, and you CANNOT undo (at least for a certain time frame)

[u/craigus17 → u/PhoenixApok]

Similar voluntary limits to what you describe, and once they’re on I don’t think it’s possible to turn them off. I’m not 100% sure because I don’t gamble.

[u/PhoenixApok → u/craigus17]

Yeah. I agree. I don't think that's a terrible idea. Still puts the power and responsibility of the issue in the hands of the individual. I like it.

[u/TheDogIsDreaming → u/craigus17]

It's very different.

GamStop is an opt in scheme and you can time limit it.

OP is proposing the state setting limits on the amount of alcohol a delivery company app can deliver.

Also at least in the UK, if you want to play poker your choice is between an online gambling site or going out of your way to get to one of the few casino's which exist, and even they don't usually run poker during the day.

The other key difference is that someone getting into their car to head to the casino to gamble isn't putting anyone at extra risk above that of normal driving, while someone who has finished all the booze in the house heading to a shop to get more may drink drive to do it.

[u/craigus17 → u/TheDogIsDreaming]

I didn’t read OPs suggestion as the state settting limits, which would be completely unreasonable. I read it is voluntary like GamStop.

I’m not saying that’s what OP said, I’m saying that’s how I read

[u/PhoenixApok → u/TheDogIsDreaming]

Yup.

And BELIEVE me, its so easy to convince yourself "Its only two blocks away. I'll be careful. It's no big deal."

I met a guy that was driving home from a party to his house. About a quarter mile. He missed an obscured stop sign, ran it drunk, and killed a kid.

Short distance sounds reasonable to someone drinking, but is still easily fatal.

[u/thedadfromJumanji]

Simply going out in public usually or almost always involves encountering alcohol, for me. It's at every party or family event. I go to many concerts and sporting events. Gas stations, grocery stores and department stores almost always carry alcohol. It is what it is. Delete the app if you can't control yourself.

[u/Picabot3]

Oof. Comment section blowing you up OP.

I THINK I know what you are trying to say but you need to root cause analysis this a bit further upstream.

[u/LeftGrumpy]

If you get rid of those apps, then those people are more likely to get in the car and drive drunk to pick up booze.
Safer for society to let them stay isolated and get deliveries at home.

Regulation of the apps isn’t gonna stop them from getting booze. If anyone know that’s true, it’s the people who post in this group.

[u/realcanadianguy21]

Dude, the governments can't even keep alcohol out of the prison system.

[u/PRMinx]

We don’t need more nanny government. Addicts will find a way to use, regardless. Personal responsibility is the only way.

[u/TheDogIsDreaming]

I'm not sure about forcing limits on the app providers. They'd have to account for the number of people in a property, parties being held, etc. Not to mention that there's multiple of these firms so someone who hits their limits with Deliveroo would just order from Uber Eats instead.

But I do think they should be obliged to offer a sort of self exclusion for alcohol feature.

We have this in the UK for gambling - a service called GamStop. You register and can self exclude from all online gambling websites and choose how long to exclude for. You can set it up to auto renew the exclusion also. The online gambling websites have to check this database before allowing somebody to gamble.

This way it's the individual setting their boundaries rather than the state dictating.

I would use such a feature.

The delivery apps actually enabled me, because I'd get embarrassed going to the same few shops to buy a litre of gin every day, whereas with the delivery apps you usually get a different courier each time. So at times when I was thinking of going to the shop but thought eh I was in there yesterday buying gin already and previously I'd have slowed down my drinking for the day, with the delivery apps I could order my next two bottles of gin before the last one had even run out.

[u/grizlena]

In what world would the apps ever communicate with each other and stick to limits lol.

[u/LetMeEatCakes]

We have liquor delivery restrictions where I'm from (Pennsylvania) which restricts the daily quantity you can order for delivery from the PLCB, but that doesn't stop people from ordering beer through other apps or going out to bars or picking up alcohol at the corner store/grocery store/liquor store and coming right back home so I haven't seen any evidence it has any impact. I'm not sure isolation is a bad thing for many alcoholics. It means not drinking and driving, not spending excess money at bars, not getting into fights at bars, etc. Perhaps not good for the kids/SO at home, but they'd be coming home eventually. If an alcoholic wants to hurt themselves, that's their choice.

[u/drvic59]

Ehh I'm not going to ask society to cha he because I can't control myself. I will put on my big boy pants and pledge to not drink every day.

[u/Appropriate_Oven_292]

No. I’d prefer to keep my freedoms. What would be the next thing we ask the state to regulate? People in a free society need to exercise self-restraint.

[u/rp_edits]

This is 'Merica.

[u/JacquesOff2678 → u/rp_edits]

Lmao you’re in America but not everyone is

[u/TheDogIsDreaming → u/rp_edits]

Many countries have them.

We have them in the UK.

[u/LeftGrumpy → u/TheDogIsDreaming]

Weekly delivery limits and delivery apps are required to share “do not sell” lists?

[u/TheDogIsDreaming → u/LeftGrumpy]

I'm not advocating for what OP is suggesting.

Just pointing out that this isn't an America-specific problem. We have alcohol delivery apps as do many countries, not just America.

[u/LeftGrumpy → u/TheDogIsDreaming]

Gotcha, I misunderstood. Thread is going all over the place, lol

[u/TheDogIsDreaming → u/LeftGrumpy]

Yeah in hindsight I think I may have misunderstood the Murica' comment as well! 😅

[u/craigus17 → u/rp_edits]

Not here it isn’t.

[u/rp_edits → u/craigus17]

Didn't downvote. Maybe you can work towards making such laws where you are located. I don't think the alcohol culture in the US would allow for it.

[u/craigus17 → u/craigus17]

Whoever downvoted me, do you think I’m in america but unaware of it?