08/24/2020 BOARD OF SELECTMEN Agenda Packet

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Terrie Cook From: Sent: Monday, August 17, 2020 3:29 PM To: Terrie Cook Subject: FW,- Public Hearing Considering the Ban of Alcohol Nips WARNING!-EXTERNAL EMAIL: :This message originated outside the Town of Mashpee mail system.DO NOT CLICK on links or attachments unless you are absolutely certain the content is safe. To the Mashpee Board of Selectmen, Please accept this email/letter as a response to the town public hearing to be held Monday, Aug 24,, 2020 regarding the potential banning of alcohol nips (50m1) in the town of Mashpee. I am the owner of South Cape Wine & Spirits in South Cape Plaza next to Roche Brothers. As a business owner in the town, 1100% agree that the littering of the nip bottles is an issue that needs to be addressed. However, I strongly believe that banning nips altogether is not going to change the drinking habits of the consumers who purchase them. I believe the customers will move to liquor stores in the neighboring towns that don't have a ban on them. To date; the only town in the entire state of MA to ban nips has been Chelsea. The idea that if Mashpee bans nips and expects other towns to follow suit is not a guarantee. So far no adjacent towns followed Chelsea's lead in the banning of nips. With that being said, I think a more cohesive approach to this situation is statewide reform. House Bill 2881 proposed by Representative Randy Hunt of Sandwich proposes 25 cent deposit on nip-size bottles. I see this as an effective solution to this problem. I believe most will redeem the 50ml bottles for a quarter vs a 5 cent deposit associated with most cans and bottles. Also there are "professional" collectors who go around the streets and parking lots to pick up cans and bottles for the 5 cent redemption. A redemption of 25 cents (or higher) will incept those people and I believe there will be very little or no nip trash at that rate. Similarly I also support a deposit on drinking water bottles for the same environmental reason. Quick research shows that the deposit on nip bottles instituted in ME for' example has been effective at reducing litter. Other towns in MA are considering supporting this reform versus banning nips altogether. Another concern thatI have is that the people who buy and consume nips on a regular basis will go to the next size bottle -- or worse an even larger format bottle — if nips are banned.