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'Alcopops' disappear from Utah

The "great" state of Utah has just saved us from evil drink. What next? 3.2 beer no longer @ Albertsons?

The DABC has rational liquor laws for the SLC International Airport. Why not for the rest of the state?

From the DABC site on the State of Utah/org page:

"In airport lounges, liquor, wine, heavy beer, and beer may be served from 8:00 a.m. until 12 midnight. Alcoholic beverages may be sold with or without food, and patrons may be served at a bar or table. Airport lounges are located at the Salt Lake International Airport."

what are the conspiring men trying to hide that they don't already clearly label their drinks as alcoholic?

is the 'great US dept of health' so wrong in requiring warning labels on evil tobacco?

Another example of how out-of-touch or legislators are. What ever happened to the party of personal responsibility? Now everything needs a bigger label? It's just an excuse to legislate morality. Another reason I'll vote Democratic next time around.

Truth is, I would have to be dying of sobriety before I would ever drink a Mike's Hard Lemonade. But apparently many adults enjoy them, and now they are unavailable. Thanks, Utah!

And thank YOU, D-News, for your role in this. As one of the state's largest newspapers, you could have refrained from adopting the charged, childish term "alcopops" (which you cling to to this day), and instead treated these beverages as the adult matters that they are. But no, cutesy had to prevail over accuracy. Shame on you!

I think this is a great move to protect young people. I've known some who have bought or been given these drinks not realizing they contain alcohol. If they are adult drinks, not "pop," they should be clearly labeled as such and sold where only adults can get them.

There are already laws in place that restrict the sale of beer, wine and liquor to those 21 years of age or older. This move is not necessary. Nobody drinks these thinking they don't contain alcohol. This is just another step backward for drinkers in Utah. Nobody other than newspaper writers calls these beverages "alcopops". Grow up, Utah!

If these are to be sold in liquor stores only, they should be the regular 5.0% ABV, not 3.2%. Bigger print on the labels is completely uncalled for- only an idiot would not realize these are alcoholic beverages. Once these are sold in the liquor stores, the teens who want them, who WILL still get them one way or another, will realize they can just get harder stuff at the liquor store, therefore drinking beverages with a higher alcohol content. What a smart move by the legislature- once again demonstrating they are completely clueless on the subject...

I agree with MC's statement, the majority of sales of these products were going to teens, because there was no way to legislate who stores could and couldn't sale these products to without a law on the books concerning the new low alchohol products. Also in response to (Thanks Daddy's) comment about voting Democratic this year, Are you advocating, more government intervention and meddling in your personal life?, that's what the Democratic Party invisions and wants for everyone. Your proposed voting stance and main argument appear to contradict one another. I wonder if you really know what it's all about, or if you've just been sipping on one too many Mike's Hard Lemonades.

It's utter baloney that majority of these sold were sold to teens. You have to show ID to buy them, If not, the point of sale is violating state law. I'm in my 30's and have had to show ID to buy them. You'd have to be a moron not to know a Smirnoff Ice or Raspberry Ale has alcohol in it.

The majority of consumers of these beverages are adults, and misinformed reactionaries have now taken the choice to have them in the state of Utah away from adults. Troy, the irony of your post is staggering. This ban *is* government interference in the personal lives of adults and nanny state type policy.

These drinks were not new, they have been around for decades. Adults enjoy them, and the reactionaries have now deprived adults in Utah who want them of their choice to have them at all. Congratulations.

If they are being sold in LIQUOR stores the why the need to change the label? Duh, it's liquor, that's the only thing sold in those stores. Why didn't they just require the change in the lables and keep them in the grocery stores. And to all you dopes out there that say they are being sold to youngsters, have obviously have not bought beer or "alcopops" lately. Practically every store's check out is electronic and it stops the transaction when alcohol is being purchased. They have to ENTER A BIRTHDATE into the computer before they can continue. If the kids have a fake id, then yeah, they're buying alcohol. But to make a law to annoy a portion of the population because parents can't control their kids actions is stupid!!

In response to MC and Troy, These drinks were always sold in the beer isle and beer coolers of the grocery and convenience stores. Most like rockstar 21 have a large 3.2 alc printed on the top front of the can. They all have the surgeon generals warning that they contain alcohol, and the argument that it can be mistaken as non alcoholic holds about as much water as spaghetti strainer. This started as a ratings grabber news story and the eventual histarical cry of "Oh will someone please think about the children!!!!"
This is just good old fasion propaganda, plain and simple. Laws being passed by folks who don't know the real facts...

is that clerks were selling the stuff to minors, then all the legislature needed to do is increase the penalty for selling to minors, enough to scare the clerks into not doing the transaction.

If a store sells to minors, suspend their license to sell alcohol for 30 days for the first offense, 60 days for the second and a full year for the third. No store would risk the loss.

And if minors are buying alcohol at state liquor stores, then they're buying from state employees. If the DABC can't control that they should all resign.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

This is a joke. First, the state (slash LDS church) only allows beer and these other "mixed" beverages to be 3.2 percent alcohol. You can't even get buzzed on one beer here! Now they want to put a different label on what's considered to be a "mixed alcoholic beverage"?
What's next? Labels that just say "BEER WITH ALCOHOL" on them? C'mon, I thought people were smarter than this.

Looks like WY, NV, and ID economies just got a little more of a boost from UT.

I'll be making a few more trips to Wendover...

This is one of the dumbest decisions they could ever make. Why do they have to make new labels for the wine coolers if they are already putting them in the liquor stores? If you don't understand what a liquor store is then don't go in one. If teenagers want to drink they will find a way without taking cheap wine coolers out of the reach of those who want them.

In response to 2:26 pm, please continue to go to Wendover, WY, or ID for you drinks. But, do not drive drunk on my UT roads. If you slam into a member of this state it will cost you dearly.

my daughter is upset that RUDEtahans had struck again.No Smirnoff for the ADULT Halloween sleep over.
The solution was that I will be driving into Utah on the 31st, I will buy for the party.
Because you can�t buy it here, nope sorry, too bad so sad, it is a fact. The choice has been made by one and all for one and all and who is to argue with that? Next time it must needs be that we bow to the majority, obey and honor the law. By the way, has there ever been a true democracy that ever lasted 10 years? I think it equates to mob rule really. One person. One Vote. Because I don�t think it ever worked. Really?
I was told once that a young Spencer W. Kimball was assigned to visit the 1st Ward of Berlin around 1945 or 46. He wrote a book or something like that, it�s on my shelf somewhere I think, I have never had the stomach to read it. I didn�t want the answer to the question. Did the members of the 1st Ward of Berlin honor and sustain the laws of Hitler? Aw heck, life�s hard.

I agree that this is a mistake. Anyone doing an economic study would realize that it is. I don't see the logic behind the law at all. I enjoy Mike's from time to time and this is the first time that I have ever heard of it called an "alcopop". And every time I have ever bought beer, any kind of beer, I have been carded. And I agree that under age drinkers are going to drink still. What's the point of punishing the responsible and NOT punishing those who break the law? And isn't there a bunch of other more pressing concerns on which our taxes should be spent?

"Drinker" is to "drunk driver" what "gun-owner" is to "murderer." Don't paint everybody with the same brush.