Sunday Liquor Sales Bill Passes In The House

December 14, 2013

A bill to change the law to permit liquor sales on Sundays in grocery and liquor stores passed in the House of Assembly on Friday [Dec 13].

Government first signaled their intent to allow Sunday liquor sales in the Throne Speech saying, “The prohibition of alcohol sales by retail outlets on Sundays has been a feature of Bermudian society for a long time. However, times have changed. Locals and tourists alike wish to be able to purchase beer, wines and spirits on a Sunday.

“Accordingly, Government will amend the Liquor Licence Act 1974 to allow for the purchase of wine and spirits on Sundays from retail outlets that are permitted to operate in accordance with the Public Holidays Act 1947.”

The bill now heads to the Senate.

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  1. Police Inquiries Into Alleged Sunday Liquor Sale | Bernews.com | December 17, 2013
  1. Barracuda says:

    OBA gettin it done yo .

    • $$$ says:

      oBa Bulls***** who really cares about liquor on sunday u want it sunday buy it saturday drink it sunday oba just throwen out stupid little things thats stupid little people can hype up on and say its change!! They wana “Get it done” decriminalize the ganja and get there judicial system together and keep it real with the people

      • Barracuda says:

        I agree they should decriminalize herb , but to say liquor is for the stupid little people, just shows what a childish little mind you have. If I were to stand next to you I would hear the ocean.

      • d.o. says:

        make weed a ZERO TOLERANCE or put a 5000.00 tax per gram. worse than rum $$$ your an ? You don’t wanna buy Sunday then don’t, go make fatty and don’t support the economy.

      • Passive Aggressif says:

        So if it was a stupid little thing, that stupid little thing is no more. one less stupid law. why complain?? If the OBA do nothing else, they have already done more good than the PLP did.

  2. BBIRYC Commodore JB says:

    This is music to my ears. Now I can get a case of beer when I finish a shift at 8am on a Sunday.

  3. terry says:

    Will Liquor stores be open or just sale from Grocery stores.
    Just a question.

  4. RawOnion says:

    There is nothing worse than stocking up on alcohol on Saturday for Sunday only to drink it all Saturday night. Now I can pace myself.

    • Triangle Drifter says:

      No, you don’t have to pace yourself anymore. Now you can resupply.

  5. BBIRYC Vice Commodore SM says:

    We are going to have liquor sales on Sundays and gaming. Now all we need are Gentlemen’s clubs and brothels. I would never have to go to Las Vegas ever again! Sweet!

    • Go Fast Smoldé says:

      Who needs Bermuda, when we get gaming brothels gentleman’s clubs and liquor on sundays, and Las Vegas when there is Thailand.

    • d.o. says:

      they can make money on that to a. la. Holland

    • Next says:

      Or you could get a woman the old fashion way. Who am I kidding? This is Bermuda. Fast turning into the pedophile/sexual assault capital of the world.

  6. Double M four twos says:

    About time! Sundays this summer will be great with me, my jet ski, a few honeys and two ice cold cases of Amsterdam lager!

    • Triangle Drifter says:

      All dat on a ski? Dreamer. Either the honeys or de burr will have to be left onshore.

  7. Inside Track says:

    Another good step from OBA in the right direction, hopefully the 9pm weeknight is included. Now give grocery stores and other merchants free will to open their stores whenever without restrictions!

  8. swing voter says:

    nice….a chilled glass of wine after a tough day at church

  9. buzz says:

    liquor on Sunday’s
    Gambling
    Nude Beaches
    Drugs
    Prostitution

    Bermuda is going to Hell in a little basket !

    • Sandgrownan says:

      Churches?

      • Double M four twos says:

        Buzz off Buzz….

        • BBIRYC Vice Commodore SM says:

          Yeah Buzz. People like you are the problem with Bermuda. Stuck in the past and not willing to change.

          • Double M Four Two's says:

            Buzz, where are these nude beaches? I will be there on my jetski this summer with some honeys and beer. There isnt any room for a bible on my jetski!

    • WTF says:

      Why is it ok to go out to a bar on Sunday buy drinks and then take the chance of a DUI ticket or worse, instead of going to the store buy my drinks and go home and drink…? I love this new bill!

    • boo says:

      Nude beaches wont happen here, bermudian men are such pervs. Girls are harrassed WITH bikinis on…imgaine nude beaches. Asking for someone to be assulted!

  10. Triangle Drifter says:

    Shucks bye, before you know it we be just like the US on Sunday. Go to church, Cracker Barrel for brunch, Walmart super center, stop by de licker store, get home in time for the game. Yesss!

    • terry says:

      Most liquor stores are closed on Sundays in the US.
      Do some research.
      Be a first for Bermuda.

      • Triangle Drifter says:

        I guess you don’t get out much in, where is it, VA somewhere?

        Depends on the state, depends on the county, sometimes even depends on the municipality.

        Over 100,000 miles traveling around the US in last 10 years. I get around.

  11. Marcus says:

    Did somebody say brothels and gentlemen’s clubs??? I am a connaisseur of both! And I do enjoy a vodka and water on a Sunday as well.

  12. sage says:

    Maybe now we can get our kids drinking before 7 years old, how about some good herb, a safer alternative(for adults) legalized for those who prefer not to drink?

    • Mike Hind says:

      What does this have to do with children or herb?

      • sage says:

        The age children start drinking is now 7 when it was 10 only a few years ago according to NDC stats, this indicates to me that our over acceptance of alcohol as an intoxicant results in younger children following adults behavior, so removing more of the regulation is promoting and encouraging it’s use in my eyes. How many underaged kids were given an ambulance ride to KEMH for alcohol poisoning after Beachfest only to have the media report an incident free weekend? Alcohol can be fatal around the 3.0 blood alcohol level, something you rarely hear mentioned amongst the proliferation of anti-herb misinformation, so before we endorse more alcohol (ain’t 7+million liters enough) lets repeal the laws against herb, a far safer alternative, because in my opinion the “war on some drugs and some of the people that use them” is a human rights atrocity needing more urgent attention than expanding sales of something already over available.

        • Mike Hind says:

          “How many underaged kids were given an ambulance ride to KEMH for alcohol poisoning after Beachfest only to have the media report an incident free weekend?”
          I don’t know. How many?

          And how is opening on Sunday going to increase our acceptance of alcohol more than it is?

          I’m with you on repealing the laws on herb and agree that it’s all tied up with human rights and it needs attention, but that’s a completely different topic. It’s also a much larger topic. This one is “Yeah. Let’s just stop the ban on Sundays.”
          Repealing pot laws is a whole lot more in depth and I, personally, want it done right.

          • sage says:

            What exactly is your idea of “done right” decriminalization? If sunday liquor laws can be, just ended, what’s the problem with just ending prohibition of herb? Herb should have been made fully legal 30+years ago, countless injustices could have been avoided. Synthetic weed (which actually kills but is legal) was invented because of drug testing regimes and anti herb laws and dillydallying around while people are imprisoned and others suffer unnecessarily isn’t good enough. You support relaxing alcohol and gaming laws right away or “yesterday” without much public consultation, and I feel the criminal and civil penalties against herb are unjust and should be immediately abandoned, is that ok with you or should I modify my opinion to reflect yours ? Hold your breath. If you want to know how many kids went to hospital just call and ask.

            • Double M four twos says:

              Sage, call and ask who?

              • sage says:

                The Emergency Department at KEMH might be a good place to start.

                • Suzie Quattro says:

                  So you actually have no idea whether it happened at all.

                  • sage says:

                    I was there, I saw two females taken to hospital from the parking lot, numerous drunk and incapable on the beach either laying flat out or being supported under the arms and dragged out of the ocean after their friends attempt to sober them up, where I saw two more stacked on the 4×4 Mule heading to the parking lot and i advised a young guy to turn his friend on her side so she wouldn’t choke on her own vomit while he tried in vain to call friends for help.

                    • Shag says:

                      What the heck does this have to do with selling alcohol on a Sunday? You should be more concerned with Arnold’s and the like selling single bottles of booze. The bums use Arnold’s as their ‘bar’….

                    • Mike Hind says:

                      So… Two, then.

                • Suzie Quattro says:

                  Oh right. The obvious answer to drunkenness is to allow another way of getting high.
                  Got it.

            • Mike Hind says:

              Done right would be:

              Do we legalize or decriminalize?
              Do we make it a controlled substance like alcohol, or do we just stop sending young folks to jail for a joint? Or do we just make it like tobacco, available in stores for anyone to buy?

              For me, I would LOVE for them to stop sending people to jail for herb. I agree with you that the criminal and civil penalties are unjust and should be abandoned. But do we stop there or do we make it so that it’s available?

              As for the “is that ok with you…” part? Come on. I’ve shown you respect. We’re having a discussion. It’s ok to disagree. No need for petty, puerile and petulant digs like that.

              Alcohol on Sundays… where are all these questions on the subject?

              There IS a difference.

              And you brought up the kids going to hospital, not me.
              I thought you would know.

              • sage says:

                Done right in my view would be to immediately throw out the decriminalization concept along with the The Misuse of Drugs Act, reschedule “drugs” to reflect actual harm and redirect the untold millions wasted fighting an un winnable war to help those really in need with the level of respect afforded type 2 diabetics. When you said you, personally want it done right were you not therefore implying that my version isn’t right ? Petty, puerile and petulant disrespect. You endorse legalizing casino’s here, no mention of decriminalizing it first? Are there not countless questions surrounding the implementation? Despite your denial, legalizing alcohol sales on sundays does reflect an increase in it’s acceptance, the lack of questions is just another indicator. I only know what I saw, thats why I asked the question, a lot of people would know the real number, and I hoped one may have answered it for us. If some youngsters had to be taken to hospital for smoking weed after a reggae concert it would be a front page story.

                • Mike Hind says:

                  Ok. Look. I know we’ve had our differences before, but that is no need for disrespect. On this, we’re on the same side, for the most part.
                  I wasn’t saying that your view was wrong. How could I? At the time, I had no idea what your view was!
                  I’m trying to have a conversation with you about this. There’s no need for defensiveness.
                  If you want to talk about it, let’s do that. If you want to lecture and not listen to what anyone else has to say, then let me know and we’ll read your lecture and not respond.

                  • sage says:

                    Your’e right, apology accepted concerning your disrespectful inference, but if you read my post preceding your wish to see” it done right”, I summed up my view so you should have had some idea.

                    • Mike Hind says:

                      I did read it. And agreed with a lot of it. Most, in fact.
                      And then responded, with my points.
                      I simply asked questions regarding those points in a hope that we could have a discussion, ‘cuz I, like you, think it’s an important one to have and, no matter where they come from, isn’t it better to have allies in the fight?
                      So, can you stop with the digs and the little pokes and actually have a conversation with me?

        • boo says:

          What type of parent are you if your child is drinking at 7?!
          Y’all want to blame society for your childrens problems when really, its the lack of parenting and dicipline in the home.

          I started drinking whiskey when I was 13 – I turned out fine

          • more than enough says:

            so if you,re 13..it,s ok and your parents are doing a great job?

  13. Sparky says:

    Finally the chains of bondage have been removed. Instead of buying my gallon of Black Seal on Saturday and feeling guilty in church Sunday morning, I can now praise the Lord with a clear mind and pick up the gallon on the way home.

  14. Nuffin but da Truth says:

    I can see now…the Priest calling the Police…
    “Come quick please,there’s a bunch of drunks in de church snoring!”

    • Ringmaster says:

      Churches have served alcohol on a Sunday since…….?

  15. hahaa! says:

    so alcohol is even more legal now!
    Free up the healing of the nation already

  16. White Dog don't bite white meat. says:

    Public holidays should be added as well.

  17. Dark@stormy says:

    Let’s celebrate the OBA ‘s victory at the polls, with a dark@stormy! If the PLP had won we would be drinking a depression,a shot of black with a beer chaser!

  18. Really says:

    We need alcohol on Sundays to numb the pain of reading these dumb az… Blogs

  19. Heavy partygoer says:

    Man,I love the OBA.You guys are making life fun.When we decriminilising herb and opening up de casinos?

  20. Future Of BDA says:

    As a future adult of Bermuda I find this absurd. I am in the class of 2014 and totally disagree with this law. Why do we need this when liqour is already being sold in clubs , bars, etc? Where was the outcry from the public for this law? We have been living without this law and seem to have been okay with it? To my knowledge the stores wernt begging either because Bermudians love to drink. But is this thirst to appease tourist destroying Bermuda? Absolutely! Think of your people before you think of anyone else. Yes tourism is one of out main revenues, however I constantly see on this very page and other media the amount of fatal accidents due to intoxicated drivers! Come on Bermuda , some things just aren’t a necessity!! Ugh

    • boo says:

      Bermuda NEEDS change. People drinking in Bars on a sunday doesnt bother you, but being able to purchase alochol in a store does?

  21. more than enough says:

    it is my opinion that the relaxed restrictions and island wide availability of alcohol and cigarettes(both proven killers)should, at the least, be extended to the much less harmful(also proven),cannibis plant.I am also of the opinion,that it should be done now, without question!