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Should BC allow liquor to be sold at any movie?

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Ever want a beer while catching a flick on the big screen? News1130 is asking why BC liquor laws do not treat going to the movies like going to a live sports event.

Rich Coleman is in charge of liquor and gaming in this province. He says public safety is a big concern, especially when it comes to keeping booze out of the hands of kids.

“We felt very strongly that the difference between this and let’s say, a hockey game, is at a hockey game the lights are on and at a theatre they’re not,” Coleman points out. “So we felt it was important to have that sight of discipline around it. That was the advice we got from the other jurisdictions that have had their experiments and learned from their mistakes and everything that this was the best way to go.”

Liquor laws have been changed to allow adult-only shows or live events at single screen theatres to serve booze, as long as there’s a valid liquor license. Inspectors will make sure they’re all 19+.

Private multiplex theatres are also starting bar service in select locations and in cordoned off screening rooms. Coleman says changes to the laws make serving a cold one or two more flexible for theatre owners.

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