Joplin council rejects ban of 'shooter' liquor bottles

After hearing from a liquor distributor and the director of the Missouri Grocers Association along with several local small-business owners Monday night, the Joplin City Council rejected a ban of small liquor bottles called "nips’’ or "shooters."

Business owner Jon Buck, representing a nonprofit group called Higher Society, proposed the ban last month. He said the group has picked up thousands of the small bottles as members of the organization clean litter on public properties as a volunteer effort.

Buck, in addressing the council last month about the number of 50- and 100-milliliter plastic liquor bottles, described them as "a major contributor to litter across the city." Those bottles hold 1.6 to 3.4 ounces of liquor. Buck said the small bottles are commonly used by minors and also by drivers because they are easily concealed or thrown out on the streets.

In response, the council had asked the city attorney to bring forward a proposal to address the situation. An ordinance that would have banned the sale of the small bottles was on the agenda for council action.

That brought a number of people to speak to the council Monday night.

Vishal Gandhi, the owner of Discount Smokes and Liquor stores in Joplin, spoke against the ban, saying minors aren't sold liquor in those stores because the company's policy is to check identification. He offered to keep recycling bins at his stores for people to dispose of the bottles or offer some type of credit for those who return the bottles to the stores for proper disposal.

"I don't think Joplin will benefit" from the loss of the sales, he said. "All I see is losses. It's getting hard for business owners" to operate now. "With this loss of revenue, it's going to be even harder for them to stay in business."

Robert Pagano of Southern Glazers, a large liquor distributor based in St. Louis that also handles "shooter" bottles, offered to arrange a marketing campaign to provide some help with the littering problem.

"A ban of those 50-mil bottles I think would be hurting those retail establishments substantially," he said of stores like Gandhi's. He said there are 75 retail outlets in Joplin that sell them. A ban would cost those stores about $3.5 million, he said.

With more than 3 million of the bottles sold a year here, the 50,000 bottles counted in recent litter pickups by the volunteer group represents a small fraction. Pagano also said that contrary to what the council was told, the bottles can be recycled.

He said he had received regulatory approval to help Joplin with an advertising campaign of banners and leaflets asking people to properly dispose the bottles after they have used them. He said he believes retailers would be willing to help educate consumers on that.

Sales tax proceeds of $350,000 that would go to the state, county and city on small bottle sales would be lost if there were a ban, Pagano said. Towns surrounding Joplin would get that business, he said.

Dan Shaul, director of the Missouri Grocers Association, also spoke against a ban.

He said shoppers spend an average of $30 to $40 when they buy shooter bottles along with groceries.

In addition to the loss of sales tax, a ban could cost grocery stores that business.

"What would it mean to be the first in Missouri to ban the sale?" he asked. "Retailers in this community and the ones who want to come here will decide whether they want to invest in remodeling, expansion or construction" in a city that bans certain products.

"Let's hit the pause button and talk about what we can do," he said. "Everyone is wanting to help and figure out how we can make Joplin a destination (of new business)."

Buck again spoke in favor of the proposal. He brought two bags of the bottles he said had been picked up this week.

Several council members, including Kate Spencer and Josh DeTar, said they were in favor of the ban at first but have reconsidered as they had more time to consider the repercussions.

"Once the city restricts small business, I think it's a slippery slope," Spencer said.

The council voted 6-3 to defeat the ban. Those who favored the ban were Mayor Doug Lawson, Gary Shaw and Keenan Cortez.

An ordinance that would ban travel-sized liquor bottles proposed by a local group that cleans up litter in public areas will be considered Mon…

I am the City Hall reporter but I cover many other stories in our community as well including historic preservation and feature stories about people and places of interest. You can email me at [email protected] or call me at 417-627-7262.

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