Opinion: Vote ‘no’ on nip ban

Jun 1, 2021

To the Editor: 

I’m writing to ask Wareham residents to attend the Town Meeting (June 12 at 11:00am at Decas School), and vote ‘no’ on the proposed ban on nip bottles. 

As a Wareham resident and member of the small business community, I am worried about the economic impact that this ban would have on our town. For Wareham Liquors, where I work as manager, nips make up about 30% of our sales. The same is true for the several other stores in town that sell these products. 

Banning nips isn’t going to stop people from buying them. Our customers will just drive to stores in Rochester or Marion – and we’ll keep seeing these small bottles along the roads. 

Wareham Liquors, along with other retailers in town, have been collecting signatures for a petition urging the town to consider alternative policies that won’t damage the local economy. I would also like to see the state take the lead on a solution, rather than a patchwork of town bans that pick winners and losers in the retail community.

More than 900 people have signed our petition. If you were one of them – or if you’re a Wareham resident that thinks there’s a better way to address litter other than one-off bans that hurt small businesses – please support us by coming to the Town Meeting on June 12 and voting 'no' to the ban. 

Danny Patel

Wareham, MA