Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Where do you find liquor stores in the phone book?
In the Salt Lake City area, they're in small type, just below the Air National Guard recruiting office.
The state operates liquor stores in Utah, so locations are in the government listings, which is not the first place that comes to mind when people want to find alcohol for the holidays.
"It's stupid," said Larry Lunt, chairman of the state alcoholic-beverage commission.
The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has been receiving many calls from people asking where they can buy booze for Christmas and New Year's Eve.
Staff members have been asked to find new ways to make store addresses, phone numbers and hours easily available to the public. Utah law prohibits the department from advertising the sale of alcohol.
"The Yellow Pages, by definition, is advertising," Commissioner Nicholas Hales said Wednesday. "We're prohibited from advertising."
Some staff and other commissioners said the department's goal is to better inform the public, not promote alcohol.
"To be able to find a liquor store is a reasonable accommodation," Lunt said. "People don't look in the blue pages for liquor stores. They shouldn't have to call this office to find out where a liquor store is."
Commissioner Mary Ann Mantes suggested a line in the Yellow Pages referring people to the government section of the phone book if they want information on liquor stores. Commissioners will discuss the issue again in January.
------ Information from: Deseret Morning News, http://www.deseretnews.com
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
