Local elections are on October 2, just two weeks away. Do you know where you stand yet on Local Option?
Should Local Option pass, it would eliminate all local legal liquor sales. KYUK is taking your questions concerning the issue.
“What is the difference between what is a wet and what is a damp area?” asks nurse practitioner William Miller, speaking outside of the Bethel Post Office alongside Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway on Tuesday.
He’s been in Bethel for the past six months and is still on the fence on the issue. But he’s no stranger to the greater concerns about the community’s health overall.
“I’ve seen the damage that both alcohol and tobacco produces, and another question is, ‘why is the state involved in banning alcohol when they don’t ban tobacco?' Because they both cause an equal amount of deaths and damage to people,” says Miller.
But other people, like this woman who requested we not share her name, have already decided to vote against it.
“I wanna vote to where it’s gonna stay like this, yeah… I think because a lot of people like beer and wine and stuff. The hard liquor I’m against,” she says. “I myself am a non-drinker, but people want beer and wine. You know, they can buy it, but as far as hard liquor, they can go see their local bootlegger or order it out of Anchorage.”
This particular Local Option doesn’t allow for any local beer or wine sales, and many wonder if they could have a beer and wine option.
“Is it possible just to sell beer and wine in Bethel? Bethel does not need to have hard liquor, so is that possible?” she asks.
The City of Bethel has provided information about Local Option on the ballot. The city is also coordinating with state officials to host a one-hour call-in show on KYUK next week starting at 11 a.m. on Thursday, September 27.
In the meantime, submit your alcohol or Local Option related questions to news@kyuk.org.