Everyone knows beer, but not everyone loves this beverage. Most people know about how beer used to be illegal and all the problems lived through that time, but that’s long gone, isn’t it? Well, we’re actually facing a similar situation right now: whether beer should be illegal on the internet, and there’s currently a big black market around this confusion.
Proponents say that alcohol is a problem as is, so why should we give it more chances to mess with society? Even some consumers are against its legalization not because of how its legalization could affect society, but because of how it could hurt local businesses by giving even more money to large corporations.
Opponents maintain that it would bring more benefits than disadvantages. Their argument focuses on the economic benefits of legalization as well as it could benefit every consumer by being comfortable and more convenient.
Still, buying on the internet is a source of concern for lots of people, and while they’re few, there are still limitations. With home brewing your own beer also trending in popularity, the buy/sell idea looks appealing to more and more of the population.
So, what if you could get your favorite beer through an app? Just like you order from Uber Eats? Today, you can do that in several parts of the world, but it still remains illegal in several States in the U.S.
With that in mind, let’s evaluate the following arguments for and against buying beer online being illegal.
All the Yes points:
- Online shopping is more a hassle than convenience
- Internet security and existing online scam
- Age restriction
- Alcohol trafficking
- Over Pricing
- Beer product/brand legitimacy
- Online beer black market
- Need for local regulation
- Society’s Good Values Or Economy?
- Effects on small businesses selling liquors
- Larger beer/brewery companies against small brewing company
- Alcoholic drinks is a problem
Online shopping is more a hassle than convenience
Yes because…
Yes, because it’s more problematic. Online shopping can be a hassle for a lot of people, and buying beer on the internet means having to deal with annoying legal processes, shipping, and complications related to each step.
No because…
No because it’s more comfortable. Especially in recent times, people have realized how convenient it’s to be able to buy anything from your home, and beer is no exception.
Internet security and existing online scam
Yes because…
Yes, because it’s easier for scammers. People selling fake copies or simply offering fake deals have an easier time reaching vulnerable audiences over the internet.
No because…
No because it’s safer. The internet is filled with all the information you need to learn which websites are trustworthy and which ones aren’t. Some even argue that’s easier to fall for scams outside the internet.
Age restriction
Yes because…
Yes, because underages still buy age-restricted products. Everyone know that online age restriction isn’t quite effective. Anyone can fake their age and create fake emails to get access to mature content and products.
No because…
No because parents should be responsible. Something shouldn’t be illegal just because parents can’t keep an eye on their kids. Parental control apps also exist for this purpose.
Alcohol trafficking
Yes because…
Yes, because it’s easier for traffickers to sell. Alcohol trafficking is already a problem. There’s an entire black market around beer on the internet, and there’s no reason to make things easier for them.
No because…
No because it cuts down on illegal alcohol traffic. By letting reputable vendors sell their products on the internet, there’s no reason to go into the black market anymore.
Over Pricing
Yes because…
Yes because it leads to speculation. Being able to sell rare products legally on eBay can led a lot of people to overprice their listings way beyond their original price.
No because…
No because it’s easier to access rare products. Online beer sales would make it easier to get the products from the manufacturer instead of middlemen anyways.
Beer product/brand legitimacy
Yes because…
Yes, because there’s no way to verify whether the products are legitimate. Anyone can sell anything, and counterfeit products are countless around the internet. Anyone used to browsing catalogs can verify it.
No because…
No because beer crafters can sell the products themselves. Even if people sell fake products, why would anyone choose to buy from middlemen instead of the companies that manufactures the beer?
Online beer black market
Yes because…
Yes, because beer companies lose money due to the online beer black market. The black market for beer and spirits costs a lot of money to several companies because people prefer to buy from resellers instead of going to their events or buy at their stores.
No because…
No because beer companies can sell even more. Again, the problem is that people can resell products because the producer isn’t offering their products by themselves.
Need for local regulation
Yes because…
Yes, because it’s harder to regulate for local authorities. The online black market has been such an issue because of how difficult it is to regulate, especially since we’re talking about the internet, which ultimately doesn’t belong to any legislation
No because…
No because there’s no need for local regulation. The online market is capable of regulating itself, and there are countless types of measures online marketplaces can take to keep their listings safe and fair.
Society’s Good Values Or Economy?
Yes because…
Yes, because it’s bad for society’s values. If alcohol already causes a lot of trouble right now, why would we make it easier to get for everyone?
No because…
No because it’s good for the economy. Opening more doors for trade and commerce always stimulates the economy. This results in better life quality and development.
Effects on small businesses selling liquors
Yes because…
Yes because it would hurt smaller businesses. People would stop buying at their local liquor store since they could order new and more interesting products from around the world for cheaper.
No because…
No because it would benefit smaller businesses. Not everyone likes to wait days to enjoy their beverage. Smaller businesses could also buy stock over the internet and make those interesting products as part of their catalog.
Larger beer/brewery companies against small brewing company
Yes because…
Yes, because it would give more power to larger companies against small crafters. If large companies already dominate the market, why would we give them more chances?
No because…
No because it would force “giants” to compete. Large companies reach their current level thanks to the lack of “fair” competitors, and online alcohol trade would make giants compete with their peers.
Alcoholic drinks is a problem
Yes because…
Yes, because alcohol is a problem. Alcohol is one of the main reasons why people act improperly, violent, and overall “unacceptably”, and we shouldn’t feed that behavior.
No because…
No because the problem isn’t alcohol. The problem is people being irresponsible. Even if we ban buying beer online, that wouldn’t change the real problem.
Buying beer online can be convenient. You can buy them anytime you want, and you don’t have to wait to go to the nearby liquor shop. With the additional variety on offer, it sure can seem tempting. Have you thought about buying beer online yet? What’s stopping you, if not?
