The Students Against Destructive Decisions club is taking a stand against a proposed new bill that would allow stores such as Wal-Mart and Target to sell liquor on shelves alongside traditional grocery store products.

State Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, along with state Reps. Jimmie Smith, R-Inverness, and Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, have created bills that would ease separation laws and make it easier for people to access liquor within a grocery store.

“The whole reason the liquor store is separate is because its clear when a young person walks in, like, there are no people under 21 even in the stores,” SADD sponsor Jessica Hartman, said. “So when someone who even looks suspicious walks in you can be like ‘gotcha,’ but in Wal-Mart, everyone’s in Wal-Mart, babies are in Wal-Mart,”

Junior Ana Rosal agrees that changing the law would have a potentially devastating impact on teenagers.

“[Liquor] needs to be definitely separated from all the rest of the products and maybe like locked up so that people can’t get it and only employees can get it,” said junior Ana Rosal.

Rosal added that regulating who has access to the liquor poses problems for grocery store employees.

“I think it’s just important that the employees know and remember to I.D. people because even if the liquor is in a separate place, there is still the chance of people under 21 going and getting it. It’s just like a matter of when they’re checking out, the people catching them,” Rosal said .

SADD Club plans to tie in its battle with its annual anti-drinking campaign as Prom approaches.

By Katelyn Kent