Buying a beer could be as easy as pressing a button of alcohol vending machines after this legislative session.
Rep. Richard Raymond (D-Laredo) is working to legalize the sale of alcohol in vending machines at certain establishments licensed for the on-premise consumption of alcohol. Vice chair Roland Gutierrez (D-San Antonio) laid out the bill at a hearing for the bill Monday.
Customers would present their IDs to the establishment’s staff and receive a wristband to verify that the consumer is over 21 years old, Gutierrez said.
‘The customer must present an employee of the establishment with a valid ID, which is scanned into a database and tied to a customer’s credit card,” Gutierrez said. “The customer is then given a uniquely encoded wristband to access the machine.’
The bands would track the amount of alcohol consumed by a bar patron and limit alcohol intake. Vending machine users would be cut off after 30 ounces of beer, 10 ounces of wine or three ounces of liquor, Gutierrez said.
The standard drink is 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine and about one-and-a-half ounces of liquor.
‘The automated dispensing machine system benefits businesses by reducing overhead and staff costs, allowing for easier management of inventory, strictly controlling customers’ consumption and guarding against underage drinking,’ Gutierrez said.
According to advertising junior Kara Endahl, vending machines could be more convenient at a crowded bar.
‘I think it would save a lot of time because the lines at bars get so long, especially if there’s a big game going on,’ Endahl said. ‘I know last time we were waiting for, like, 30 minutes for a beer.’
Interesting facts about alcohol
- Alcohol affects men and women differently. This is because younger women produce less of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which breaks down alcohol in the stomach.
- Alcohol can lower blood sugar levels.
- Moderate alcohol consumption could help protect against heart disease as moderate alcohol consumption increases good HDL cholesterol and reduces plaque buildup in the arteries.
- Drinking does not actually warm you up as alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate.
Sources