Boston City Council mulls outlawing nips
BOSTON - On Wednesday, the Boston City Council held its first hearing on a proposal to ban nip bottles from the city, and has referred it to a committee.
Representatives from the Boston Public Health Commission and Licensing Board gathered to discuss the benefits a ban would have on the community.
The bottles are not biodegradable and cannot be recycled in Massachusetts due to their size. Supporters of the ban say this has contributed to massive amounts of litter throughout the region.
Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, who filed the hearing order, also said nips have detrimental health impacts. "Miniatures are a problem because they are used by people who are struggling with alcohol addiction as a way to moderate their drinking, but they often consume more of the miniatures or singles because it's sort of an illusion that they're drinking less, but you're actually drinking more because they pile up," Arroyo said.
Cities like Chelsea and Newton and towns like Falmouth, Wareham and Mashpee have already outlawed the sale of nips in their communities.