Dear Yes on 1 Plymouth supporters, as we’re sure you have heard by now, our collective efforts to uphold the ban on the sale of miniature alcohol bottles (nips), approved by Plymouth’s elected Town Meeting representatives in October, did not yield the results we all hoped for. The vote was very close: 3,682 “no” votes to 3,517 “yes” votes, a margin of only 165 votes or 2.3 percent.
Our campaign to uphold the nip ban was organized and run entirely by volunteers – like you and your neighbors. We are incredibly grateful to all of you who donated your personal funds, braved the cold and rain to hold signs, displayed signs in your yards, and wrote letters of support. Your passion and your actions went a long way to raise awareness of the facts of this issue and helped to get out the vote.
From the beginning, we knew we would face stiff opposition from local businesses, out-of-town liquor distributors, and the powerful liquor lobby, and that is exactly what happened. They outspent our campaign nearly five to one, with the bulk of contributions coming from liquor industry lobbyists and even a distillery as far away as Kentucky. They also used their money to hire Mayflower Strategies, a Washington D.C.-based public relations firm with close ties to the liquor industry.
While we didn’t win on Saturday, Jan. 13, we feel there are two important takeaways from this effort. First, even though a professional team with big money prevailed in this instance, a group of passionate volunteers came within 165 votes of them, and we could not have closed the gap as much as we did without the help of each of you. And second, our collective efforts have put a spotlight on the blight of nips in our community and the problems they cause regarding drunk driving, alcoholism, and litter throughout Plymouth and beyond. Nips will continue to cause these problems here and elsewhere, but it will no longer go unnoticed by so many, and we can and will build on that heightened awareness in the future when we revisit this issue.
We should not let this outcome deter us from continuing to try to improve our community’s environment, health, and safety. Thank you for fighting the good fight with us and being a part of this effort. We hope to be able to work together with you on this and other issues in the future. Keep the fire lit.
Andrea Dickinson, Holly States, and Ken Stone – on behalf of the Yes on 1 Plymouth Committee