By Associated Press 

The debate over whether to lift Minnesota's ban on Sunday liquor sales is bubbling up again.

This time, activists plan to enlist craft beer drinkers to their cause.

Andrew Schmitt, founder of the group Minnesota Beer Activists, tells Minnesota Public Radio News.

It's time for Minnesota to do what surrounding states are doing - allow liquor store sales on Sunday.

Minnesota Beer Activists is launching a public awareness campaign for Sunday liquor sales in the coming weeks.  

The campaign includes a website that lets constituents directly contact their representatives at the state Capitol.

But they face an uphill battle against influential business associations, a strong union and legislators wary of alienating local liquor stores.  

By The Hartford Courant   

Repealing a ban on Sunday alcohol sales at stores increases the number of alcohol-related accidents and deaths, according to a task force of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that reviewed 14 studies in which laws restricting alcohol sales were changed.

Much of the debate over whether to allow alcohol sales on Sunday  focused on such issues as revenue for the state and small business vs. big business, but there's been little discussion about the implications for public health.

In 2010, a team of researchers that make up the CDC's Task Force on Community Preventive Services published research in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine examining alcohol consumption in locations where bans on alcohol sales on certain days had been enacted, abolished or modified.   

"We found strong and consistent evidence that limiting alcohol availability by maintaining existing limits on the days of sale is an effective strategy for preventing excessive alcohol consumption and related harms," the authors wrote.

On New Year's Eve, Derrick was in no shape to drive, so he sensibly left his van in the car park and walked home.   

As he was wobbling along, he was stopped by a policeman.   

'What are you doing out here at four o'clock in the morning?' asked the police officer.

'I'm on my way to a lecture,' answered Derrick.

'And who on earth, in their right mind, is going to give a lecture at this time on New Year's Eve?' the constable asked sarcastically.

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