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File #: LM-2026-0012    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Resolution Status: In Committee
File created: 1/16/2026 In control: City Services and Environmental Policy
On agenda: Final action:
Title: RESOLUTION OF THE NEW HAVEN BOARD OF ALDERS TO ALLOW MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES TO BAN THE SALE OF NIPS.
Attachments: 1. EAC-BoA_Nips_Resolution_Nov2025.docx, 2. EAC-NipsBanAuthorityResolution, 3. Empowering Municipalities to Ban the Sale of Nips

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RESOLUTION OF THE NEW HAVEN BOARD OF ALDERS TO ALLOW MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES TO BAN THE SALE OF NIPS.

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WHEREAS, more than 90 million miniature liquor bottles (“nips”) are sold in Connecticut every year;

WHEREAS, New Haven businesses sell 5%, the most of any municipality;

WHEREAS, 2,501,376 nips were sold in New Haven between October 2024 and March 2025;

WHEREAS, nips are commonly found in litter in large amounts, and the majority are plastic, they contribute microplastics to our waterways, including rivers and Long Island Sound;

WHEREAS, nips are easily concealed and contribute to drinking and driving;

WHEREAS, towns in Massachusetts that have banned nips have seen dramatic decreases in nips being littered and a decrease in alcohol-related emergency calls;

WHEREAS, the Liquor Control Act of 1933 inadvertently prohibits municipalities in Connecticut from banning the sale of nips; and

WHEREAS, the City of New Haven favors municipal empowerment over unnecessary state mandates.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City of New Haven that changes to the Liquor Control Act that would allow municipalities the right to self-determination on the question of whether the sale of nips should be banned within our city is supported.