Sean Hughes, Account Director, Connecticut Package Stores Association.

The sale of nips, the small 50-milliliter alcohol bottles, has been a topic of conversation around the State Capitol complex for quite a few years. During the 2021 legislative session, the Bottle Bill was updated to include more products and to double the deposit at the time.

What was also in that public act that passed in 2021 was the establishment of the nip “environmental fee.” This created a first-in-the-nation program of creating an environmental fee on nips. The five-cent environmental fee is placed on each individual nip. That five-cent fee is then collected and sent to towns every six months to deal with nip litter.

The language that described what the towns could do with the money (meaning how it could be spent) was written very vague. The goal was to allow municipalities the freedom and local control to decide how best they would address the litter issue. Some towns have decided to purchase a street sweeper, while others have opted to use that money to hire staff or coordinators to focus on recycling and the waste system in their municipality.

One of the more impressive ways to use this money can be found in Vernon. It has used its nip money to hire individuals with disabilities to clean up the nips. This initiative has worked to clean up the streets in Vernon while also helping a population gain job experience and skills for their future.

Local grassroots groups have sought to continue the conversation on allowing for the ban on nips at the local level. CT Nixing the Nip has been the main group pushing for action on the state level. It has been joined by different environmental advocacy groups that have supported legislation in the past, citing the litter issue as the reason to support a ban. During the 2025 legislative session, there have been quite a few bills looking to address nips. While last session there was a bill to allow towns the ability to ban nips in their borders if they chose to, this year the proposals are different.

House Bill 5235 would ban the sale of nips across the state. This proposal was submitted by a legislator, who, while on the campaign trail, had heard from a woman whose husband had been killed by a drunk driver. This bill is the first statewide ban of the product that has been introduced to the General Assembly. The bill was referred to the General Law Committee, but as of early February, the bill had not been raised by the committee for a public hearing.

While with each legislative session we see an increase in nip-related bills, the concerning part is the focus that the issue is gaining with media and legislators. It seems to not be a topic that has gone away since the environmental fee was established. Opposing the nip ban is important to stop the slippery slope of allowing the General Assembly or municipalities from banning different brands, sizes or flavors in the future.

Stay tuned to see if the nip ban legislation will continue to move forward in the legislative session. The industry and the Connecticut Package Stores Association will continue to oppose legislation that restricts products sold by stores.

Find out more about any of these issues and the benefits of membership at ctpsa.com.