Mini Bottles of Alcohol Could Soon Be Illegal in Connecticut

One Connecticut lawmaker is fed up with those little alcohol shooters, otherwise known as nips or airport shooters, being they’re the ones flight attendants use to make your in-flight cocktails.

State Rep. Jamie Foster (D-Ellington) is the one behind the piece of legislation aiming to ban those 50ml shots. Her rationale behind it has to do with remedying the state’s drunk driving issues, per WTNH. 

You’ve probably seen it yourself. I know I’ve been out in public parking lots or walking along a random street and noticed one of those bottles discarded on the road. I always say to myself, “Who the hell is ripping a Tito’s shot in the mall parking lot?” 

That’s why Foster is hoping to take a step toward outlawing these shooters in Connecticut. A conversation she had with one of her constituents was about exactly that scenario and how these bottles are mostly found in areas where cars would be. They’re convinced “patterns of littering” confirm drivers are enjoying a nip or two before hitting the road.

Connecticut Lawmaker Wants to Ban Alcohol Shooters

It honestly doesn’t sound like this proposal will get anywhere. There’s no actual data connecting mini bottles of alcohol and incidences of drunk driving. That said, Foster is hoping to at least start the conversation. 

Connecticut does have a nips problem. In 2024, the Yale Daily News documented the plague of shooter bottles found around New Haven. 

“People are throwing them out their windows because they don’t want to be caught with an open container and get a ticket,” Laura Cahn, chair of New Haven’s Environmental Advisory Council, told the outlet.

There’s also a group called CT Towns Nixing The Nips that advocates against the items. They have helped sponsor bills to fight against the shooters. One town, Chelsea, banned the bottles in 2018 and saw some positive results, according to a local NBC affiliate.