Oh, the irony!

Every so often, when the privatization of liquor sales comes up, someone makes the argument that public liquor stores are less likely to encourage overconsumption than private liquor stores. Pardon my cynicism, but the skeptic in me believes governments run liquor stores to make money, not to stop people from getting drunk.

This gem in my weekend newspaper supports my suspicion:

In big, block font, the Quebec government's Société des alcools, which runs the SAQ liquor stores that are ubiquitous throughout the province, encourages an overindulgence of alcohol by offering a discount for consumers who purchase more than $100 of booze. And, ironically, in the bottom-left corner, in print you have to squint to read, some sage advice that "La modération a bien meilleur gout": "Moderation is always in good taste."

Conflicting messages. At least the Quebec government is clear about which one it wants to send.