South Carolina's minibottle law has been in effect since 1974, and efforts to allow bars and restaurants to pour liquor from large bottles have been in the works nearly as long.

The General Assembly's annual inaction on the matter may be why a special forum on new legislation to change the law drew fewer than 10 people in Beaufort on Tuesday.

Sponsored by the Greater Beaufort Chamber of Commerce and the Beaufort Hospitality Association, the forum featured Tom Sponseller, president and chief executive officer of the S.C. Hospitality Association. The association has made multiple attempts to change the minibottle law, which mandates establishments serving liquor must pour separately from miniature bottles of less than 2 ounces when serving drinks.

In the 70s, Sponseller said, "several other states at that time were also using minibottles." But today, South Carolina is the last state with a minibottle law.

Attempts to overturn the law have been rejected in the past because the state collects about $18 million in minibottle taxes each year, Sponseller said. "You won't get that repealed in today's budget," he added. "The legislature has to protect the state revenue."

However, Sponseller said, the latest legislation introduced in the General Assembly calls for a 5 percent tax on mixed drinks. It also gives restaurants and bars the option of choosing between minibottles or free-pouring alcohol from full sized bottles.

Because the minibottle law is part of the state constitution, Sponseller said the reform legislation would have to be approved by state voters if it makes it through the General Assembly.

And new drunk driving limits passed by the state may help the legislation gain acceptance, he added.

As of last year, the legal blood alcohol limit in South Carolina became 0.08 percent. That's about 4 ounces of liquor in an hour for a 170-pound man, or 3 ounces of liquor for a 137-pound woman, according to the Coalition to Repeal Minibottles.

These statistics are helping garner support for the latest minibottle legislation, Sponseller said. While most single-liquor, free-pour drinks are served with 1.25 ounces of alcohol, a minibottle contains 1.5 ounces. Using minibottles encourages people to drink more, and can be especially problematic for visitors used to getting less alcohol when ordering drinks in their home state, Sponseller said.

Few people at Tuesday's forum asked questions. Earl Dietz of the Marsh Association -- a group representing six private communities in the area -- said he feels alcohol wholesalers should be taxed rather than restaurants or bars.