A citizens' committee in Labrador's most northerly town wants to reduce access to alcohol, although the owner of Nain's only bar doubts the proposal will work.

The Nain Alcohol Committee wants a bar in the community to reduce its hours, in order to curb long-running problems with alcohol abuse in the largely Inuit community.

(CBC)

The Atsanik Lodge opens at 4 p.m. The committee wants the opening pushed back to 7 p.m.

"Well, there's a lot of concerns, I guess, regarding the bar hours opening at 4 o'clock, and again, from the youth, there [were] some concerns that they were going home to their supper at 5 o'clock, and there was no supper prepared," said committee member George Lyall.

Tony Goodwin, who owns the Atsanik Lodge, said a similar move was attempted in the past, but made things worse.

"What we found is that we were too restrictive. People got drunk too quick — that's what it boiled down to," he said.

"We expanded the hours and it certainly helped, so I just don't see why the town wants to restrict us."

Goodwin added a later opening will cut into his bottom line.

"Although we don't do a heck of a lot of business from 4 till 7, it does sort of provide a momentum for the rest of the evening. I just don't know what it will do to the rest of the evening," he said.

The committee's request, which is supported by the town council, has been put before the Newfoundland Liquor Corp., which regulates the sale and distribution of alcohol in the province.

Meanwhile, the committee also wants a convenience store to install a separate entrance for beer customers, in part to limit children's exposure to alcohol consumption. The town council supports that request as well.