SPOKANE, Wash. — Downtown Spokane businesses that sell alcohol to-go could soon face mandatory restrictions on when they can sell certain items, as the state prepares to decide whether a six-month trial program should become permanent.

The city has been experimenting with an Alcohol Impact Area (AIA) that bans late-night sales of single-serve alcohol products like tall boys and shooters. The trial was implemented to address concerns about open drug use and public drinking in downtown Spokane.

"This was a step that we could take, to hold back on that supply and stop making it such an incentive for folks," said Erin Hut, a city official.

Currently, the restrictions remain voluntary because only the state can officially approve an AIA. The city is using this testing period to gather data a

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