Seven Fields officials' approval of the transfer of a liquor license to the borough's Giant Eagle store is further evidence that Pennsylvania is moving slowly — very slowly — toward a rational approach to alcohol sales that includes more private outlets, primarily grocery stores, selling beer and, eventually, wine.

Pennsylvania is known for having the most tightly controlled, government-run system for alcohol sales. Of all the other states, only Utah might have a more controlled system.

Consumers in most other states benefit from the convenience of being able to buy beer and wine in grocery stores and other outlets, including convenience stores and, in some cases, drugstores.

The Monday night decision by Seven Fields is expected to be followed by approval by the state's Liquor Control Board allowing the borough's Giant Eagle store to sell beer for on-premise consumption at a small restaurant with capacity for only about 40 customers that will be built in the store, or for takeout. Takeout customers would be limited to two six-packs of beer.

Following LCB approval, the Giant Eagle store in Seven Fields plans to sell beer only, though a store official reported that wine sales might be added later.

If that were to happen, walking into the Seven Fields Giant Eagle would be similar to walking into a grocery store in most other states. Some states allow only beer sales in grocery stores, while other states allow both beer and wine to be sold in grocery stores.

For consumers shopping in Seven Fields, the move will mean added convenience. That is in contrast to the running-around facing a Pennsylvanian planning to host a dinner party. Today that host has to go to the grocery store for food, then a State Store for wine, and also a beer distributor for beer. In most other states, a trip to the grocery store covers it all — food, beer and wine. In those states, specialty stores for beer or wine still can thrive because grocery stores typically carry only the more popular and modestly priced beers and wines.

The Seven Fields develpment is reasonable and rational. And as a result, no residents attended the borough meeting objecting to Giant Eagle's plan to sell beer, and someday maybe wine, in its store.

It was noted at the meeting that Giant Eagle has been a responsible neighbor in Seven Fields, and adding beer sales is not expected to change that. Added reassurance is found in the fact that Giant Eagle, which operates 200 stores in four states, has experience selling beer and wine responsibly elsewhere. And the company already has programs in place for training its employees to sell alcohol, while understanding the state's alcohol- related laws and watching out for signs of attempted purchases by underage consumers or intoxicated customers.

Given the fact that about three-quarters of the states in the U.S. already allow more liberalized sale of beer and wine, it's clear that these incremental changes in Pennsylvania do not amount to reinventing the wheel or a threat to civilized society. Most other states have managed to have less government control of retail sales of beer and wine without seeing higher rates of alcoholism, more underage drinking, or more DUI arrests or fatalities.

Accident statistics from 2008 in which alcohol was involved in a traffic fatality range from lows of 17 percent in Utah and 22 percent in Iowa to highs of 46 percent in North Dakota and 44 percent in South Carolina. Pennsylvania's rate for 2008 was 34 percent, which is close to the average for the majority of other states. And Utah's low rate probably is linked to the Morman religion and a cultural conservatism, more so than state control of alcohol sales.

Recent successful court challenges in other parts of Pennsylvania to highly restrictive alcohol sales suggest a slow shift toward a more liberal approach to the sale of beer and alcohol. While it would be better — and simpler — for the state Legislature to vote to do away with state control of retail sale of wine and beer, in addition to selling the State Store system to help raise $1 billion or more for the state treasury, the trend toward rational and responsible liberalization of alcohol sales is positive in terms of customer convenience.

If the trend continues, in not too many years Pennsylvania will not be out of step with other states when it comes to the sale of beer and wine. And that will be a welcome, and overdue, change.