Can the Town of Wareham ban the sale of miniature alcoholic "nip" bottles? The Board of Selectmen intend to find out.

"The people who pick up trash regularly tell me that anywhere between 50 to 90 percent of the trash that they pick up is nips, or single serve alcohol containers," said Selectman Judith Whiteside at Tuesday's Selectmen meeting.

"Rather than saying pick the stuff up . . . I figured, 'Well, if they're not available, then they can't throw them away,'" she said.

Whiteside said that although state government maintains the liquor laws in Massachusetts and does not allow a town to ban the sale of nips, many cities and towns across the country have found ways to do so.

Outside of a voluntary ban by local liquor stores, Town Attorney Richard Bowen said the only way the town could limit the sale of nips is through a special act. A special act would require the approval of Town Meeting before heading to the state legislature and, if passed there, a signature from the governor.

Bowen said he believes Wareham's local legislators would support the legislation, however, "the package and beverage industry has a very powerful lobby."

"But that doesn't mean you don't try it," he added.

At a Board of Selectmen meeting last May, residents Jim and Mary Bruce brought four large trash bags full of nips they collected from one stretch of road near the train bridge on Main Street in West Wareham.

Selectman Alan Slavin said he and his wife were driving on that section of road a week ago.

"It looks as if no one cleaned it up," he said. "They're there by the hundreds. It doesn't go away."

Slavin suggested bringing a special act to ban the sale nips to Fall Town Meeting in October.

"If the residents of the town want to it go ahead they'll allow us to file it," he said.