Ban on drinking in public

[Bigdave]

Thank You, for the comments so far they have been very helpfull,

 

just annother quick question this ban is only for a certain part of Lerwick, is this the main street more or less?

 

The one proposed for Kirkwall is everything within the 30mph zone!

[paulb]

but they then seem to forget the zone when there is quite a large number of folks drinking in the street. i never noticed a tempory suspension for these. i dont like the kids going to the up helly aa because of the drinking. i don't see them stopping folks drinking in the open then. And face it if there is going to be trouble crowds and drink are more likely to cause it.

[Njugle]

 

The one proposed for Kirkwall is everything within the 30mph zone!

That's pretty much the same. The Lerwick bans extends beyond the speed limits south of the town, as displayed in a bye-law notification at the bus shelter on Shurton Brae. The devil on my shoulder often suggests to me the requirement to stage a barbecue with copious drink next to it - southward.

 

Better places like Scalloway and Voe still allow people to drink (responsibly) at tables outside the hostelries, which seems to go down well with visitors as much as locals. There never were any venues that were particularly suitable for this in Lerwick, I suppose, so there was no great loss there.

[JustMe]

One issue that I think still raises concerns with some drinkers is that if they go outside for a smoke their drink is vulnerable to being spiked either with extra alcohol or some sort of drug.

[EM]

...i dont like the kids going to the up helly aa because of the drinking. i don't see them stopping folks drinking in the open then.

Of course they don't stop drinking outside then, UHA is one of the exemptions. As for disuading your kids from experiencing such an intense and positive community celebration, I can only sympathise with their loss.

 

And face it if there is going to be trouble crowds and drink are more likely to cause it.

I'm no fan of blootered masses of aggro causing punters, but I think the key to such situations mostly hinges on how "the crowd" is feeling. It is difficult to legislate against many of the things which dampen spirits (e.g. football defeats are henceforth to be decreed illegal! ). Needless hassle of an already happy crowd is, however, bound to rile many.

[EM]

One issue that I think still raises concerns with some drinkers is that if they go outside for a smoke their drink is vulnerable to being spiked either with extra alcohol or some sort of drug.

That is an interesting point, but I wonder if it is much different to going to the bog. Unlike going outside for a fag, people do have the option of taking their drink to the bog with them, but do they do so?

[nederlander]

Of course they don't stop drinking outside then, UHA is one of the exemptions.

 

Why should UHA be exempt? One rule for them another for the rest of us, it just isn't right. Surely the drinking can wait until they get into the halls?

 

As for disuading your kids from experiencing such an intense and positive community celebration, I can only sympathise with their loss.

That is a matter of opinion. I know plenty of people who see UHA as nothing more than an alkies excuse.

[EM]

Why should UHA be exempt?

Partly for the same reason New Year is exempt. It is an extremely popular event where, for many, alcohol consumption plays a significant part in the whole proceedings. It also, like the flavour of Shetland event, has an exemplary organisational track record. The essence of the bye law was not to target well organised community events. UHA is but one of such events, though it can justly claim to have one of the most impressively clean track records with respect to safety and undesirable side effects.

 

As for disuading your kids from experiencing such an intense and positive community celebration, I can only sympathise with their loss.

That is a matter of opinion.

I agree completely. I think that is quite clear from the wording of my comment.

 

I know plenty of people who see UHA as nothing more than an alkies excuse.

I know some too, and again, they have my sympathy . Personally I rarely drink much at UHA, but am glad that others do. Alcohol has caused and continues to cause enormous trouble in Shetland. This is mostly at the domestic and semi-hidden level and should not be ignored. I do not think that trying to attack the situations where it is actually playing a positive "hey-ho!" role helps address the societal downsides.

[Styles]

They only made exemption for UHA and New Year as they knew that they would not get the bye law approved otherwise.

[Ghostrider]

This is mostly at the domestic and semi-hidden level and should not be ignored. I do not think that trying to attack the situations where it is actually playing a positive "hey-ho!" role helps address the societal downsides.

 

But surely the ban on drinking in public only serves to encourage an increase in drinking on a domestic and semi-hidden level. I would tend to argue that the same reasoning applies that applies to the opposition to CCTV, folk don't drink less, they just move round the corner. So really it achieves nothing unless making a few select areas look "prettier", and hassle a few folk that were doing and very probably would have done no harm.

[EM]

^

Yep. That is also how I see it. Obviously problem drinking occurs in both domestic and public situations just as jovial drinking applies to both locations, so I'm not saying that domestic drinking is essentially bad. I would say, though, that trying to cut back on good natured community based social drinking is bonkers.

[Bigdave]

Interesting,

 

the OIC, have said that the proposed law won't be enforced for New Year the Ba, or for Blackenings, but this leads me to the question if someone is done for this, and they refuse to pay the fine, if they take it to court, shurly all they need to do is shout "discrimination" or "victimization", because the law is not being enforced for everybody all the time. If they can point out a single blackening group that was not arrested, a half deacent solicitor should get them off I would have thought!

 

Has anything like this been tried in Shetland?

[paulb]

it may well be now.

 

Im not a drinker but i have no problem with those that do. however until people relise the number of Shetlanders that have died or have life ending illness from the heavy drinking up here. That is a fact and banning folks from drinking on the street will not deal with it. banning drinking did not work education seems to be falling on deaf ears so what can be done.

[Styles]

Let people make up their own decisions if they want to drink or not.

[paulb]

to many are dying. doubt you will believe this but more people are admitted up here with drink related illnesses than smoking ones.