Video: How do Vancouver residents feel about alcohol at the beach?

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      The Georgia Straight recently asked Vancouver beach enthusiasts how they felt about a proposal to allow the consumption of alcohol in parks and on beaches in British Columbia. Here's what they said.

      Comments

      12 Comments

      Angela Squires

      Jul 23, 2013 at 2:58pm

      Perhaps if we allowed more unsupervised drinking in public places we would encourage responsible behaviour and not have riots occur over hockey games. Europe seems to manage public drinking OK.

      Matt

      Jul 23, 2013 at 4:03pm

      ^ What Angela said.

      robsgotit

      Jul 23, 2013 at 5:25pm

      We need to grow up and join the rest of the world. Only in North America have experienced such prudish and provincial rules. Land of the free eh!!

      BUT can Vancouver handle it? Remember what happened when we started allowing nightclubs to open until 4? Remember our riots?

      I think Van people/surrey knobs are gonna booze it like a bunch liquor pigs at an open bar wedding. The police/city hall are gonna freak out and shut it down the first time a granny gets her panties in a knot and feel the need to blow their budget by hiring more cops.

      Or, maybe they will realize it's gonna take a bit of adjusting. Let the kids go crazy until they get it out of their system and it's no big deal.

      Whatever happens, I will continue to drink at the beach and ignore dumb ass rules that are there for dumb ass people that can't control themselves.

      Brian

      Jul 23, 2013 at 7:30pm

      Just arrest people that are excessively drunk and\or making a nuisance of themselves. Perhaps have a "family section" of the beach where drinking isn't allowed.
      Treat the rest of us like adults.

      Liz

      Jul 23, 2013 at 9:06pm

      Just because some people get in car crashes doesn't mean we should ban driving....just saying

      Gary

      Jul 23, 2013 at 10:05pm

      We'll end up with the same stupid drunken rowdiness, yelling, fights, and mayhem that's common in the Granville Street and Yew/ Cornwall bar areas. Fun for the youth who are on their way to alcoholism, but a big fat nuisance for the rest of us.

      The so-called old-fashioned or out-of-date liquor laws came about from having experienced the unpleasant results (nuisance and worse) of uncontrolled boozing and public drunkenness of people who can't handle liquor -- not simply on a prudish Victorian grandma's religious whim. We wouldn't need liquor laws if everyone was capable of moderation on their own. Sadly, that's not the case.

      booze and water don't mix

      Jul 24, 2013 at 9:43am

      Grow up now tell that to a nineteen year old guy or even a 30 year old guy and your still going to find a boozed up kid. Guys take the risks and booze makes them clowns with the heat beating down drying their noodles forgetting how easy it is to drown. RIP: 5 males lost to drowning last week in BC.
      BOOZE is the number one killer how do you have fun with that? More officers on the beach and more hospital beds says its going to cost everyone especially to those who lose a son.

      Jiff

      Jul 24, 2013 at 10:00am

      As long as most of North America equates drinking with partying to the extreme, the louts are going to ruin it for everyone. It's going to be a slow uphill crawl until we can get anywhere near European levels of common sense when it comes to drinking. We're obviously not there yet when words like "party," "slammers," "blast," and "mega" are associated with drinking.

      I'm all for it if they have the resources to quickly quell outdoor lout fests, but I'm guessing they'd be pretty busy.

      Lets give thumbs up to drunk driving and being drunk by noon

      Jul 24, 2013 at 11:15am

      My granddaughter and I just cleaned the river area from a bunch of drunken teens. Branches broken, under ware and other clothing, garbage, beer cans thrown everywhere to drunk to pick up. The lawn chairs were stolen from the neighbors and three full bags of garbage where was left behind along with a ton of empties. Its going to take a fortune for all the policing as BC makes room for more drinking and driving and deaths on the highway for BC youth. Surprising it was the deaths of two young men under the influence that changed the laws in the first place as province comes down on drunk driving. However intoxicated swimming is good for the beer distributor who would be delighted if beach was covered in beer cans by noon. And it was.

      John

      Jul 24, 2013 at 2:25pm

      @Let's give thumbs up...

      But those people behave like swine regardless of bylaws. So because of that I get a massive fine for a quiet beer on a picnic blanket at the beach? Where is the sense in that?

      Let's just have brutal, punishing, party-ending fines for public intoxication and rowdy behavior. And sorry... if some drunk goes and kills themselves by going for a beer-inspired swim, that is tragic, but no reason it should limit the personal liberty of millions.

      "Oh hi, I'm a drunk dumbass, and so you all have to curb your perfectly rational behavior so I don't hurt myself."

      Why not just issue a curfew and give us all spoons?