Public drinking in BC??

[Dizzy1]

JLives ... Since you and your ciders are already routinely breaking the "consuming in public" laws I see no reason that there is anything to discuss. I hope that, in fairness to the community, you put your cider in a unmarked drinking container so as not to encourage others to do the same ??

I disagree - she shouldn't hide it, in fact, I encourage more to do the same in the hopes that such archaic laws are changed in favour of the responsible majority.

[Donald G]

Donald G wrote:
JLives ... Since you and your ciders are already routinely breaking the "consuming in public" laws I see no reason that there is anything to discuss. I hope that, in fairness to the community, you put your cider in a unmarked drinking container so as not to encourage others to do the same ??

Unread postby Dizzy1 » Yesterday, 9:07 pm
I disagree - she shouldn't hide it, in fact, I encourage more to do the same in the hopes that such archaic laws are changed in favour of the responsible majority.

WADR no matter what the laws are regarding alcohol there will be a percentage of people who disagree with such laws.

The police used to keep tabs on whether alcohol or drugs were or were not a contributing factor or being used by the offender in the commission of any crime. The ongoing results lead me to believe that there are far more problems associated to alcohol than your comment would suggest.

I believe you will find that a number of past annual celebrations have had to be cancelled due to unacceptable behavior enabled by alcohol and drugs.

[rustled]

"Responsible' people drinking alcohol enjoy the camaraderie of sharing something they like to do - have a drink and talk about 'stuff' in a friendly manner - something like smokers do in the smoke pits outside grocery stores and here and there throughout the city or environs. 'Responsible drinkers' can carry on for hours and cause no social problems. Whether it is on the beach, in the parks or areas around campsites. They tend to avoid or get rid of 'irresponsible drinkers' -those guzzling booze and getting aggressive. Unfortunately those few irresponsible drinkers wreck it for the vast majority of us who find imbibing alcohol in different social settings enjoyable and relaxing.

Exactly.

We can let the few irresponsible drinkers wreck it for the vast majority, or we can leave the responsible folk to enjoy themselves and focus enforcement efforts on public intoxication, which is where the real problem has always been. It seems quite a stretch to me that more people will up and turn themselves into inebriated ass-hats just because it's legal to have a glass of wine on the beach.

[rustled]

...
I believe you will find that a number of past annual celebrations have had to be cancelled due to unacceptable behavior enabled by alcohol and drugs.

I think you're conflating two different issues, though. What we'd like is for people to be able to enjoy a drink or two in a park or on the beach without breaking the law to do so. You're lumping them in with people who are of the party-hard mindset.

I've watched lots of people over the years have a drink or two on the beach quite without bothering anyone, and it seems silly to me to have a law saying they can't do that.

Maintaining that law isn't going to stop the party-hard people. Is your fear that they'll see this law as encouragement? It doesn't seem to me that these folk need any encouragement at all, they're already breaking the laws around public intoxication.

[Donald G]

If society eases the law for the majority of "good" people the abusers simply take advantage of it. That goes for many things in life. Home growing medical marijuana that has led to criminals and their lawyers completely corrupting the intent of the laws is a classic example.

[Ken7]

I agree, and public drinking in certain special areas should not just be restricted to designated areas of cities. I've got a major river right out my backdoor, and a beautiful lake two blocks from my house. It's technically illegal right now for me to sit on the river bank or the beach at the lake with a picnic lunch and a bottle of wine or a couple cold brews. Same thing when I'm camping at one of our many provincial camp grounds, I've always thought it was dumb to only be allowed to drink in my camp site, but not at the beach within sight of my campsite. The goofy thing is, I can anchor my row boat ten feet from shore and legally drink because once you're on the water you fall under federal jurisdiction, the exception being you can't operate a motor boat if you're impaired...

You are not correct with that. Your row boat is not capable of being your dwelling. The RCMP made bad media coverage on that, but your canoe too is unlawful to drink in.

Other then that I agree they could change the laws. For the first while, I can see many complications but in time it would work.

I still think people drink in many public spaces today and due to lack of enforcement it is working. Like anything you have the odd incident of stupid people on booze.

[Hurtlander]

I just spent two months in a country where public intoxcication is extremely frowned upon by the authorities who you definitely don't want to mess with. But social public social drinking is totally acceptable, I never saw any acts of public obnoxious drunken behaviour in public areas during the day, but I did witness intoxicated people coming out of night clubs late at night clubs just as we see here in Canada...
As far as various venues being canceled here because of the threat of public intoxication, most of that bad behaviour is young people combining pharmaceutical recreational party drugs with liquor. The average family enjoying a few cold adult beverages while spending the day at the beach is not a problem.

[rustled]

If society eases the law for the majority of "good" people the abusers simply take advantage of it. ....

As Ken7 suggests, there will probably be an initial period of this happening. I don't think, though, that the bad behaviour of a few is a good enough reason for keeping this law on the books. I'd rather see beefed-up enforcement around the real problem (public intoxication) anyway.

The law should better reflect the society it represents. If as a society we do feel it's acceptable for adults to drink but we don't find public intoxication acceptable, the laws should properly reflect those values. Like the society Hurtlander references above.

[Hurtlander]

You are not correct with that. Your row boat is not capable of being your dwelling. The RCMP made bad media coverage on that, but your canoe too is unlawful to drink in.
.

Yes, you are likely correct. My information came from something on the news last year that said it was only illegal to operate a power boat while under the influence, passengers were exempt, and non-power boats were exempt, but only if you were drinking in a single boat which is considered a private space, if boats are tied together or moored to a dock or beached they then become a public space..anyways, there was a long thread about it somewhere here on the forum.
Who would have thought the local new would get the facts wrong....

[Donald G]

http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/lclb/LLinBC/basics.htm

Liquor and boating
Since boats operate on public waterways, liquor may only be consumed in boats or other water craft if the vessel is licensed or it is being used as a residence. In this case, residents and their guests may consume liquor in the cabin or on the deck of their boat.

Having open liquor and drinking liquor in open vessels, small water craft, or vessels which are not equipped to be living quarters is not allowed.

Operating or assisting to operate a vessel or having the care and control of a vessel while impaired by alcohol or with a blood alcohol level more than .08 (eighty milligrams of alcohol in one hundred millilitres of blood) is a criminal offence. The same rules which prohibit driving while impaired apply to vessels.

Persons using smaller vessels for a special event, such as a day charter by a social club for its members, may obtain a Special Occasion Licence to allow for the sale and service of liquor to the participants.

Cruise ships and larger motor vessels that ply scheduled routes or travel from one destination to another may be licensed if they provide a service that, while primarily marine oriented, is consistent with the services provided by other sectors of the hospitality industry (for example, luncheon and dinner cruises).

[Ken7]

Yes, you are likely correct. My information came from something on the news last year that said it was only illegal to operate a power boat while under the influence, passengers were exempt, and non-power boats were exempt, but only if you were drinking in a single boat which is considered a private space, if boats are tied together or moored to a dock or beached they then become a public space..anyways, there was a long thread about it somewhere here on the forum.
Who would have thought the local new would get the facts wrong....

That is where I suggest the RCMP FAILED dearly. It gave people the impression it was OK to hop in your canoe and paddle to the beach with two cases of beer. That is not true. You must be able to cook, washroom facility and sleep on your vessel.

Sorry to be off topic, but before too many more people think its all good! I wanted to make it clear it is not ok to go in your "row boat" and drink. It is still against the law to be impaired by alcohol or drug and operate a vessel.

[Hurtlander]

http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/lclb/LLinBC/basics.htm

Liquor and boating
Since boats operate on public waterways, liquor may only be consumed in boats or other water craft if the vessel is licensed or it is being used as a residence. In this case, residents and their guests may consume liquor in the cabin or on the deck of their boat.

Having open liquor and drinking liquor in open vessels, small water craft, or vessels which are not equipped to be living quarters is not allowed.

Operating or assisting to operate a vessel or having the care and control of a vessel while impaired by alcohol or with a blood alcohol level more than .08 (eighty milligrams of alcohol in one hundred millilitres of blood) is a criminal offence. The same rules which prohibit driving while impaired apply to vessels.

Persons using smaller vessels for a special event, such as a day charter by a social club for its members, may obtain a Special Occasion Licence to allow for the sale and service of liquor to the participants.

Cruise ships and larger motor vessels that ply scheduled routes or travel from one destination to another may be licensed if they provide a service that, while primarily marine oriented, is consistent with the services provided by other sectors of the hospitality industry (for example, luncheon and dinner cruises).

Well there you go, passengers can legally drink aboard "licensed" boats. So there you go, it's legal for all the passengers aboard one of the many thousands of pontoon boats here in BC, equipped with a BBQ, cooler chest, port-potty and sleeper seats to drink alcohol. But it's not legal for passengers aboard the 18' deep V fishing boat floating 50' from the pontoon party boat to drink booze. Nobody's gonna convince me that the guys aboard the pontoon boat aren't wizzing in the lake..
Again our drinking laws are archaic and bizarre..

[Donald G]

Unread postby Hurtlander » less than a minute ago

Well there you go, passengers can legally drink aboard "licensed" boats.

WADR read that as licensed as a houseboat or being used as a houseboat

http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/lclb/LLinBC/basics.htm

[Hurtlander]

It gave people the impression it was OK to hop in your canoe and paddle to the beach with two cases of beer.

Just to clarify, you actually can transport unopened alcohol in a canoe or any other type of boat to a marine campsite that you've paid to use, that campsite is your temporary residence.

[Hurtlander]

WADR read that as licensed as a houseboat or being used as a houseboat

http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/lclb/LLinBC/basics.htm

WADR, any boat equipped with a cooking device, a porta potty, and a place to sleep is considered "live aboard" ..