90 Years of Government Oppression: The BC Liquor Laws

[huenthar]

Were any of you blaming the riots on alcohol even there last night? Sure there were lots of suburban kids who came in to join in the spectacle, and lots of them were a little drunk... but there were more than a few other people there who had come out long earlier with the intention of starting a riot. I had been helping prevent a couple of the new co-op smart cars from getting flipped and torched (one was anyways, some damage to a couple of others) - and the dirtbags on the other side of the car were stone cold sober. Ditto for many others that I was filming.

[flight_from_kamakura]

on the riots, yeah, it's a culture thing, for sure. there's a certain violent type that comes into town and sees the city as a sort of playground. at that point, a greater availability of alcohol really couldn't have done anything to stop or encourage it - would these violent suburbans have rioted more had they been more drunk? would the ones that didn't riot have rioted? if so, why would alcohol summon some violent rage from deep within? it's all about the way these creeps are raised in their towns and families, and very little about the relative merits of obtaining beer from a liquor store or from a shop.

as for the question of government revenue, let's watch how it develops in manitoba over the coming months. i agree that the way the government went last time was totally silly - hand a portion of the government retail monopoly to a small number of well-financed private monopolies, whilst retaining the distribution monopoly... then stop suddenly when you realize that you've just kneecapped a robust revenue stream. typical first term gordo. anyway, in the next round, it would be nice to see the bcl retain liquor sales, along with some/most wines (on the saq model) and devolve vqa and beer sales entirely to the private or semi-private sector. that's the way!

[crazyjoeda]

- Today in BC, and unlike most of the rest of the world, it is still illegal to consume alcohol in a public place such as a park. BC citizens cannot legally enjoy a glass of wine while enjoying a picnic.

I find this law to be especially ridiculous. I understand why public drinking on streets such as the Granville Entertainment District should not be permitted, but enjoying a beer with friends on a beach or sharing a bottle of wine at a picnic should be legal as it is in many other places around the world. Smoking cigarettes on public beaches and it parks causes more problems but only recently has that been made illegal. The government should modernize our archaic liquor laws.

Perhaps if the police focused on spotting an arresting trouble makers during game 7 instead of blaming alcohol as the simple solution to stop trouble last weeks riot could have been prevented.

[LeftCoaster]

I think we proved last week there are a great deal of canadians who are not ready for the responsibilities of drinking in public yet.

[invisibleairwaves]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

I think we proved last week there are a great deal of canadians who are not ready for the responsibilities of drinking in public yet.

Alternatively, you could spin the riots as proof that our archaic laws do not achieve their desired result and only inconvenience well-meaning law-abiding citizens.

Truth is, many of the rioters were sober at the time, and blaming public drunkenness is merely a convenient excuse for more stringent but ultimately futile regulations.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

I think we proved last week there are a great deal of canadians who are not ready for the responsibilities of drinking in public yet.

The events of last week also proved the futility of our archaic drinking laws. It showed that such laws are useless in preventing things like riots and have no efficacy in maintaining public order. Thus, far from proving the worth of such laws, the events of last week destroyed the main argument for them.

EDIT: Looks like someone beat me to the same point.

[Stingray2004]

It is still illegal to carry liquor across provincial borders (a criminal offence with possible imprisonment). Canadians cannot legally return from a vacation in another province with any alcohol.

This little nugget still irks me.

Napa Valley North, aka the Okanagan Valley, is littered with AB license plates throughout the summer. And they enjoy the OK wineries just like the rest of us.

And they purchase a bottle... or two... or a case of vino to bring back home to AB. And that's a criminal offense. Go figure!

[sync]

alberta privatized retail but not distribution.

[Distill3d]

Related to both the riots and liquor laws:

‎2004 Calgary Flames Stanley Cup Run - Worst thing to happen: Drunk girls, aged 16 - 23 responded to the chants "Flames in 6, show your tits!" and "Shirts off for Kiprusoff!" by lifting there shirts and baring their breasts.

2006 Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup Run - Worst thing to happen: Drunken revelers took wood from bus benches across Whyte Ave were made into one pile, then lit on fire! Drunk fans roasted marshmellows and wieners (purchased legally at Safeway), until the fire department came and put the fires out.

2011 Vancouver Canucks Stanley Cup Run - Worst thing to happen: City Hall banned the sale of alcohol after 4pm at all downtown liquor stores. 5000 idiots ruined our city.

I'd think its time to re-evaluate the liquor laws here for sure.

Especially considering in Alberta you can drink in bars at 18, and buy booze until 2:30 am 7 days a week. I hate saying it, but BC's run by Mormon's compared to our bible thumping neighbors to the east.