Welcome to Canada. I am Canadian. Not Japanese or European, two areas where I know for sure drinking in public is legal (well, maybe not all of Europe). I took a bit to think about this issue as it was just brought up recently as the City of Calgary would like to crack down on beer league sports like baseball, where people are indeed enjoying beer in a public place.
Fair enough, it is illegal to drink in a public place according to the Alberta Liquor and Gaming Act, unless of course it is a licensed public facility, like a sports arena or any other venue that sports a special events license. It isn’t really enforced often, but the bottom line is that it is against the law. Reasonable enough unless you look at what constitutes drinking in public, but somewhat reasonable if you look at why.
It is hard to table thoughts just based on public opinion because that tends to be very polarized. You are either a neo-prohibitionist, or you believe nobody should limit personal freedoms. Fair enough. I agree with points that both sides tend to make. People against alcohol in general tend to have a point in that it is dangerous when people are irresponsible with it, however, the extreme in which they would like alcohol controlled can, in and of itself, be irresponsible as it leaves responsible people like myself stuck in the debris trail of neo-prohibitionism. It curbs irresponsible use of alcohol to a certain extent, but we saw what happened during prohibition.
I am kind of mixed on what the law should look like. I think there is a bottom line to this in that alcohol is a drug to be respected in general and can be dangerous. Beer itself dates back over 10,000 years as a social lubricant in society, but certainly isn’t immune to its fair share of abuse (possibly less so than spirits but I would reserve that discussion for another day). The reality is that beer has been part of society for longer than society as we know it, and there is a mature flavor and an element of refreshment that it can bring (depending on the style).
Personally, I am a big fan of beer, more-so than many other drinks, not because of alcohol, but because if the diverse flavors in beer, and I do like the taste of fermented malted grains and hops over a sugar loaded iced tea, lemon water or cola any day of the week. I would have no problem with people drinking in public, but like anything, I don’t like to see it abused.
To many, regardless of my thoughts on beer as a whole, others just see it as a vessel for alcohol. This thought is evident in both alcohol abusers, as well as the neo-prohibitionists that simply want to see alcohol banned. I only wish that weren’t the case because it breeds all-around irresponsibility. I don’t really have an answer to what some peoples concerns are with drinking in public other than to understand that not all of us wish to abuse alcohol in public, urinate on the sidewalk and fornicate in the bushes. I would be happy to enjoy a couple pints in a park with friends, enjoy a beer league game or relax on the lake with a few beers, but I am responsible, know my limits and am courteous to those around me.
I wish the same could be said for others, otherwise I wouldn’t be writing about it.
I don’t have any issues with adults drinking beer around kids, as long as they are doing it responsibly. I don’t have any problems with anyone drinking beer anywhere period, as long as it is done in a responsible manner. I will admit that the idea of drinking in public while in Japan felt odd, but nobody has a problem with someone buying a beer from a vending machine and drinking it on their way home. Drinking box wine in Yoyogi park with thousands of other including children enjoying the atmosphere? Not a big deal. Crazy, I know, but the onus always fall on the individual to be responsible.
Being responsible is the key. Like many things, those of us who are responsible are penalized because of those who aren’t.
