New program launched to deal with problem drinkers downtown
Posted Sep 27, 2011 05:15:56 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
If you plan on drinking under age, getting in fights or causing any other kind of trouble downtown after November 1st, you could find yourself facing a lifetime ban at most – if not all – bars and clubs in Halifax.
A program to try and curb alcohol-fueled issues and violence downtown has been launched by the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia.
The Patron Accountability Safety and Service, or “PASS” program will have about 20 bars and clubs signed on when the program starts.
Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia Executive Director Gordon Stewart explains that if you’re caught with a fake ID, for example, you will face a six month ban for every establishment associated with the program.
“If you’re caught being violent it could be an automatic year suspension and if were a more serious crime like carrying arms or something like that you could be banned for life.”
Gordon says offenders will be added to a database shared by all the bars and clubs after an incident report is filled out.
“It’s loaded into out secure database system and regurgitated back to the industry, ‘this is the latest update.’ a minimum amount of information will be collected, but basically it will be the name, the violation and how long they’re banned for.”
He says it’s a pilot project and what we see now won’t be the final solution.
“We’ll review the program, take a look at it, tweak it if we have to and try to push it forward right across Nova Scotia.”
Dirty Nelly’s Irish Pub owner Joe McGuinness says it’s unfortunate, but in his experience most of the incidents are caused by young people.
“They’re coming away to college, we’re known as a college destination, and a lot of these individuals have freedom, they’re getting away from home,” he says. “Unfortunately they find themselves in a situation where they’re free to do what they want when they want to do it and all of a sudden they’re thrown into a situation where they can get cheap drinks, or happy hours, or late night cabarets that keep them going and allow them the opportunity to consume alcohol.”
He says there needs to be consequences for people who can’t follow the rules or control themselves.
“Unfortunately if they’re not willing as adults to accept that responsibility for themselves, then collectively we have to do something.”
Halifax Regional Police Superintendent Don Spicer says police are partners in the program, but he assures officers won’t have access to the information gathered and stored.
A similar program is already in place in Amherst as well as Vancouver.
