Drink laws - Reforms smack of Big Brother

ROOTING out the drunken violence besetting Irish society is a laudable and desirable objective. But there is an overly zealous whiff to aspects of tough laws due to come into effect next week with the aim of restricting excessive drinking.

From Monday, if a drunken person seeks entry to a bar or licensed premises, he or she will face a €300 fine. Similarly, a drunken person will be fined for refusing to leave a licensed premises on request by the licensee or the gardaí. A garda may arrest without warrant any person committing either of these offences. In future, plain-clothes gardaí will be permitted to enter pubs. Previously, they had to be uniformed.

Broadly speaking, Justice Minister Michael McDowell can be assured of public support for laws designed to tackle drunken and disorderly behaviour. But some measures which the minister yesterday signed into law are bound to cause unease. What happens if, for instance, someone gets drunk at a wedding? Or at a 21st birthday party? Or after an all-Ireland final? Temperance is admirable, but there is a whiff of moral intolerance in the air.