Legalizing alcohol consumption on beaches is dangerous
The City of Vancouver is allowing those aged 19 and older to drink at seven beaches this summer
Jericho and Kitsilano are just some of the beaches the City of Vancouver is allowing those of age to drink at. (Pexels/Bethany Ferr)
As a young woman of legal drinking age, I enjoy the occasional margarita or spiked lemonade when out to eat with family or friends.
I feel safe drinking in establishments like restaurants because I know the staff are trained to deal with and assist intoxicated patrons if problems or risks to their safety and others arise.
However, this is not the case when I’m out in public. Last month, the City of Vancouver brought back a pilot program that allows those of legal drinking age to consume alcohol at seven Vancouver beaches — Trout Lake, Jericho, Kitsilano, Locarno, New Brighton, Second, and Spanish Banks beaches.
The program will run until Sept. 30, and drinking is allowed from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm each day. I believe this program is dangerous, not only to those drinking on the beaches but also those around them like families with young children.
These beaches are often very crowded already, and adding in intoxicated people with unpredictable behaviour is a recipe for disaster. Luckily, there are lifeguards stationed at each of these beaches to keep an eye out for people in distress, however they are only on duty from noon to 8:00 pm daily, according to the City of Vancouver’s website.
What happens if someone is drinking on the beach at 11:00 am and decides to go swimming when a lifeguard isn’t around? What about after 8:00 pm when there is still an hour left for people to drink and be on these beaches? Once the allotted time for drinking ends, who is going to stop those intoxicated from getting into the driver’s seat?
At establishments such as a restaurant, if the staff deem you are too intoxicated to drive, they have a duty of care to make sure you get home safely by, for example, calling a cab to take you home or having a friend pick you up.
At a public beach, unless there are cabs waiting to pick people up or police monitoring each person coming to and from the beaches, someone who has been drinking can drive away intoxicated, putting themselves and the people around them in danger.
Another issue with alcohol consumption on beaches is that it is easy for underage drinking to occur. Even though the City of Vancouver’s website states “park rangers [will be] regularly patrolling all parks,” that does not mean they will be checking the identifications of every person consuming alcohol.
It is also much easier to hide alcohol on a beach, such as by burying cans in the sand, compared to at a public park where alcohol is more difficult to hide.
Overall, alcohol consumption on public beaches should not be allowed and should only be conducted in controlled and safe spaces such as restaurants and pubs.
