Many “unwanted” responses to a public park survey called on the city to relax alcohol rules and prompt the municipality to explore the idea, he told Cross Country Checkup. Last summer, a pilot program was launched that legalized the consumption of wine, beer and spirits at 58 designated picnic spots in Calgary. It proved to be a success, with more than 1,500 table reservations, according to city numbers. “There is this idea that, perhaps, if we do not put these things in a dark corner and call them bad and really enjoy them in moderation and integrate them into a healthy society, we will be better off collectively,” Carra said. , who represents Calgary’s Ward 9. Calls for relaxation of rules on alcohol consumption in public places have increased in recent years, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic that necessitates outdoor concentration. Calgary expanded its pilot program in May and other cities are reflecting its approach. This spring, Vancouver and Edmonton expanded similar programs that began last year. All three cities limit alcohol consumption between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. In Vancouver, public beaches and park facilities, such as playgrounds and swimming pools, are off-limits to alcoholics. The city of Calgary expanded its alcohol program in parks last month. Guests will be allowed to drink alcohol in designated picnic areas, such as the one pictured, in parks throughout the city. (Mike Simington) However, critics of the idea say it could lead to inappropriate – and potentially unsafe – behavior, such as alcohol-related violence and vandalism. Toronto City Council voted last month to ban the consumption of beverages in parks, asking staff to further study the issue and report on 2023. “I’ve heard from a lot of people complaining about things happening in our city parks that are annoying and a problem for the community, and some of them are fueled by alcohol abuse,” said Stephen Holyday, a city councilor. section 3 of Toronto. in an interview with Checkup. “The way I thought about it is that it seems to be a solution to a problem.”
Issue of share capital for those who do not have an outside space
Proponents say banning alcohol in public parks is a matter of justice, especially in Canada’s urban centers, where many people live in small apartments with little or no space for socializing. “The question is really whether the city is imagined as a place where the vast majority of people have spacious courtyards; or whether we realize that in places like Toronto, many people live in tiny apartments and may not even have a balcony, and so may they need to be socialized in parks, ”says Mariana Valverde, a professor of criminology at the University of Toronto. But Holyday argues that changing the law to allow alcohol consumption in parks would open the door to “something that can create problem behaviors,” such as partying or upsetting other park users, and that legalizing alcohol could make it difficult for regulation officials to curb this behavior. People watch the sunshine late in the day from Riverdale Park East in Toronto in October 2021. Toronto City Councilors voted last month against alcohol permits in parks, leading staff to look into the matter further. (Evan Buhler / The Canadian Press) However, in Toronto, people caught drinking in parks can be fined. Existing laws already cover offenses such as vandalism and violence, said Dan Malleck, a professor of health sciences at Brock University in St. Louis. Catharines, Ont., And specializes in the regulation and prohibition of drugs and alcohol. “There has to be a leap of faith and an acknowledgment that most people will make sense – and also an acknowledgment that if things go wrong, it will not be catastrophic,” he said. Holliday acknowledges that people already drink in parks, despite the laws that oppose it, and that few tickets are issued to those who act responsibly. Choosing cherries when to ticket means that some people benefit from a lack of enforcement, while others, such as those experiencing homelessness, are disproportionately disadvantaged, Valverde warned. “If I went to a park with my family and we shared a bottle of wine with our picnic, I very much doubt that the officers would chase after me.” Critics say opening the door to alcohol consumption in parks could exacerbate alcohol abuse, as well as alcohol-related violence and vandalism. (Ben Nelms / CBC)
Non-alcoholic areas are required
Tim Naimi, director of the University of Victoria’s Canadian Substance Use Research Institute, warned that greater freedom in alcohol consumption could exacerbate alcohol abuse. While advocating “keeping things as they are,” Naimi said he believes more regulation is needed on access to and consumption of alcohol. “There are many good reasons for public health and safety that such laws and decrees have existed from the beginning, and their repeal should also be done with the same care,” he said. Naimi said it was important for the public to have access to non-alcoholic places, even for those who enjoyed the drink. Malleck, who is strongly in favor of relaxing the rules on alcohol consumption in parks, agrees that there should be options and said the drink can be restricted to designated areas and parks. Creating a rule that suits everyone is inherently “undemocratic” for the sake of protecting a minority that would be adversely affected by alcohol or react in problematic ways, he said. “What will happen is that you will have a lot of outraged people doing things that are not necessarily in anyone’s best interest, such as drinking in public without regulation and displaying other rules.” Written by Jason Vermes, with archives by Steve Howard and Abby Plener.
