Ministry to expand booze-free zones
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The Public Health Ministry will expand the zones where drinking is banned, including factories, state agencies as well as three-wheeled vehicles.
The ministry’s permanent secretary Dr Paijit Warachit, who chaired a meeting with the alcohol-control committee yesterday, said the move was to cut down on deaths from road accidents and criminal activities.
“The Public Health Ministry will propose the regulations to the national alcohol-control policy committee, chaired by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who will consider it on May 16,” he said.
He said another regulation that needed looking into was the one prohibiting the distribution and consumption of alcohol in public areas and pavements, though this ban is already covered by the Land Transport and Land Traffic Acts.
Hence, the ministry would have to forbid drinking in these areas, though this could possibly affect people. For instance, if a person drinking inside a pub walked out with his drink to have a cigarette on the pavement, would this be illegal or not?
Authorities need to clarify this part before issuing the regulation and should hold a public hearing on the subject. Also, the legality of small cocktail stalls has not been discussed.
