PHILIPSBURG--The police have been confronted recently with persons who were highly intoxicated at establishments where alcohol is sold, and had to intervene in situations that had gotten out of hand, according to a police press release.\r\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n
On many occasions the persons involved were so intoxicated that they could not be reasoned with and had to be taken to the police station to sober up. The police remind owners/managers of businesses where alcohol is legally sold and/or served to be aware of the consequences when alcohol is sold or served to individuals in violation of the law.\r\n
The release said persons should take the following into account: Punishable is he who sells or serves alcohol to a person or persons in an apparent state of intoxication or under the influence of other mind-altering agents, or to a child under 16 years of age; or who forces someone or forcefully threatens someone to consume alcohol or other mind-altering agents.\r\n
The regulations can be found in Article 2:213 section 1 of the Penal Code.\r\n
Public drunkenness – an individual or individuals clearly being under the influence of alcohol in public – is also in violation of the law (Article 3:662 of the Penal Code). The use of alcoholic beverages is not in itself a criminal offence. The user is only in violation of the law if he or she gets drunk and is in that drunken state in public.\r\n
Drunkenness must not occur in a public place. A public place is a place that is accessible to all. Examples of public places are public roads, bars, restaurants, hotels, shops, boats, and all other places accessible to the public.A person is drunk if he or she is so under the influence of alcohol (not any type of medication) that he/she has no permanent control over his/her actions and anyone can observe the obvious drunkenness.\r\n
To prevent this trend from becoming worse, and mainly in the interest of public order and safety, the police will be tackling this situation immediately and will be holding those accountable for any violation of the law.\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
Source: Daily Herald \n\t\t\t\tPolice to go after drunks and bars "
