Farmington Ban on Alcohol (Clovis, Gallup: house, camp, to live)

[RKW]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Remind me not to visit Farmington anytime soon...

Nita

Why? Were you planning on buying cheap high-gravity beer and going on a multi-day binge?

[RKW]

Street inebriates gravitate to communities that enable their behavior. Gallup, New Mexico improved their problem by making their town less accomodating to drunks. Shelters that recieved community funds were required to provide information to determine if they were actually helping, or just recycling the same old drunks over and over. Gallup also created city ordinances that prevented the sales of high gravity beers and other cheap highs. The police became very aggressive in the enforcement of shoplifting of mouthwashes and other intoxicants. Eventually word got out that Gallup was not the place to be a drunk. Did the drunks drift off to other towns like Farmington? Yes, but in the end, the Gallup city council and Mayor's obligation is to their community and to provide a safe place for their OWN citizens. Farmington's ban is a step in the right direction.

[BrianH]

Originally Posted by RKW

Why? Were you planning on buying cheap high-gravity beer and going on a multi-day binge?

Nowhere does the OP state cheap high gravity beer. It says high gravity beer. This does not affect drunks in any way aside from the fact the have to switch beer. Do you think a drunk will say "Dang, I cant get my MD2020 I need to quit drinking" ?

If I lived there all my Import beers would be gone too. THey are 11% and cost around $10 a bottle. Its a beer but it would fall under that law.

[Tim Rankin]

Years ago when I lived in NC, we used to complain about the req'd low alcohol beer they served. We used to call it three-point-oh beer, but reading this article it looks like the limit was closer to 6%.

Anyway it looks like NC just did the opposite of Farmington, and are raising the limits [it also said 5 other states still limit the percentage limits for alcohol, but didn't specify which ones].

North Carolina panel approves bill to raise alcohol content in beer. - Free Online Library

[HTC]

I personally would like all of San Juan County become a dry County. I live in Farmington and alcohol is a Major Major prolem. Plus Drugs. I have an even stonger Hate for Drug Dealers. But Our lcal govrnment has to many people involved with that issue for the money and control...

Gordon

[Minathebrat]

A dry county! >shudder<

I've found that most people who hate the idea of illegal drugs is because of the criminal element. If this country legalized drugs, and had a legal drug trade, you would see the criminal element dry up, or become legitimate, or both.

I also believe adult citizens have the right to decide what to intake into their own bodies, and bear the full consequences of both good and bad decisions. If public drunkenness is the issue, then enforce the laws against public drunkenness, but we're not kids, and Papa Gov does not need to start banning things "for our own good".

[BrianH]

Who exactly does a dry county achieve ?

[tecpatl]

I don't think a dry county is the answer, Brian, but I do support the ban on cheapo high alcohol beer and wine. I saw significant changes in Gallup when similar regulations were enacted, but it can't be just simple selective prohibition. Along with the hooch changes there needs to be aggressive enforcement of drunk laws, whether in a vehicle or just hanging onto a lamp post. Also, and probably more importantly, there needs to be tough, no nonsense treatment of the drunks. This isn't cheap, so it's the last things a town wants to pay for, but it works. Gallup still has problems, God knows, and will always have an issue. But it's far less, in so many ways, than years ago when liquor dealers controlled the city council.

[BrianH]

Laws need to be enforced. But what makes somebody think that if somebody wants a high alcohol beer they wont get it ? Sure they can get a 30 pack of Bud instead, results are the same. I think it is a foolish way for the council to pat themslves on he back on a job well done when in fact they actually avoided the problem altogether. I love a bottle of Chimay which would be included in the high alcohol beer that they want. Far from a cheap beer, I could prolly buy a 30 pack of Bush for cheaper. What is a high alcohol wine ? Will they ban Meade too ?

[highdesertmutz]

sounds like the denial of constitutional rights, but I don't know anywhere in it, that it says people have a right to drink or get drunk. but anyway, my bro and I used to feast upon mad dog 20/20 as youngsters. maybe the city council or county diplomats are trying to clean up an image problem. may look good on paper, but aren't cops doing other things, like writing speeding tickets? I condone public drunkeness as long as the ones drunk aren't driving. let 'em get falling down drunk and break their faces, maybe they'll think twice about getting too soused next time.
besides that, instead of stopping at 6 bottles of high octane stuff, they'll just drink 20 cans of 3.2.

Originally Posted by Minathebrat

So I read that the Farmington City Council has voted to ban what they call "high gravity" - or alcohol content over 7.9%, beer and wine in an effort to curb public drunkenness.

Apparently microbrews and things like sherry and corked wine are not included, so it appears that the ban is going after the cheap stuff.

What do you think?


-I wanted to add that I'm generally pretty opposed to government imposing it's will on a population. Prohibition didn't work, I don't believe the endless resource-sucking pit called the "war on drugs" is working, and I'm pretty sure this is going to have unforeseen side effects.