Ban on alcohol in Paceville streets

Alcohol consumption in the streets of Paceville has been prohibited by law, with those caught in breach risking a fine of €65.

Consumers are being told of this through signs that are starting to mushroom in the entertainment mecca, following the recent publication of the Beverages in Glass Containers and Consumption of Alcohol in Public Places bye-laws in the Government Gazette.

The signs inform passers-by that the consumption of alcohol in the streets and of beverages in glass containers outdoors, as well as the carrying of alcohol other than in sealed, unopened containers, is prohibited.

The move stems from numerous complaints of indiscriminate drinking outdoors. The bye-law stipulates that commercial establishments, selling beverages in a list of 30 Paceville streets, have to fix a notice in both Maltese and English in a conspicuous spot, spreading the same message as the street signs.

They must also provide containers made of any material other than glass if the beverage is to be consumed in a public area.

Anyone in breach of these provisions is liable to a fine of €65, and a further €10 for every day that the law continues to be broken (in the case of the commercial establishments).

The ban has been welcomed by the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises - GRTU and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, which expressed its support for the move by the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) and the St Julians local council.

MTA CEO Josef Formosa Gauci described it as "another step in improving the state of product Malta and another means to control the situation.

"We do not want a police state, but we want to upgrade the general level of entertainment in the area. We feel that these students, or youths, drinking out of bottles on the streets outside the front doors of residents is not conducive towards a good product. Hanging out around bottle shops throughout the night and getting drunk in the streets is not giving Malta a good image."

The bye-law, published on August 1, should help ensure that consumers drink in the appropriate venues, and not indiscriminately on the streets, he said.

"The police can enforce it straight away if they want, but we need to raise awareness. It needs to be brought in gradually. Our aim is to improve the product and not just go about fining people," Mr Formosa Gauci said.

As to how the bye-law would go down with bottle shops and their patrons, Mr Formosa Gauci said that, technically, a bottle shop's licence does not allow the selling of alcohol after 9 p.m. "So at the end of the day, if they are abiding by the law, they should not be affected since most of the drinking is done in the evening.

"If they are not abiding by the law, this is simply another means of controlling them."

Mr Formosa Guaci maintained that the vast majority of tourists and locals who frequent Paceville wanted a "good product", which they are comfortable going to.

Moreover, most of the drinking in the streets is by underage youths and needs to be stopped anyway, he said. The president of the GRTU's tourism, hospitality and leisure division, Philip Fenech, said complaints had been filed by tourists, hoteliers and even locals saying the area looked like a "lawless jungle", with pockets of youths sitting on street corners, residents' porches and in front of hotels, making the area look dilapidated.

Having people gravitating is healthy and lends ambience, but sitting on bonnets is another story, Mr Fenech said.

"Nowhere - not even in New York - do you see people drinking on the streets," he said, referring also to the situation in Italy, where similar regulations now apply, resulting in cleaner squares.

From on-site inspections by a committee set up to look into leisure industry regulations and set higher standards, this scenario was considered to be a priority, he continued.

"The area is not just made up of bars for entertainment purposes, but has mixed interests, so it is only fair that it looks more organised," he said.

At this stage, the idea is not necessarily to fine but to build an education campaign for consumers to get used to the fact that loitering with alcohol in hand is not permissible.

"I believe the bye-law will condition people to snap out of this culture," he said, giving the process a couple of weeks before enforcement starts.

Bottle shops know they can sell alcohol to people to take home, but the abuse is coming from the buyer, who consumes it in the street, he added.

English language schools should inform students of the bye-law, Mr Fenech continued.

Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association CEO George Schembri said Malta had suffered bad publicity in overseas media that was damaging the tourism industry and was a cause for concern. He attributed the steep reduction of Spanish students this year to the alcohol abuse on the streets and related complaints that had led the Spanish authorities to issue fewer sponsorships. Mr Schembri called for more signs to be erected in order to raise more awareness and said he hoped that enforcement would be carried out properly.