Extending the ban on alcohol in Paceville streets to other localities and village feasts has been discussed and has not been excluded, The Times has been told.

Comments posted on timesofmalta.com have called for the consumption of alcohol in public to be outlawed even at festas and in other localities, following the issuing of a bye-law earlier this month which prohibits the consumption of alcohol in public places in Paceville.

Philip Fenech, the president of the tourism, hospitality and leisure division of the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprise - GRTU, one of the main promoters of the bye-law, said Paceville was considered a pilot project. It had been chosen because it was active 365 days a year and because of its mixed-business scenario - it was not just an entertainment mecca.

The introduction of the ban would be "studied, with the possibility of extending it to other localities and village feasts, where needed, and without, of course, killing the ambience and the celebratory, fun aspect," he said.

Paceville had the "biggest problems", said Josef Formosa Gauci, CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority, which introduced the alcohol ban. While the village feasts were not an issue the MTA went into, he did not exclude the discussion and extension of the ban into other localities if the need was felt. However, he expressed caution when it came to applying it to public events.

The bye-law, aimed at restoring order in the "lawless" nightlife zone and improving the tourism product, has been considered more of a means to kill it - and run the bottle shops out of business - in other comments posted on timesofmalta.com.

While its introduction was welcomed by some, it was also maintained that the bars and clubs would benefit the most by pulling away the crowds that hang out around the confectioners, selling alcohol at cheaper prices.

"The GRTU has no right to stop us from buying from the more advantageous bottle shops, instead of their bars," one person remarked.

"Getting drunk in the streets is not good for Malta's image, whereas having the police harass tourists because they buy drinks from cheaper outlets should work wonders," was another sarcastic comment.

While the MTA, the GRTU and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association have insisted the new rule is aimed at cleaning up Paceville's act to improve the island's image, comments predicted a detrimental effect on the industry.

Malta was competing with other summer destinations, such as Ibiza, where nightlife was "wilder", and other "draconian measures", such as clubs closing at 4 a.m., were scaring away tourists, who were told Malta was a party island.

But the industry perceives the matter from the completely opposite point of view. Mr Formosa Gauci insisted that in other countries, people do not drink on doorsteps, in the middle of the road and on pavements.

"Bars that have outside tables and chairs on their parapets are more than free to continue operating; we just want to stop those running around drunk with bottles in the streets," he insisted.

A bottle shop, he explained, has the licence of a confectionary, allowing it to sell alcohol until 9 p.m. "The bye-law is not going to change anything. If they want to become bars, there is no problem. They just need the space inside and the appropriate facilities."

Mr Fenech also denied that the move was a "smokescreen" in favour of clubs and bars, saying some bottle shop owners were also GRTU members.

He reiterated that the bye-law was aimed at conditioning consumer behaviour patterns, which saw youths drinking - and even vomiting - on car bonnets, private porches and outside hotels.

"The problem is not the selling of alcohol from bottle shops; people gravitate with alcohol even between bars and nightclubs... The confectioners should not be affected if they are abiding by the law," he said.

Mr Fenech also denied that all alcoholic beverages in Paceville bars and clubs were "scandalously" expensive. The market varied, he said, depending on location, investment, the service and the sort of a crowd the club attracted, with many offering vouchers for cheap deals.

"The point is that, at the end of a night, Paceville looks like the aftermath of a concert, with the leftovers of bottles and glass," he said, referring to the environmental aspect of drinking in the streets.

Mr Fenech insisted that the issue did not start from the GRTU, but from the two committees that looked into complaints from tourists, residents and other Maltese. They had observed that those drinking in such pockets were young - possibly underage.

"Who would want to spend a night sitting on a pavement drinking alcohol if not kids? No adult would find that amusing," he said, highlighting that the ban was also targeting underage drinking.

Those in favour also pointed out in their comments on the website that the negative reactions were mainly posted by underage youths, who appeared to be most affected by the law.

Although they agreed with it, some, however, were not convinced of its enforcement, likening the situation to the smoking ban, which was described as a "farce".

In fact, the crafty Maltese have already found a way to drink alcohol undetected: storing alcoholic drinks in plastic containers of non-alcoholic beverages. They could even end up drinking in the areas that are not on the list of Paceville streets where alcohol, or beverages in glass containers cannot be consumed.

Enforcement would by no means be an easy task and was not foolproof, both the MTA and the GRTU concurred, advocating a practical approach. After all, where is the line drawn in bars that have outdoor areas, with patrons spilling onto the streets?

"People will find a way around every law, but if we manage to control a big part of it, it is already something," Mr Formosa Gauci said.