Two convenient shops at city center are applying machine to test customers who look drunk. We asked people’s opinions around there.
©wessexfm.com
Drunk people could be tested by shopkeepers at city centre through breathalyser under the permission of South Wales Police, but facing criticism.
It is being criticized that, two spar convenient shops at Queen Street and St Mary Street respectively have begun to breathalyzing the drunk customers to decide whether they could buy more alcohol according to Wales Online report.
Kevin Smith, doctor from Cardiff University’s School of Social Sciences told Wales Online: “I appreciate and understand a barman at a pub cutting somebody off. But in Spar, particularly in regards to rough sleepers – it’s a bit strange because it’s an extension of police behaviour – a form of surveillance.”
On the other hand, Divisional Commander for Cardiff, Chief Superintendent Belinda Davies told Wales Online: “Complaints from visitors, residents and businesses around the number of people begging and undertaking alcohol related anti-social behavior within the city center have increased in recent months.” This report asked people’s opinions on breathalyzing at shops.
Senthilvel K.S.S. Nathan, PHD (Veterinary Medicine) at Cardiff University
Overall I don’t think people really drink too much in Cardiff. It is a good idea to breathalyzing drunk people, because they could be a problem. However, I don’t think there is a drinking problem that need to be tackled.
Carsten Muller, Senior Lecturer of Cardiff University
Not necessary,I don’t think there is a problem, it is part of the UK culture. There is a land law to let the shop refuse to sell alcohol to drunk people, but don’t need to formalize the breathalyzing, because the level of alcohol is not necessary correlated with the behavior. We need evidence to show that if there is a correlation between increasing incidents and alcohol.
Chris, Magazine seller
I do think people drink too much in Cardiff but lots of people drink for sleep. It might be a good idea to stop selling alcohol to the people who are over-limit, but the shop keeper don’t have right to breathalyzing customers. If this guy is going to drive a car you need to stop them, however there are no evidence showing that every drunk people would be connected to bad behavior.
Dylan, monk
Life is hard and alcohol could bring happiness to those people. But that is not real happiness, people should turn to high taste and they could gain happiness from spirit. So It is not good to solve problem by buying breathalyzers to test the people but help them in different way like yoga and meditation.
Carol Jones: right, Arts audience developer; Sean Leach: left, Alcohol license holder
Sean Leach: Breathalyze people, how they gonna do that? Basically I agree to breathalyzing people, but do they have good training to decide by subjects’ apparent and Behavior? Probably it could do with homeless culture, one leaving to another. So government cannot solve one without another.
Carol Jones: Would you get consent form somebody who is drunk? You are not a police, you cannot ask people for consent since you are not professional.