With a dual aim of boosting the economy and maintaining public safety, the Ministry of Public Health plans to put forth a proposal stipulating that nightlife venues wishing to extend their operating hours would need to conduct breathalyzer tests on patrons who appear excessively inebriated. It’s a step taken in the spirit of social responsibility and public safety in an attempt to reconcile economic stimulation with the preservation of public health and order, as indicated by Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew.
Indeed, venues which notice a patron extremely high on spirits might indeed be required to ensure their safe return home, possibly even by using transportation services. This proposal is the brainchild of a special working group established to facilitate the smooth execution of the government’s strategy to extend the operation hours of bars and nightclubs, while simultaneously ensuring the interest of public health is not compromised.
Interestingly, this ingenious measure is not unique to this context. There are Western countries that have already implemented similar strategies to improve the safety of their patrons and the general public. The extended opening hours are slated to come into effect on December 15 in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, and Phuket, allowing these establishments in the special designated zones to sell alcohol until 4am.
To assuage fears related to the statistically proven increase in traffic accidents linked to alcohol consumption, Minister Cholnan assures that necessary measures will be introduced to combat this issue. Once approved by the government, the Ministry will utilize the provisions in the 2008 Alcoholic Beverages Control Act to enforce this digital vigilance, inclusive of making it mandatory for nightlife venues to conduct breathalyzer tests on customers who seem excessively intoxicated.
If a patron’s blood alcohol content surpasses the legal limit of 0.05%, these establishments will be prohibited from allowing such customers to drive. As a part of the law, the sale of alcohol to excessively drunk individuals is also banned. Establishments flouting these regulations might have to face penalties since the Ministry holds legal authority to ensure the health and safety of both those who imbibe alcohol and those who don’t.
The multitude of considerations factored into this measure also reflect the Ministry’s careful approach to handling this subject. They continue to consider other measures to ensure safety, like urging all nightspots in the designated zones to arrange appropriate transportation for overly intoxicated customers, ensuring their safe return home and minimizing the risk of drink-driving incidents. Information pertaining to the potential penalties that non-compliant nightspots could face were not available at the time of reporting.
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