Booze Asbo – Are they a sufficient deterrent to Britain’s binge drinking culture?
Booze Asbo – Are they a sufficient deterrent to
Britain’s binge drinking culture?
16 I 09 I 09
Neil Morgan
New powers have come into
effect on the 1st September
across England and
Wales. These powers enable the police and local authorities
to seek a Drink Banning Order (or booze ASBO) for anyone over the
age of 16 who is behaving in an anti-social or illegal manner
whilst under the influence of alcohol. The purpose of these
new powers is to protect the community from the damage, destruction
and anti social behaviour that so often accompanies drunken
behaviour.
Magistrates and County
Courts will be able to ban individuals under a Drink Banning Order
(DBO) from specified premises or areas for up to two years, with
fines up to £2,500 for a breach of the order. The DBO
duration can be flexible if the individual agrees to attend a
Positive Behaviour Intervention Course.
The effectiveness of
these powers will largely depend on those charged with their
enforcement, not only in initially securing the orders, but also
actively enforcing the orders should they be breached.
Powers to protect people from persons who engage in criminal
and / or disorderly conduct whilst under the influence of alcohol
must be encouraged. However it remains to be seen whether
these particular powers will act as a sufficient deterrent to stop
people from engaging in drink related anti-social behaviour or
whether they will simply displace unruly individuals from one end
of town to the other.
Do they really add
anything to current Anti Social Behaviour Orders/ Anti Social
Behaviour injunctions which can currently be
sought/obtained preventing the same type of behaviour? Are
these powers really an effective method of dealing with the growing
issues associated with the binge drinking culture as seen in City
Centres across the UK on a Friday and Saturday night? We are also
seeing an increased number of cases of drink related anti-social
behaviour in under 16’s and these powers do not assist in
alleviating this problem.
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