With St. Patrick's Day this weekend, we touched base with Dianne Norman,聽manager of student conflict resolution at Dal, to debunk some of the common myths students have about local liquor laws.
There are lots of fun activities on the traditional Irish holiday that don't involve drinking at all. (Check out this series of .)
However, if you choose to drink, drink responsibly and respect your neighbours. If you鈥檝e had too much to drink, go home and stay home. The police won鈥檛 be giving any breaks for public drinking and drunkenness 鈥� and that means you could end up paying big if you go overboard.
Thanks to Halifax Regional Police Constable Ilya Nielson, here鈥檚 the skinny on five popular myths about drinking in Halifax:
1. "It鈥檚 legal if my drink is in an opaque cup."
FACT: Walking around in public areas with open liquor is an offence under Section 78(2) of the Liquor Control Act. A red Solo Cup does not make it legal. Fine: $457.41
2. "The Police can鈥檛 look in my travel mug."
FACT: Police officers may be able to look in your mug if they can explain why they are. So if you鈥檙e drunk in public, drinking out of a coffee cup at 2 a.m., it鈥檚 not a hard argument for them to make. Fine: $457.41
3. 鈥淚鈥檓 holding this for a friend. It鈥檚 not mine.鈥�
FACT: If it鈥檚 in your hands, it鈥檚 yours. And if you鈥檙e under 19 years of age, you鈥檙e in trouble. Fine: $457.41.
4. "The police have to give me a breathalyser test to prove I鈥檓 drunk."
FACT: Police officers can use their observations and draw on past experience to form an opinion about whether or not you鈥檙e drunk. Breathalyser tests are only required if you鈥檙e stopped while driving. Drunk in public = $123.91 fine 鈥� and maybe a night鈥檚 stay in the drunk tank.
5. "I live in residence, so all of Dalhousie Campus is my home."
Your room is your home. If you鈥檙e outside with your red Solo Cup walking between buildings, that's a $457.41 fine. Or drunk = $123.91. Or underage = $457.91. Or all three? That鈥檚 a whopping $1,038.73 in fines, and that鈥檚 one mighty expensive drink.
Remember: If you鈥檙e a Dalhousie student and get in trouble, identify yourself as a Dalhousie student and see if you can be referred to the Dalhousie Restorative Justice Pilot Project. For more information: