Bar serving an alcoholic

pappyodaniel · 26-07-2017 02:03PM #1

A guy I know in my hometown has recently fell off the wagon and is back drinking again. I'd say he was dry for the last 3 years where he had become hard working and successful in his self employed job. Yesterday I spotted him legless and falling out of the local pub and this morning I spotted him outside the same pub with a pint in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

What he does with his life is his own business but do you think the barman has a duty of care not to serve him as he's enabling him to drink? I remember him from years ago as a terrible alcoholic, sh1tting his pants, domestic violence and getting arrested for being drunk and disorderly and seeing him off the booze was amazing. It's sad to see him now.

So what do ye think, should the barman not serve him on principle?

tomwaits48 · 26-07-2017 02:03PM

pappyodaniel wrote: »

A guy I know in my hometown has recently fell off the wagon and is back drinking again. I'd say he was dry for the last 3 years where he had become hard working and successful in his self employed job. Yesterday I spotted him legless and falling out of the local pub and this morning I spotted him outside the same pub with a pint in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

What he does with his life is his own business but do you think the barman has a duty of care not to serve him as he's enabling him to drink? I remember him from years ago as a terrible alcoholic, sh1tting his pants, domestic violence and getting arrested for being drunk and disorderly and seeing him off the booze was amazing. It's sad to see him now.

So what do ye think, should the barman not serve him on principle?

no. business needs to make money. not their fault.

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keeponhurling · 26-07-2017 02:04PM

Maybe the barman or barmaid doesn't know him or his history ?

Badabing · 26-07-2017 02:06PM

He'll go to another bar to get drink anyway so will make no difference.

begbysback · 26-07-2017 02:08PM

You cannot deny someone a drink on the basis of you think they are an alcoholic, this would be considered discrimination based on an illness, of which cannot be 100% diagnosed any ways as alcoholism requires a self diagnosis.

The Backwards Man · 26-07-2017 02:10PM

tomwaits48 wrote: »

no. business needs to make money. not their fault.

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Fine publicans you two would make.

Still, I suppose it's indicative of the shocking attitude most people have to alcohol in this country.

The Backwards Man · 26-07-2017 02:11PM

begbysback wrote: »

You cannot deny someone a drink on the basis of you think they are an alcoholic, this would be considered discrimination based on an illness, of which cannot be 100% diagnosed any ways as alcoholism requires a self diagnosis.

Balls.

pappyodaniel · 26-07-2017 02:12PM

It's a small town where everyone knows the guy and his history with drink.

begbysback · 26-07-2017 02:13PM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Balls.

It's not the attitude to alcohol that's the problem in this country - it's the ignorance to the illness that is alcoholism

Winterlong · 26-07-2017 02:14PM

Is it not one of the terms of a publicans licence that they cannot serve someone who is obviously intoxicated?

The_Valeyard · 26-07-2017 02:15PM

Should Mcdonalds not serve obese people?

Publican isnt responsible for this individual.

Although it is sad when someone falls off the wagon.

VinLieger · 26-07-2017 02:15PM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Fine publicans you two would make.

Still, I suppose it's indicative of the shocking attitude most people have to alcohol in this country.

Nope its called personal responsibility and unless your comitting a crime then its not up to anyone else to stop you doing something you know well you shouldn't be doing

seamus · 26-07-2017 02:15PM

He's a grown man capable of making his own decisions, it's not the publican's responsibility to police those choices.

As a friend, as a concerned acquaintance, should he check to make sure he really wants to drink? Sure. Should he refuse to serve him? No.

If the whole world were to operate on that basis then bookies, chippers and pubs would have to refuse to serve 95% of their customers.

At the best end of the scale anyway, the guy can get pissed in the pub under the supervision of friends, then fall out and go home to bed. If every pub refused him, he'll get his hands on two bottles of vodka and die from alcohol poisoning at home.

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El Tarangu · 26-07-2017 02:16PM

begbysback wrote: »

You cannot deny someone a drink on the basis of you think they are an alcoholic, this would be considered discrimination based on an illness, of which cannot be 100% diagnosed any ways as alcoholism requires a self diagnosis.

What equality legislation would this come under? Sounds makey-uppy.

F1ngers · 26-07-2017 02:19PM

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Should Mcdonalds not serve obese people?

Of course they should, they're their biggest(:pac:) customers.

Ubbquittious · 26-07-2017 02:19PM

I used to know a fella who had just been in hospital for ages and had been denied a liver transplant due to his alcoholism but he slowly but surely recovered while he was in there and was eventually discharged. A day or so after he paid someone to go into the local shop to buy him drink. He promptly ended up back inside the hospital and died soon after.

Nice idea in theory that you can ban one particular person from getting booze and prevent him from killing himself but it doesn't seem to work

Hector Bellend · 26-07-2017 02:23PM

Bars serve Alcohol.

Its never a barmans responsbility to maintain a customers sobriety.

Its their own personal responsibility

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater · 26-07-2017 02:23PM

Knowing Ireland, if the Publican refused to serve him, he'd sue for discrimination on the grounds of illness and win about €150,000.

The Backwards Man · 26-07-2017 02:23PM

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And is the barman not responsible for his decisions?

As I said, shocking attitude. And from someone who should know better.

26-07-2017 02:24PM

tomwaits48 wrote: »

no. business needs to make money. not their fault.

Making money off the pain of others is a bit sick imo, not for me

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A2LUE42 · 26-07-2017 02:28PM

Hector Bellend wrote: »

Bars serve Alcohol.

Its never a barmans responsbility to maintain a customers sobriety.

Its their own personal responsibility

Not true. It is illegal to serve someone who is drunk. I have never heard of this law being enforced, but it is in the 2003 act.
[font=Arial, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif, Verdana]It is an offence under the 2003 Act to supply alcohol to a drunken person and to admit a drunken person to a bar. (A '[/font][font=Arial, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif, Verdana]drunken person[/font][font=Arial, "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif, Verdana]' is someone intoxicated to such a degree that they may endanger themselves or other people). Any licence holder that allows this to occur on their premises is liable on summary conviction to a class B fine for a first offence and a class A fine for any subsequent offence.[/font]

begbysback · 26-07-2017 02:31PM

El Tarangu wrote: »

What equality legislation would this come under? Sounds makey-uppy.

Bring it to the legal forum and see what they say about the scenario where:

Man walks into a bar and says, can I have a pint of Guinness please?
Barman: no your an alcoholic I am not serving you.

26-07-2017 02:31PM

Of course he should be served, its the everyday heavy drinker that pays the bills for many bars particularly in rural areas.

Its the persons own decision if they want to drink the head off themselves everyday.

A2LUE42 · 26-07-2017 02:32PM

As regards the poll. He/She should be not be refused for being an Alcoholic( whoever makes that diagnosis). But they should not be served beyond the point of being drunk.(how that is determined is unclear though)

JupiterKid · 26-07-2017 02:32PM

I reckon many bars and pubs would go out of business if they were obliged to refuse alcoholics service.

I know this as I am a recovering alcoholic myself. But pubs can - and do - tell you that "you've had enough."

The Backwards Man · 26-07-2017 02:33PM

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Oh, I know a wee bit about the subject alright.

Just because you're not responsible for someone's alcoholism does not absolve you of the responsibility for serving them alcohol. An alcoholic is sick, a barperson serving them is a sick joke of an excuse for a human being

CeilingFly · 26-07-2017 02:35PM

In a way its better that he is drinking in a public bar than at home.

In a bar people can keep an eye out for him, maybe even have a word with family members. But unless he is causing problems in the bar it is very difficult for the bar to refuse him.

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Bar serving an alcoholic

Should he be served at the bar? 131 votes

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