Ahead of New Year, Excise Dept sends advisory to Delhi’s watering holes
During your New Year celebrations in one of the hotels, clubs or restaurants in the Capital, if you are one of those who indulges in rowdy behaviour after a few drinks, chances are you will bump into bouncers who will be at hand to show you the door.
Engaging bouncers is one of the eight suggestions that the Excise Department has sent to Delhi’s hotels and clubs to keep a check on untoward incidents, drunken driving and resultant accidents. If you plan to get on a high, chances are you will be served a timely reminder by the waiter/bartender about the number of drinks you have already downed.
There is also the possibility of the waiter advising you some high protein snacks like cheese and peanuts — both help in slowing the absorption of alcohol in the circulatory system — along with your drink. And if you are a habitual offender, then hotels/bars/ restaurants will have the right to refuse permission. The department has also advised hotels to ensure CCTVs for security purposes, cab services to drop people who cross permissible limits of liquor consumption and exercise the right to refuse permission to habitual offenders. An advisory note has been issued to all hotels, pubs and restaurants to this effect.
The reason being cited by the Excise Department is that it is important to stop brawls and ensure safe driving, which is possible only after moderate drinking. Till November, over 31,560 were prosecuted for drunken driving and over 6,600 were sent behind bars.
“In its new endeavour, the department intends to promote responsible drinking in order to curb and prevent undesirable alcohol related incidents. Unregulated drinking often leads to incidents of nuisance at public places. These unwanted incidents of public brawls in nightclubs can be controlled by promoting responsible drinking. The department has framed guidelines and all hotels, clubs and restaurants are hereby advised to follow these suggestions and display the same in their premises,” stated the note issued by the department.
When hotels, clubs and restaurants are readying for series of New Year Eve parties, these excise guidelines are bound to create ripples among the connoisseurs of wine in the city. This move by the department will certainly lower the sale of liquor in restaurants, pubs and hotels in the city.
The department’s note is terse in nature as they propose the use of bouncers to contain any brawl at public places. “The management should arrange bouncers, CCTVs and other necessary paraphernalia in consultation with police authorities. All necessary steps to maintain law and order inside and around the licensed units may be taken by the management,” the order stated categorically, thus, ensuring the drunkards could be shown the door with the help of bouncers.
The department has also given a clear mandate to hotels, clubs and restaurants to exercise the “right to refuse admission in their premises” if they perceive that any guest is known for creating ruckus or brawls in the past.
“The right to refuse admission may be exercised in suspicious cases or in the case of habitual offenders. The staff may undertake profiling of customers visiting discotheques and nightclubs in restaurants and clubs. This data may be shared with the police authorities as well,” the note said.
“The restaurant staff should be directed to keep a check on the number of drinks served to the patrons. Consumption of high protein food such as cheese and peanuts along with liquor helps to slow the absorption of alcohol in the circulatory system.
The serving staff should suggest amenable food such as cheese, peanuts while taking the order for liquor to slow the absorption of alcohol in the circulatory system,” the note said. A hotel owner said on condition of anonymity that the department has owned up the role of regulatory authority for these hotels, pubs and restaurants and unfolded a slew of measures to regulate over- drinking in the city, which will hamper their business on New Year’s Eve.
The note further stated that all licensed units should make efforts to arrange cab services to help patrons avoid driving after drinking. Alternatively, consumers may be advised to get a teetotaler friend or acquaintance to drive them home.