Alaska town mulls outlawing walking while drunk

[Hum]

It could soon be against the law to mere walk the streets of a remote Alaska city while drunk.

Bethel, in the western part of the Yukon State, is reportedly considering changes to its public decency laws, including one that would ban walking on city streets while intoxicated.

The ordinance, which was recently introduced by the Bethel City Council, would also ban public excretion within city limits and add language to existing law against littering, defacing property, shoplifting and selling tobacco to minors, KYUK.org reports.

?Our Bethel Municipal Code doesn?t have a lot of teeth in it,? Councilmember Sharon Sigmund said. ?It?s like my dog. He has very few teeth left and if he bites you, you probably wouldn?t even know it.?

Walking while intoxicated on the community?s ice roads would also be banned under the amendment.

?It?s not geared to prohibit the intoxication as much as it?s geared to keep these areas of our community safe,? Sigmund continued. ?Public streets and roads, ice roads or highways, are very dangerous areas. They have a lot of fast-moving, big vehicles. A lot of foot traffic as well. To have an intoxicated person in those particular areas makes for an exponentially greater risk of harm not only to the person who?s intoxicated, but anyone who?s traveling on those roadways.?

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[majortom1981]

Isnt that a law in most areas? Public intoxication? If Alaska state troopers is anything to go by they have a big drunk problem up there due to all the snow and nothing else to do.

[Growled Member]

I take it Bethel is going to become a very boring city shortly.

[Hum]

Why not just outlaw walking, period.

[srbeen]

From what I remember remote villages of Alaska are home to ethnicities whom lack proper metabolization of alcohol, which causes major social problems. This results in people getting more drunker quicker and for longer, more thefts, damage and problems... Some towns have outlawed booze completely - while others take stricter law and punishment under wing. Source some drug TV shows I watched on alcohol abuse in America.

[FloatingFatMan]

So, how are you meant to get home from the bar?

[AJerman]

So, how are you meant to get home from the bar?

It didn't say you couldn't dance home!

[FloatingFatMan]

It didn't say you couldn't dance home!

Conga line taxicab? :p

[Arachno 1D]

Well I suppose this isnt banned yet

[Hum]

So, how are you meant to get home from the bar?

Drive drunk --- silly question :shifty:

[Growled Member]

Why not just outlaw walking, period.

Excellent idea, Hum. We can semi-outlaw breathing while we're at it. :D

[compl3x]

It could soon be against the law to mere walk the streets of a remote Alaska city while drunk.

Shouldn't that be "merely"?

Anyway, what is the difference between this and public drunkenness?