Note: Before you read on, be aware that the ban is not in effect yet in Singapore till the bill is passed. The life hacks here are untried and untested in real life. We dreamt them up in a last drunken stupor at the void deck after 10.30pm. Hence, try them at your own risk. If you ended up getting charged or arrested, it is not our fault and we did not incite you to break the law. These are just some tongue-in-cheek suggestions which…. just might work (or not).
The biggest breaking news in Singapore today is that the drinking of alcohol between 10.30pm to 7am in public places, including parks and HDB void decks, could soon be banned if the new Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Bill tabled in Parliament today is eventually passed. Via a detailed Straits Times report:
Retail shops islandwide will also not be allowed to sell take-away liquor from 10.30pm.
In the proposed Bill, people found guilty of drinking after 10.30pm in a public place will face a fine of up to $1,000. A repeat offender will not just face the possibility of a fine of up to $2,000, but also a jail-term of up to three months.
A licensee who sells alcohol beyond trading hours stipulated may be liable to a fine not exceeding $10,000.
Police will be given powers to tell someone who is drunk and annoying others to leave a public place and to dispose of the liquor. Failure to comply could land the person in jail for up to six months.
No, Singapore is not a muslim state. Neither are we moving towards sharia law. I think it is more of a knee-jerk reaction to the Little India Riot in 2013 which was allegedly the result of public drunkenness.
Although I am not much of a drinker, I still feel sorry for my alcohol-loving friends on the curb of their drinking space. Here are some life hacks which I think are possible to play cat-and-mouse with the ban and enjoy drinking in public after 10.30pm:
1. Drink just outside your doorstep
Within your door is your private space right? If a policeman comes, step back inside. When they are gone, put one foot out and you are living life dangerous once again, illegally drinking in public.
2. Drink just outside licensed premises such as restaurants, coffee shops and bars
Same as in the first scenario, bring your alcohol inside the premise if a policeman comes by. However, be careful that the owners of the premises may not be too happy about it, especially if you are drinking stuff that is not purchased from them. “Outside food and drinks are not allowed” is serious shit in Singapore.
3. Submit application for liquor consumption permit for 365 days in a row for a barbeque pit in a public park
One shot just get a one-year permit. Tell the authorities it is for a year-long #SG50 celebration and they will approve it. After that, you can sub-let the pit to other people who want to drink in public if they give you free booze. It may even become a lucrative business – imagine – Sam’s Drinking Pit No. 23 at East Coast Park – this could be yours! Fyi, drinking at barbeque pits in public parks is apparently allowed if you apply for a permit beforehand.
4. Be best friend with public event organisers
Public event organisers can apply for permit to supply and consume alcohol beyond 10.30pm. Be best friends with many of such professionals and ask them to apply for the permit whenever they have a public event so you can drink to your heart’s content in public.
5. Buy a condominium or landed property
Condominium and landed property premises are considered as private premises. You can drink beside the pool, by the garden, or any “public” places you want within these premises. This option is only for very rich people though – the kind who can afford to drink in licensed restaurants and pubs when they want to get tipsy pass 10.30pm.
If you have more great life hack tips, drop us a comment. 🙂
So simple. Just transfer alcohol to a plastic container, like a squeeze bottle or one with a straw. People do this all the time in countries with silly bans like these.