We’d like to think that Singaporeans are capable of behaving responsibly without being ordered around like children behaving badly, so we’re not particularly excited about the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Bill.
To show a bit of playful disdain — especially since the law comes into effect on April Fools’ Day — we’re asking questions that might have been missed in Parliament:
Can I consume food with alcohol in it?
Rum and raisin ice cream, those chocolates shaped like miniature liquor bottles, a particularly strong tiramisu – am I breaking the law by eating them in public? And how about vodka watermelons?
Can I drink in a vehicle?
Let’s say you find yourself on a yacht with a glass of champagne for company. Could the yacht be boarded by the Coast Guard? Or what if you’re on a flight and only finish your Singapore Sling as you touch down in Changi? How about party buses?
The office is my home — can I drink there?
So, you work at one of those cool companies with an open bar. Or you just have a stash of Scotch in your bottom drawer for one of those days. Can you drink freely at your desk?
Do the police have the right to sniff my Coke for Jack?
Sure, we can play fair with the new restrictions, but are there any guarantees that our Big Gulp gatherings won’t be interrupted by a new division of the K9 unit? What methods will be used to prove that a beverage contains alcohol?
Can we go wild with the mild?
The law bans consumption of beverages with more than 0.5% ethanol by mass or volume – does that mean we can go wild with anything with a content of 0.5% or less? If so, bring on the shandy and – fittingly – BrewDog Nanny State!
Does “consumption” only cover ingestion by drinking?
We’re not saying we’d do it, but there are other ways to get high (see vodka eyeballing).
Permits are available for events, but can I get special dispensation for a marriage proposal?
Picture this. Romantic night out with the one you love, sitting by the waterfront, maybe watching the fireworks on New Year’s Eve – it’s the perfect time to pop the question. Somehow, a bottle of effervescent grape juice just doesn’t cut it.
Now that foreign employee dorms are deemed as public places, can we wander around them at our leisure?
Maybe you’re bored of your neighbourhood park and the airport is just too far away. How about a stroll around a dormitory to get the blood flowing?
Photo: Jerome Chua
