New limits recommended on drinking in public

Judy Odierna

Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2003 | 8:50 a.m.

Las Vegas Councilmen Michael Mack and Lawrence Weekly, acting as a recommending committee, approved an ordinance Tuesday that would further restrict the drinking of packaged alcoholic beverages in public.

The proposed ordinance would make it illegal to open beer, wine or liquor and drink it within 1,000 feet of a "church, synagogue, public or private school, hospital, drug treatment center or homeless shelter."

The two council members gave the green light to the new regulations with one change: instead of "drug treatment center" the proposed ordinance now will list "special care facility" as one type of property listed in the ban.

Tuesday's approval clears the way for the entire City Council to vote on the new regulations at a future meeting.

The current ordinance requires only that individuals walk more than 1,000 feet from where they bought the alcohol to open and drink it -- even if that location is near a school, church or the other establishments.

City officials say the proposed changes are designed to help law enforcement deal with alcohol-related problems. But the American Civil Liberties Union says the proposal will set up a situation that will be ripe for the city and Metro Police to selectively enforce laws and restrict the rights of the homeless and otherwise poor.

Metro Sgt. Eric Fricker argued that the ordinance will benefit people with drinking problems.

"If they are going into a treatment facility they already have a problem that is hard enough to treat," Fricker said. "Then they walk outside and their addiction is thrown right in their face. With this they will have a chance at getting better."