Liquor? I don't even know 'er!

You may have noticed Portsmouth has a lot of bars. Let's face it. People come here to go out and drink. And I say go out and drink because with the exception of a few wayward freshly 21-year-old coeds from UNH*, Portsmouth's alcohol scene is not about the drunkenness but about the atmosphere and the variety.

*(Heather: That's Jayson's favorite flavor. . .)

Don't be fooled by their delicious appearance!

That of course doesn't mean we don't like to go out an occassionally get completely pissed. But although Strawberry Banke has its charm, it also reminds us we were founded by puritans, and honestly, I wonder when (if) we actually got over it.

Recently there's been a lot of hooplah over a few "incidents" at a few of the more popular bars in Portsmouth for doing a crazy thing like serving their patrons. The bottom line is that the bars are being held responsible for the intent and actions of the people that come there.

Whether it's arresting a server for serving someone under the magic "responsibility" age or costing a restaurant thousands because they don't have intoxication-sensing super robots, the reactionary, overzealous way that we as a state and a city confront the issue is baffling to me. We even go so far as naming the "offending" clerks in the media as if they are some sorts of pariahs for doing their jobs.

UPDATE: Here's another example of this ridiculousness (Thanks, Heather.)

Look, it's not the responsibility of a bar or store to not serve people. It's the responsibility of those people not to break the law. Luckily, a bill sponsored by Portsmouth Senator Martha Fuller Clark that was passed and is now moving through the House would change at least part of the law so that a bar must know that the person is intoxicated in order to be held responsible. Sure it's vague, but it's a start.

Of course, you start to understand where the problem stems from when you hear that the state's liquor law enforcement chief, Eddie Edwards (yes, that is his real name)** suggests that it's a better idea to limit everyone who drinks at a bar in portsmouth to one drink per hour. Seriously. That will fix the problem, and in the interim we can fine and arrest the people who decide to bar hop every 10 minutes.

Whether you think Portsmouth has an alcohol problem or not, I wish people would realize that they way to solve the problem is to stop treating alcohol as some terrifying taboo and educate people that like all things, it can be enjoyed in moderation... most of the time.

**(H:)William Carlos Williams feels your pain, Eddie.