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Will Plastic Pint Glasses replace Glass?  Uploading ....  Calls for a ban on alcohol being served in glass go as far back as 2006. Thanks to a number of nasty accidents and sometimes tragic incidents involving glass being used as a weapon has lead to campaigns proposing the banning of alcohol served in glasses, instead being served in replacement plastic pint glasses
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One such campaign, Bottle Stop, which was set up by Jane Sherriff who tragically lost her husband to a glassing attack, has gained over 100,000 signatures.
While many drinking establishments across the country have made the change from glass to plastic glasses and plastic squat cups, especially late night venues in town centres, some sections are keen to take this subject even further, banning glass from drinking establishments completely.
There would be statistical support for such a ban, especially where public budgets are concerned. Some estimates put the cost of glass-related violence to the NHS, police and courts at more than £100m a year. While the exact number of violent glass attacks every year isn't known, crime surveys suggest it may run into six figures.
Trials of polycarbonate (toughened plastic) glasses in three Lancashire towns in 2009 were revealing. While the number of violent incidents did not decrease, the number of injuries fell significantly. When polycarbonate was introduced in the place of glass across Hull City Centre two years ago, one eye surgeon estimated that the local NHS had saved more than £7m over that period as the number of eye injuries fell. A similar policy banning glass from problem pubs began in Newquay in Cornwall last year, leading to an 80% drop in serious violence, according to Ch Insp Ian Drummond-Smith, a policeman in Plymouth. "There are plenty of alternatives available, including safety glass, plastic or aluminium."
However a counter argument is afoot, arguing that a blanket ban on glass and plastic half & pint glassreplacements is too heavy-handed in establishments where it isn't needed, whilst it could also be potentially damaging to the revival in real ale and micro-breweries.
The Beer and Pub Association said using plastic pint glasses would "devalue the customer experience". It is an opinion echoed north of the border, where serving drinks in glass is banned after 9pm in Highlands nightclubs, and plans to introduce the "plastic pint glass scheme" into all Highlands pubs has been greeted with a mixed reception from punters. The owner of one establishment revealed, "The biggest complaint I get from customers is about having to drink from plastic cups containers.
You have to serve bottles of wine or champagne in a plastic glass. Scotland's whiskies are world-renowned. It's insulting to suggest they could be enjoyed out of plastic."
Whether a blanket ban on glass is the right way forward is an interesting debate, but what is certain is that while plastic glasses aren't ideal for every scenario, they are certainly a useful alternative in many situations. Not only would a change to plastic glasses or polycarbonate improve safety and prevent accidents, it could also help bars, pubs and clubs lower the cost of damage to stock.
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