New laws governing how liquor is served in licensed establishments went into effect across the province on Friday.
The new rules were implemented to target binge drinking and eliminate cheap drink prices.
There will now be a minimum price for drinks, happy hours will be banned after 8pm and patrons are allowed a limited number of drinks after 1:00 A.M.
Minimum drink prices are as follows:
- Spirits and liqueurs $ 2.75 per oz.
- Wine $ 0.35 per oz. ($1.75 per 5 oz. glass)
- Draught beer $ 0.16 per oz. ($3.20 per 20 oz. pint)
- Beer, cider or coolers in cans or bottles $ 2.75 per 12 oz.
Happy hours rules:
Licensed establishments can reduce the regular menu price of drinks, but drinks can not be sold for less than the regular menu price after 8 p.m. and at no time can a drink be sold for less than the new minimum price.
Maximum drink order:
The maximum number and size of drinks that may be sold or served to a patron after 1 a.m. is limited to two standard servings per order.
One standard serving is one ounce per highball or one bottle or can of beer.
In addition, a patron can't have more than two drinks in their possession after 1 a.m.
The measures follow concerns that binge drinking was getting out of control.
"What we found is a lot of the problems were alcohol fuelled so we're hoping with these minimum drink prices people may not be so tempted to excessively drink which is what causes the problems," said Kevin Brookwell of the Calgary Police Service.
Police say they'll be monitoring the situation closely to see if the new laws have any impact.
