Why sell alcohol on board?

[dhardesthard]

Why do airlines sell you alcohol in flight but make it illegal for you to be intoxicated? That's like selling me a gun but prohibiting me from firing it. If the airlines sell me alcohol what do they expect me to do with it besides consume it? Alcohol sale should be banned or if allowed there should be no law against being intoxicated. You cannot have it both ways.

[Capetonian]

Your analogy is very poor. You are allowed to fire your gun under legitimate circumstances only, such as target practice, hunting, self-defence.

You can kill someone with a car, or a knife, or a cricket bat, or even a pencil. The law does not stop you from buying or possessing such articles, it prevents you from using them in the wrong way.

You are allowed to purchase and consume alcohol as long as your doing so does not cause you to become a danger to others or to yourself. There are different levels of intoxication, but for a normal person a couple of units consumed should not make you 'intoxicated'. If in your case it does, or you don't know your limit, then you should probably avoid alcohol totally.

[The_Steed]

But by that logic alcohol should be banned completely...

For example, I can buy a car and I can buy alcohol. I know that I can consume a certain amount of alcohol and once I consume more than that amount, I am likely to be intoxicated and therefore unable to drive legally.

However, if I just have one beer then I can drive home legally.

If I get hammered, drive home, crash and get arrested then it's my own fault.

It's called taking responsibility for your own actions...

[SLFguy]

"Why do airlines sell you alcohol in flight but make it illegal for you to be intoxicated? That's like selling me a gun but prohibiting me from firing it. If the airlines sell me alcohol what do they expect me to do with it besides consume it? Alcohol sale should be banned or if allowed there should be no law against being intoxicated. You cannot have it both ways. "

How some people even find the internet suprises me.

I mean really? Really?!

[LeftHeadingNorth]

I agree completely with Capetonian. That being said, I believe that the consequenses for dangerous/unruly behavior caused by excessive consumption of alcohol onboard should be under more severe penalty than it is today. Also, any person(s) forcing a diversion of the aircraft should be financially liable. It is all too common with drunken idiots onboard these days...

[Bealzebub]

Why do airlines sell you alcohol in flight but make it illegal for you to be intoxicated?

They don't!

It is a legal statute that makes it unlawful to be drunk on board an aircraft.

The airline has a duty to ensure that any consumption of alcohol is "controlled" which is why you can only consume alcohol that has been served by the cabin crew, rather than retail sales, or your own supplies.

Similarly the airline may offer retail sales of alcohol and tobacco, however it doesn't allow you to consume either of these items on board. In fact it is highly unlikely that many retail outlets would allow you to consume such purchases on their premises.

Most retailers or providers would be surprised if purchasers were convinced that there was a direct correlation between the aquisition and use of a product. For example a pharmacy will sell you condoms, but they don't expect you to feel compelled to use them on the premises!

Even the retailer of firearms wouldn't expect you to be necessarily able to use those firearms on their premises or in violation of any applicable statute.

If the airlines sell me alcohol what do they expect me to do with it besides consume it? They expect you to show an ounce of common sense. As is the case with tobacco they can only sell it to people of a certain age, and in all but a very few cases, the purchasors should have the maturity and basic common sense to understand the simple distinction.
If you are being sold alcohol for onboard consumption, it is supposedly under "controlled" circumstances. This is much the same on a cruise ship, or in a bar/pub. If you are being sold a retail product, it is on the understanding that you consume it in an appropriate manner and location that doesn't violate any rules or statutes.

Alcohol sale should be banned or if allowed there should be no law against being intoxicated. You cannot have it both ways.

Of course you can! Now you are just being silly. In many places Alcohol sales are banned, however that doesn't necessarily prevent people being intoxicated. If you purchase alcohol in a venue licenced for consumption it doesn't give you carte blanche or any general immunity from the laws relating to intoxication or limits of consumption either.

[Capetonian]

This disucssion reminds me of the conversation which someone psoted on another thread :

Passenger : "Why do you sell me cigarettes on the flight but I can't smoke them on board?"

FA : "A pharmacy will sell you condoms ............."

[Nervous SLF]

This disucssion reminds me of the conversation which someone psoted on another thread :

Passenger : "Why do you sell me cigarettes on the flight but I can't smoke them on board?"

FA : "A pharmacy will sell you condoms ............."

Ah but some people have found a way to overcome that Capetonian :)

[PAXboy]

dhardesthard There is a a well known line money makes the world go around. It also makes aircraft fly. :rolleyes:

[grounded27]

Oneday when marijuana is legalized, pot brownies will be like a gift from god. Less angry drunks and more passive relaxed passengers.

[L'aviateur]

And here was me thinking that it was only British people whose sole aim when drinking is to become completely intoxicated, start a fight and vomit over the people nearby... seems that people from the west indies like that too.