http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8217775.stm

Pubs warn over plastic pints plan
'Nonic' pint glass
The 'Nonic' glass could be replaced

Plans to replace the traditional pint glass with one made of shatter-proof plastic will not be accepted by drinkers, the pub industry has warned.

The Home Office has commissioned a new design, in an attempt to stop glasses being used as weapons.

Official figures show 5,500 people are attacked with glasses and bottles every year in England and Wales.

The British Beer and Pub Association said it did not want the new plastic glasses to be made compulsory.

Neil Williams from the association said he was concerned that drinkers would notice a drop in quality.

"For the drinker, the pint glass feels better, it has a nice weight and the drink coats the glass nicely. That's why people go out for a drink, to have a nice experience."

He said there was a danger that pubs with no record of trouble would be penalised.

He said: "I would ask, is it necessary to replace the much-loved pint glass for safety reasons in the vast majority of pubs where there is no problem?

We've got to make it desirable, acceptable and cool.
Nick Verebelyi, designer of the new pint pot

"Pubs shouldn't be put under pressure to stop using glasses if they are safe places to drink. Why on earth ask them to do that?

"They shouldn't be corralled into using plastic glasses. Anything that would move us towards a plastic product would not be welcomed."

Red tape

Mr Williams said the industry feared extra costs at a time when many pubs were struggling in the recession: "It would impose another cost on us. Red tape is already coming from all sides."

Nick Verebelyi, the designer in charge of delivering the new pint, said they were looking at two approaches.

"One is to coat the glass with a substance that will make sure the glass doesn't shatter into pieces when it is broken - that could be a plastic material for example.

THE PINT
Dimpled pint glass
The 'Nonic' (no nick) glass, with a strengthened bulge an inch from the rim was invented in 1960
It replaced the dimpled pint glass (pictured above) which was too difficult to stack
Approximately 126 million pints of beer are served a week in the UK

"But it would have to feel like an existing pint glass to the consumer."

Mr Verebelyi said his company, Design Bridge, was also looking at changing the pint altogether.

"We could do something more radical, by looking at the whole shape and substance of the pint - we could come up with something that is completely different to glass.

"Remember that years ago people used to drink out of pewter tankards. It could be quite a significant paradigm shift."

Mr Verebelyi said he accepted that drinkers are attached to the traditional glass pint.

"You make a change and there is often opposition, we've got to make it appealing to them. We've got to make it desirable and acceptable and cool.

"There's going to be quite a push behind this in terms of the Home Office."

The Home Office Minister, Alan Campbell, said the redesign could make a significant difference to the number of revellers who are injured.

He said: "Innovative design has played an important role in driving down overall crime, including theft, fraud and burglary.

"This project will see those same skills applied to the dangerous and costly issue of alcohol-related crime and I am confident that it will lead to similar successes."

First it was the outlawing of firearms, then the regulation of smoking, then the outlawing of "pointy" knives, self defense, etc.... now the classic frosty beer mug.

Great Britain

What's next? CCTV's in your house? Oh wait

It's amazing that the land of Churchill and Thatcher allow their government to do things that Stalin, Lenin, Mao and Marx would laugh at with glee had they known what their ideology would produce.

Dear Lord Almighty! Just sink the island already. The UK Nanny State has done something I thought was impossible. They actually did it. They actually made it past Full Retard and went Hyper-Tard.

Oh wait.... they also banned the selling of wine to a 46 year old mother because she "might" (big key word there) give it to her 14 year old daughter. Link to original story - Tesco refused to sell wine to a suburban mother aged 46...in case she gave it to her 14-year-old daughter

I can't stand how people here in the States want this Nanny Government Crap. UK Healthcare is a failure, the entire UK system of government is a failure. Hell.... the US Government can't even make profit with the post office. What makes them think that they can run the health care system properly. The VA is a complete wreck.

I guess then beer mug is already outlawed in the UK.

The UK has fans that would KILL the American fans... When you put those fans in the same pub, and add a substantial amount of alcohol, you get a surprising number of fights that end in "beer mug stabbing." When I was over there, almost every pub had a sign that said "No football jerseys." We'll never TRULY understand their pride in soccer, but it actually makes sense that they would try and phase out glass pints...

Originally Posted by Rob Henderson

The UK has fans that would KILL the American fans... When you put those fans in the same pub, and add a substantial amount of alcohol, you get a surprising number of fights that end in "beer mug stabbing." When I was over there, almost every pub had a sign that said "No football jerseys." We'll never TRULY understand their pride in soccer, but it actually makes sense that they would try and phase out glass pints...

Once again...... government control over private industry and lives. As for the UK.... been there. I know how they are. Come down to some dive bars in the US.... you'll see the same here.

The England fans are worse.
But this decision should be left up to the bar owners.
Btw: this is a pintglass

Originally Posted by Rob Henderson

The UK has fans that would KILL the American fans... When you put those fans in the same pub, and add a substantial amount of alcohol, you get a surprising number of fights that end in "beer mug stabbing." When I was over there, almost every pub had a sign that said "No football jerseys." We'll never TRULY understand their pride in soccer, but it actually makes sense that they would try and phase out glass pints...

Many of the English football hooligans are not actually genuine football supporters. Many are simply thugs out for trouble. Some of those who have been arrested in the past are not only out of work thugs, city bankers and other white collar workers, one was even a lawyer! Why do they do it? I have NO IDEA whatsoever why. When I was a boy and went to watch Tottenham Hotspur play at White Hart Lane, it was a fantastic experience.

Originally Posted by BritinAfrica

Many of the English football hooligans are not actually genuine football supporters. Many are simply thugs out for trouble. Some of those who have been arrested in the past are not only out of work thugs, city bankers and other white collar workers, one was even a lawyer! Why do they do it? I have NO IDEA whatsoever why. When I was a boy and went to watch Tottenham Hotspur play at White Hart Lane, it was a fantastic experience.

X2.
They do it for the thrill really. No other reason. They enjoy the thrill of chaos and disorder.

I'm sure they're like thugs anywhere. If you take away the pint glasses they'll find something else to use to create havoc.

Some disco's have used plastic glasses for years in case of trouble, a pint in a plastic glass, simply doesnt taste the same.

Originally Posted by BritinAfrica

Some disco's have used plastic glasses for years in case of trouble, a pint in a plastic glass, simply doesnt taste the same.

x2... but it is an owner's discretion. If we act like children, we get treated like children. No glass cups for us.

I suppose you're right, DTop... But it's a lot harder to shatter a plastic cup.