Police give free goodie bags containing condoms, flip-flops and lollipops to drinkers

Police forces across the country have started to give "goodie bags" containing condoms, flip-flops and lollipops to drunk revellers to counter the ill-effects of binge drinking.

Critics said the gifts, costing tens of thousands of pounds, appeared to "reward" people for drinking too much and causing anti-social behaviour in town centres.

Forces in North Wales, Sussex and West Yorkshire have already started to hand out the freebies to drunk revellers.
The plastic bags typically contain bottles of water, lollipops, flip-flops, and condoms, as well as tips on information on units of alcohol and a warning about the dangers of drink driving.
The latest campaign will see nearly 1,600 bags - split evenly between men and women and costing a total of over £2,000 - given out between now and New Year. It was launched on Friday night by Sussex police and is aimed at 18 to 24 year olds.
Holly Margetts, a violent crime reduction officer at Sussex Police, said: "We are encouraging people to drink responsibly and take some simple measures to ensure they stay safe.
"These goodie bags are our Christmas present to people enjoying nights out in the Horsham district.
"We hope that they'll take note of the important messages and take some simple measures to ensure they stay safe."
A number of police forces are now using gifts and presents to counter a rise in violence and anti-social behaviour after licensing rules were relaxed in November 2005.
In Llandudno, police are distributing bags containing personal safety alarms, condoms and bottles of water while in Huddersfield police have set up a van to sell flip-flops, condoms and sweets to revellers.
Last month, it emerged that another force, Devon & Cornwall, was giving flip-flops to women who may have trouble walking in high heels after a night out.
Police in Bolton have also started to hand out free orange and blue bubble blowers, which double as pens, to stop revellers picking fights as they pour out of pubs and bars.
In Cumbria, police have spent over £1,000 printing crime prevention and road safety messages on napkins which are handed out at burger bars on the A65 near Kirkby Lonsdale.
The Tories and public spending campaigners attacked the plans. David Ruffley, the Conservatives' shadow police spokesman, said: "Police time and taxpayers money should not be spent on condoms and lollipops for people who are drunk and anti-social.
"This is encourage bad behaviour not clamping down on it. We need less of this pathetic political correctness and a bit more law and order."
Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, added: "If people are binge drinking, they should be punished for their anti-social behaviour, not rewarded with gift bags.
"This does nothing to increase individual responsibility or tackle what is a growing social problem that already costs taxpayers millions every year.
"This is shocking a waste of precious police resources, which should be allocated to frontline policing and not this sort of pointless gimmick." (from telegraphonline)

Ok who is going to be the 1st to approach an Officer in the Islands and ask for a Goody Bag....lol

Another brain-wave they have had : pink lol :



A police force launched a Christmas 'drink-drivel' campaign
today - warning that too much boozing will leave revellers lost for
words.Officers in Ipswich, Suffolk, listed phrases that are
'absolutely impossible' to say when drunk, including 'Good evening,
officer, isn't it lovely out tonight?'.The poster campaign lists 'innovative', 'preliminary' and 'cinnamon' as words that are difficult to say in an inebriated state.



Police in Ipswich have launched a drink-drivel
campaign, publishing impossible phrases to say when drunk, to encourage
responsible drinking
And 'specificity, 'passive-aggressive disorder' and 'transubstantiate' are classed as very difficult to master.But, according to the poster, the nine 'absolutely impossible' phrases for drunks are:

• Thanks, but I don't want to sleep with you;
  
• Oh, I just couldn't - no one wants to hear me sing;
  
• Sorry, but you're not really my type;
  
• No kebab for me, thank you;
  
• I'm not interested in fighting you;
  
• Good evening, officer, isn't it lovely out tonight?;
  
• Thank you, but I won't make any attempt to dance, I have no rhythm;
  
• Where is the nearest toilet? I can't possibly vomit in the street;
  
• I must be going home now - I have work in the morning
  

Inspector
Becky Kidd-Stanton, operations inspector for Ipswich, said: 'The
drink-drivel poster campaign appeals to people to come to Ipswich to
have a good time and not to spoil it for others.'It highlights how people behave differently after consuming alcohol.'Police are also handing out 900 lollipops as part of their attempt to tackle festive disorder.'It is harder to verbally abuse or fight with people with a lollipop in your mouth or hand,' said Ms Kidd-Stanton.



I haven't had a c**t all night drinkstables. :)

PMSL @ Diggers post!!!

No kebab for me pmsl!!!!!!