Expert: Glass ban for all

A Scottish expert on alcohol-fuelled violence believes Glasgow's glass ban should be rolled out to the whole country.

Controversial plans to introduce a blanket glass ban in Glasgow were dropped last year - with the Scottish Beer and Pub Association receiving £19,000 in legal costs from the city council.

Quite simply, alcohol and glass don't mix​Dr Alasdair Forsyth

Instead, a glass ban is only in operation in late-night venues with the highest incidences of violence.

But Dr Alasdair Forsyth has reignited the debate and claims that a polycarbonate rollout, eventually to include all clubs, pubs and restaurants, is the only way to ensure the safety of revellers.

Forsyth conducted a study into premises which enforced a glass ban. Researchers visited eight nightclubs four times each since 2006 and witnessed 34 violent incidents first hand.

In one club, the team saw 11 incidents in four visits. In another venue, not using plastic, researchers saw a fight break out which left a man bleeding from his neck and shoulder.

At another club, punches were traded before a man swung a bottle only to find out it was plastic.

"A lot of violence is spur-of-the-moment,"​ Dr Forsyth told the Glasgow Evening Times​.

"If that guy had thought the bottle was plastic he probably wouldn't have picked it up. ​

"But if it had been glass, we could have been looking at one person in the dental hospital, another in the Royal Infirmary with facial injuries and a young man in jail.

"As it was, there was no harm done."

"I think Glasgow is a model for change. The ban has clearly made the city safer and people are realising that.

"We need to roll out similar measures across the country and, personally, I would look to end the link between glass and alcohol completely.

"Quite simply, alcohol and glass don't mix."