In a noble-ish effort to protect the more pissed-off denizens of Britain's pubs from their own intoxicated antics, the British Home Office, according to boingboing, is seeking to reduce the number of pint-glass-related injuries in bars across the country by making the glasses shatterproof. Possible solutions include making the entire glass out of plastic or coating it in plastic or a plastic-like substance.
Pint-glass purists have already expressed their disapproval ("For the drinker, the pint glass feels better, it has a nice weight and the drink coats the glass nicely," points out a representative of the British Beer and Pub Association). The BHO counters that 5,500 people are attacked with glasses and bottles every year in England and Wales, with the Home Office Minister adding that "innovative design has played an important role in driving down overall crime."
It's easy enough—and pretty fun—to point out the more obvious flaws in this crime-reduction plan. (Notes boingboing's Cory Doctorow: "Because, you know, most bar-brawlers are fundamentally upset about the pint, not the people around them, and if they can't smash a pint sleeve, they will contain their anger and not use a chair, bottle or imposing scarred forehead.")
On the other hand, think of the bigger picture. Imagine the relief that the friends of drunken opera stars everywhere would feel, knowing that a Grey Goose-inspired high note would no longer carry such potentially dangerous consequences. Or consider the satisfying scenario of watching a ginned-out drama queen throw their glass against the wall, expecting a explosive burst of shards, only to see it clunk to the ground in two or three pieces. Truly, every cloud has a silver lining.
That being said, probably the best way to avoid getting injured by pint-glasses would be to, you know, not have 11 pints of Newcastle before inquiring how the guy next to you got so fat.
