| Photo: The University of Edinburgh |
| Ye won’t be comin’ inside if ye have traces of guid weed on ye hands, mukker. Aye, laddie, ya can be as blootered as ya laik, but ya cannae be using drugs! |
Get as blootered as ye like, laddie, but you cannae be usin’ cannabis! Patrons were tested for drugs at pubs in Aberdeen, Scotland, last weekend, in something called the “Pub Watch Scheme,” the latest Orwellian phase of “Operation Maple,” an anti-drug effort by local police.
A “drugs itemizer” was used at 10 licensed premises in the city’s Sheddocksley, Northfield and Bridge of Don areas. The device allows police officers or door staff to check for illegal drugs by swabbing a person’s hands, reports Danny Law at STV.
No drugs were detected, but Bridge of Don Local Policing Team Inspector Moray Watt tried to put a good face on things, claiming he “felt the operation was a success” despite the fact that it didn’t accomplish anything except annoying patrons.
“Several premises volunteered to take part in the initiative,” Watt claimed. “Working closely with bar staff, police officers checked people as a condition of entry. Anyone who tested positive was spoken to by police and searched.
“The operation was very positive and allowed officers to speak with people entering the bars concerned about the Pub Watch Scheme and how we are working in partnership to reduce drugs misuse through Operation Maple,” Watt claimed.
“Whilst no controlled drugs were recovered, out of 217 patrons that were tested, several patrons did test positive and were searched by police,” he said.
