World Cup alcohol tags fitted to Brits in 'cruel' drinking ban
Jen Thomas
Featured Image Credit: yasharu/Getty Images
There has been a backlash following the news that thousands of Brits have been fitted with ankle monitors to prevent them from drinking during the World Cup.
According to Sky News, around 7,300 convicted criminals will be fitted with a device which can detect if alcohol has been consumed.
The Ministry Of Justice announced that 5,000 people have had the monitors attached so far, with the remaining 2,300 expected to be done in the next few weeks.
The ankle-worn device will send an alert to the person's probation officers if they consume alcohol.
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It is said that the monitor can even tell the difference between if the wearer is drinking, or is just around other people who are also watching the football.
The Ministry says offenders have stopped drinking for 97% of the days they are tagged.
Lord James Timpson is the prisons, probation and reducing reoffending minister.
He said: "Major sporting events should be a time for the country to come together and enjoy the game, not for alcohol-fuelled violence and disorder to ruin the occasion.
"Having this tech fixed around the ankle is the wake-up call to offenders and leaves them with the sobering thought that one slip-up could send them to jail."
The monitors have proved a success so far, since they were first introduced back in 2020.
David Sidwick and Joy Allen from the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said: "The World Cup unites the nation and we want to see football fans who usually support rival clubs celebrating together - including with a drink if that is their choice.
"However, alcohol fuels crime and anti-social behaviour, and evidence shows violence spikes around major sports events.
"Police and crime commissioners and deputy mayors back the use of alcohol tags to monitor offenders and incentivise them to stay away from crime as part of a programme of measures to rehabilitate them and reduce reoffending, keeping communities safe from alcohol-related harm."
One commenter replied to the news: "How sad we now live in a world like this nowadays."
Another slammed the move: "Geesh, so cruel."
"Ban social media, ban vpns, stop football fans enjoying a shandy..." fumed another, while one queried: "How much is this costing?"
The Ministry of Justice did not reveal the cost of the devices, but said the tags 'help to protect our streets from £21 billion cost of booze-fuelled crime.'
If the wearer is caught drinking, their probation officer can issue an order to return to court or even send them to prison.
The Crime Survey indicated that 39% of victims of serious offences believed that alcohol played a factor in the incident.
Lancaster University carried out a study which found that when England lose a World Cup game, incidents of domestic violence increase by 38% and by 26% when they win, and is often exacerbated by alcohol.