Woman Becomes First to Be Banned from Drinking in All UK Pubs and Bars

Laura Hall of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, has officially become the first person ever to be banned from drinking in any of the pubs, bars and clubs in England and Wales, The Sun reports. Because of repeated drinking-related offenses in her hometown, the 20-year-old is also prohibited from buying alcohol or carrying an open container in a public place, the same media outlet informs.

The woman has literally become the talk of the town (of the country, actually) after being detained several times for unruly behavior when under the influence. She also showed complete disregard of other outstanding bans issued on her name, which forced authorities to ask for one on a national level. In doing so, they made of Hall the first person in the UK ever to be slapped with a DBO, also known as a Booze Asbos, but they hope it will help her see she has a serious problem.

“Magistrates slapped the Drinking Banning Order (DBO) on Hall after she was involved in a run of alcohol-related public order offences. Cops argued strict measures were needed to deal with the 20-year-old’s drunken behavior. The DBO means Hall is not allowed in any pub, club, off-license or bar in England and Wales for the next two years. She is also banned from buying booze – or having alcohol in an unsealed container or drinking in any public place. And she must attend an alcohol-misuse course,” The Sun says of the decision.

“Rather than seeing it as a punishment, we hope she’ll use it to get her life on track,” Sgt David Robert says for the tab of the court order. Licensing officer PC Neil Sharpe agrees, adding that authorities also believe Hall’s case will serve as an example to other people in her situation. “A DBO is a powerful tool for tackling alcohol-related disorder. We will not hesitate to apply for more and we hope that others with drink-related issues will take note of this,” Sharpe explains.

Statistics show that alcohol consumption in women in the UK is on the rise, especially among those of Hall’s age group. This boost goes hand in hand with a certain degree of aggressiveness, which has led to the appearance of the so-called “ladette culture.”