Alberta government to crack down on cheap drinks

Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach said his government is working on new rules to limit alcohol consumption in bars following a weekend attack on two Edmonton police officers who were trying to break up a fight outside a downtown bar.

The two were jumped, kicked and punched, while a crowd of onlookers stood by.

"It is getting to be a serious matter," Stelmach said to reporters at the Alberta legislature Wednesday.

"When police officers are actually swarmed on the street, it's like the old West, and we've got to get control of it. This is not the kind of message we want to send to others in terms of safe communities in Edmonton."

Stelmach attributed such attacks to overconsumption of alcohol, and said his government is working to control "binge drinking."

Solicitor General Fred Lindsay agreed and said his officials are drawing up new rules to impose minimum drink prices or restrict happy hours.

"We've been monitoring it for a while and we all know that violence is increasing in and around bars," said Lindsay.

"This is another step that we think will encourage people to drink responsibly and, hopefully, cut down some of the violence and silliness that we see in the drinking establishments today."

The government hopes to have the new regulations ready by the end of June, Lindsay said.