UK: Why can't meths be sold on Sundays?

[GorillaMan]

In B&Q today, I noticed a sign indicating that they are forbidden from selling methalated spirits on Sundays. Nothing else, just meths. Why?

[Shrinking Violet]

In B&Q today, I noticed a sign indicating that they are forbidden from selling methalated spirits on Sundays. Nothing else, just meths. Why?

I would assume it's to do with the "no selling of alcohol on Sundays" rule in some parts ..... even for an innocent tipple like meths. :)

[GorillaMan]

Nope, no such law would be tolerated in these parts ;)

[SpoilerVirgin]

Looks like as of February 27, 2004, they can. The Regulatory Reform (Sunday Trading) Order 2004 (http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2004/20040470.htm) repealed Section 26 of the Revenue Act 1889 (prohibition of sale of methylated spirits on Sunday). Maybe you should let B&Q know.

Just an old Blue Law (http://www.snopes.com/language/colors/bluelaws.htm) finally being taken off the books.

[GorillaMan]

Heh heh, would that qualify me as an awkward customer? I might go to buy some this Sunday, just for the hell of it....I wonder if we're now also allowed to buy a Bible on Sundays? We're gonna have one hell of a party...


Mind you, the answer to why it was prohibited in the first place remains elusive...

[SpoilerVirgin]

O.K., here you go...Section 26 of the 1889 Act formed part of the control system that applied to licensed retailers of methylated spirits. It was introduced to address a problem of people purchasing and drinking methylated spirits on a day when dutiable alcoholic liquors were not readily available. Dutiable alcoholic liquor is now widely available to purchase on a Sunday.People who couldn't get a beer on Sunday were buying methylated spirits and drinking them instead (can't have been very healthy or tasted very good), so they were banned as well. Since alcohol is now available on Sunday, the ban is no longer necessary.

[The Great Sun Jester]

Help an ignorant Yank out on this...What is a methylated spirit?

[GorillaMan]

Methylated spirits = denatured alcohol. Damn yanks :p

[Ross]

It's alcohol for industrial use as, I dunno, fuel or for cleaning or something. If you drink it regularly, you die. It has methanol in it, not ethanol, which is what alcoholic drinks have. People call it "meths". You'll often hear "have you been at the meths again?" if someone starts talking rubbish.

SO I suppose it should be "methylated spirit" not "spirits" but everybody says "spirits" for some reason.

[GorillaMan]

Oh, and many thanks to SpoilerVirgin for the info :)


Now to ask B&Q if they have a major problem with tramps driving round the A14 just to buy their meths... :dubious:

[Small Clanger]

No-one has mentioned yet, meths has an attractive purple colouring making it useful in cocktails.

[Colophon]

It has methanol in it, not ethanol, which is what alcoholic drinks have.

Not exactly true: meths is mostly ethanol, but has been denatured by the addition of methanol. Oh, and pyridine. Tasty. (Cite (http://www.wordreference.com/definition/methylated%20spirits.htm))

[CookingWithGas]

People who couldn't get a beer on Sunday were buying methylated spirits and drinking them instead . . .The reason the stuff is methylated to start with is to make it undrinakable--poison. People actually drink that sh*t on purpose? Check out this recent news story from Iran. http://www.iranmania.com/news/150604h.asp

[SpoilerVirgin]

The reason the stuff is methylated to start with is to make it undrinakable--poison. People actually drink that sh*t on purpose? While I was researching methylated spirits, I kept thinking about Kitty Dukakis (for those not in the U.S., she was the wife of 1988 presidential candidate Michael Dukakis). She was an alcoholic who was hospitalized for drinking rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol is denatured and poisonous, but when you are an alcoholic and the craving is that bad, you go for whatever is available.

[KP]

I've long been aware of that practice (and the story, since I lived in Massachusetts at the time), but it's always puzzled me a bit. Rubbing alcohol is isopropyl alcohol, not ethanol (or methanol). As far as I know, it would make you very sick, and might make you slightly dizzy, but wouldn't give you an alcohol "buzz" or stop the DTs.

Unfortunately, I've never thought to ask a patient why they do this, even the repeat customers (which is not terribly uncommon). Desperation, I can understand, but why would desperation drive you to do something that you know is unrelated. It'd be like stealing someone's tires, because you're out of gas.

I've never read a good explanation of this in my texts. Anyone have the Straight Dope?

I'm hoping that there might be a more concrete answer. For example, alcoholics were once known to deliberately ingest propylene glycol (antifreeze) because part of the treatment involved drinking large amounts of ethanol (which competes for an enzyme that breaks the anitfreeze down to toxic byproducts). An alcoholic who showed up in an ER (usually on Sunday,when local liquor stores weren't open) with ethylene glycol ingestion got a free bender at state expense. [I'm sure this wasn't KItty Dukakis' motive, since she'd have been mortified at the publicity]

[istara]

IIRC methylated spirits is dyed purple and has an additive that make it smell (and presumably taste) foul so people wouldn't mix it up with other fluids, eg water.

But people still drink it.