A SAFER PUB FIGHT

One of the scariest things about bar fights is how quickly they can escalate.  And when glasses start getting hurled around, it adds another dimension to the violence.  But fear not. Drunken pub fights in Britain (where they’ve seemingly set the gold standard) are set to get safer with the invention of a strengthened beer glass that health authorities hope will cut the huge bill for treating intoxicated brawlers. The traditional pint glass – which holds just over half a liter of beer and is favored by drinkers across Britain – has been redesigned so it is harder to smash, said Design Bridge, the company behind two prototypes.  And even if the new models are smashed, the shards of glass are held together by a layer of resin, said the company. The new models are being hailed by British Interior Minister Alan Johnson, who said the properties of the current pint glass are to blame for much of the country’s alcohol-related violence.  Glass attacks in Britain cost health authorities an estimated 2.7 billion pounds (US$4.3 billion dollars) annually, and official figures put the number of attacks each year at around 87,OOO. Talks are under way with pub chains about trying out the glasses and it is hoped a pilot scheme will be launched within a year.  Perhaps they should speed things up a bit.  Although, really, less dangerous glassware is probably not the biggest concern these pubs have.