With the city's recent announcement that it would be cracking down on drinking in west-end public areas via "Project Green Glasses," responsible adults who opt to enjoy a beer in Trinity Bellwoods or some wine in Bellevue Square Park are being threatened with $125 fines and local sports leagues like the Toronto Sport and Social Club are being warned that a single infraction (i.e. one beer cracked after a softball game) could jeopardize the organization's contract to use city facilities.

With laws already in place making underage drinking and public intoxication illegal, the increased focus on punishing those who might want to spend the afternoon drinking in one of the city's outdoor spaces brings in to sharp focus the futility of enforcing the prohibition of outdoor alcohol in a city where few people own their own outdoor space.

It is not unreasonable to establish guidelines (e.g. no glass), but to increase police presence for the sake of fining people with alcohol is not only unfeasible, but also a waste of city resources.

It's time the city recognized that Torontonians are capable of respectful, responsible alcohol consumption and formally allowed drinking in public parks.