Alcohol and carrying...

atbdrummer

atbdrummer

New member
Maybe this a stupid question but I'm hoping someone can point me to the proper RCW. If you are in a restaurant (not the 21 and under only section) and are carrying, can you order and consume an alcoholic drink? Again I apologize if this is a stupid question but it just crossed my mind.
 
You'll have to check the laws for your state.

In NC we can't carry in any establishment that sells alcohol for consumption on premises. We also can't carry if we've been drinking.
 
There is no law (RCW) that makes it illegal, so by default it is legal. With everything we ingest, moderation and responsibility is key.

Your an adult, you make your own decisions. Have a beer or glass of wine with dinner like a responsible adult if you want, being a fellow Washington resident, I would have no problem with that. I would have a problem if you were drunk, so don't get drunk while carrying...I recommend you don't get drunk ever...but again that's up to you.
 
I have to agree with Firefighterchen. If you were with me and had a glass of wine and were carrying your gun, no problem. BUT if you kept drinking that IS a problem. Anybody who is drunk and is carrying a gun could be the next poster child for the anti gun nuts.
 
atbdrummer said:
Maybe this a stupid question but I'm hoping someone can point me to the proper RCW. If you are in a restaurant (not the 21 and under only section) and are carrying, can you order and consume an alcoholic drink? Again I apologize if this is a stupid question but it just crossed my mind.
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First... it's 21 and over section (commonly known as a bar) that is prohibited for firearms, not 21 and under. Second... never mix alcohol with guns, it causes your drink to have a Hoppe's after taste [/sarcasm]. Many more people are killed every year by drivers of vehicles who are under the influence of alcohol. Does that mean that nobody should consume alcohol with vehicle keys in their pocket? NO. It just means you should NOT use those keys to drive after drinking. To me, the gun is no different. No problem at all with the gun in a holster while having a beer or two with dinner. Just don't take it out of the holster and play with it. If you can't leave the gun in the holster after one or two drinks...then you should definitely leave the gun at home.

There is no law against consuming alcohol while armed in Washington state. Now you are going to see many posts by members of this forum who will tell you to never consume alcohol while you are carrying a firearm because it will be used against you in court should you ever have to use your firearm in self defense, but they won't be able to cite any examples where that has ever happened in real life.
 
Wow... Totally missed the whole "21 and under." I must have been tired. The thought just crossed my mind last night when I was at Red Robin. I knew about the NC laws since i was stationed there in the Marines and was originally try to get my CCW there. I agree that if you are having a drink, you probably shouldn't drink. Just a random thought. Thanks for all the replies.
 
I'll catch this one before anyone else does. If you drink, you probably shouldn't carry. I need to go back to sleep.
 
If you drink alcohol, I don't, you should leave your gun at home. Imagine if you got into a shooting scenario and you had booze in your system. I'm afraid you would be in the deep stuff and have a very hard time getting out. JMHO
 
Apparently three Washington resident, who know the culture, gun community, and brewing community didn't mean a thing to the OP...Why did he ask the question if he had all ready made up his mind?
 
dbrow6272 said:
If you drink alcohol, I don't, you should leave your gun at home. Imagine if you got into a shooting scenario and you had booze in your system. I'm afraid you would be in the deep stuff and have a very hard time getting out. JMHO
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How about this what if...

You just had surgery. They gave you oxycodone for the pain. Should you carry to the grocery store, the time you would need your firearm the most as your all ready physically handicapped? What If you shoot someone in self defense, and they find narcotics in your system...

The answer: Key words are self defense shooting. If it's justified self defense shooting, it's a justified self defense shooting. If it's not a justified shooting, alcohol or not, your screwed.
 
Firefighterchen said:
Apparently three Washington resident, who know the culture, gun community, and brewing community didn't mean a thing to the OP...Why did he ask the question if he had all ready made up his mind?
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The question wasn't so much as to my opinion as it was the legality of the situation. However you have all made great points, especially the one about being prescribed medication. Thank you all for your input.
 
atbdrummer said:
Firefighterchen said:
Apparently three Washington resident, who know the culture, gun community, and brewing community didn't mean a thing to the OP...Why did he ask the question if he had all ready made up his mind?
Click to expand...

The question wasn't so much as to my opinion as it was the legality of the situation. However you have all made great points, especially the one about being prescribed medication. Thank you all for your input.
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Your right, fair enough, the legality was addressed so at least the original question was answered. Your welcome to your opinion btw, I didn't mean to sound like it was wrong or anything.
 
Your presence, while in possession of a legally carried firearm, in a particular establishment is dependent of the states laws. As an example only, in Florida, by law one cannot carry into an establishment that derives 51% or more of it total revenue from the sale of on site consumable alcohol/ (A bar that makes more money from the sale of booze than from the sale of food)

But short answer is yes you can drink and carry. You can also drink and drive or drink and pilot an aircraft or drink and pilot a high speed bass boat. But should you? That's up to you. You and hopefully only you will suffer the consequences of what ever action you choose.

Personal responsibility needs to come into play somewhere along the line.
 
People will have to make their own decision. If you are responsible, then you are responsible. If you're an Azzhole and a loud and rowdy drunk, then don't carry while drinking. It's not such a big deal having a cold one or TWO while having dinner w/ your family. I carry in bars in PA all the time. Cops have been carrying in bars after their shifts for generations. The real danger is not drinking & carrying, it's drinking & driving! If it's legal in your state, then it's up to you. Bottoms UP!!
 
dbrow6272 said:
If you drink alcohol, I don't, you should leave your gun at home. Imagine if you got into a shooting scenario and you had booze in your system. I'm afraid you would be in the deep stuff and have a very hard time getting out. JMHO
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And you can provide court cases to substantiate your theory? You'd be the first. Nobody who holds this opinion has been able to provide an example of it happening in real life.
 
walt629 said:
But short answer is yes you can drink and carry. You can also drink and drive or drink and pilot an aircraft or drink and pilot a high speed bass boat. But should you? That's up to you. You and hopefully only you will suffer the consequences of what ever action you choose.
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Walt629, do you understand the difference between possessing an object, and using/playing with it? Yes you can also drink and drive....so alcohol and car keys don't mix, right? You can drink and pilot an aircraft, so there should be no bars in airports, right? I was skydiving and there was always a cooler of beer in the hangar...for AFTER the fun, but I guess we were wrong then. You can drink and pilot a high speed bass boat... so I guess alcohol and boat keys don't mix? Or there should be no places that serve alcohol at marinas?

Can you see the difference between drinking and operating dangerous equipment - and drinking and carrying an object? I have consumed plenty of beer over the years with a gun in a holster on my belt. Funny, how I have never been tempted to pull it out and play with it when under the influence of a couple of drinks with dinner. And if I have to use my gun in self defense or defense of my family that I am having dinner with...then it is better to have my gun to use in self defense than to have left it behind. But I am not going to change my lifestyle to accommodate my gun. My gun is a part of normal life, I don't feel the need to change my normal activities (unless required to by law) to accommodate my gun.
 
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