Swiss MPs Kill Happy Hours

Happy Hour is just a little bit sadder in Vaud, Switzerland, where the canton Parliament has officially banned the two-for-one deals and special price offers that made Happy Hour specials so happy.

According to The Local, MPs in Vaud say the Happy Hour deals encourage customers to drink more, which is true and a big part of why people like Happy Hour deals in the first place. But bars, restaurants, and clubs will no longer be allowed to offer drink specials during Happy Hour on the grounds that reduced drink prices and buy-one-get-one offers could contribute to a culture of binge drinking and lead people to drink more than they had otherwise planned.

In addition to getting rid of Happy Hour drink specials in the interest of curbing binge drinking and cutting down on noise and public disturbances, the MPs also voted to allow security guards to search people entering bars and nightclubs, but a judge overturned that proposition, so customers' pockets will remain their own business. One MP proposed a measure requiring bars and restaurants to give out tap water for free, instead of charging for it as some restaurants currently do, but that measure was outvoted.