A statement from the British Ministry of Justice issued on Friday announced that “Statistics show that around 7,300 criminals either released from prison or serving a community sentence will be forced to wear alcohol tags at some point during” the World Cup. “The innovative tags work around the clock and quickly detect if an offender has been drinking by analysing their sweat. If an offender dares to have a drink, an alert is sent to their probation officer who can take action to punish them, such as an order to return to court or even prison. The tags are accurate enough to distinguish between those simply soaking up the atmosphere at pubs and fan zones where alcohol is present, and those risking a red card by actively drinking. The move comes as police forces and local authorities prepare for increased demand during the tournament, with alcohol often linked to incidents of violence, anti-social behaviour and disorder around major football fixtures,”
“It is expected that around 7,300 offenders will wear an alcohol tag at some point during the World Cup, with around 5,000 already fitted with a tag when the tournament started and a further 2,300 expected to receive new orders,” the cruelest, most dastardly part of the announcement read.