Ever wondered why responsible service of alcohol is such a big deal? One only has to look at the negative effects of binge drinking to understand why serving alcohol responsibly is so important.
Ensuring that we do not serve unduly intoxicated patrons more alcohol is one way we can help them avoid numerous negative health consequences which could affect their heart, stomach, liver, muscles, skin and brain.
Read more about the negative effects of binge drinking here.
Youth are abusing alcohol more and more. In this video we see why we must refuse alcohol to minors and ask for an ID if someone looks young.
Binge drinking has become a particularly big problem for all drinkers not just minors, which is another issue discussed in the video that we as alcohol servers must be mindful of.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMQddOpSm2o
According to a group made up of medical and research groups established in NSW to review alcohol fuelled misconduct and its impact on communities, a community defender’s office is called for in order to protect residents and communities from alcohol fuelled problems stemming from “unwanted” bars and pubs in the area.
A community defender’s office should be established under the liquor law so that residents, schools and hospitals can fight a flood of unwanted bars and bottle shops, an alliance of medical and research groups claim.
According to an article on Smh.com.au the number of active liquor licences in NSW increased by 13 per cent between 2008 and 2011. Councils across Sydney complain that the community is locked out of decision-making and does not have the resources to fight applications from companies with money and resources at their disposal.
The following excerpt from www.Smh.com.au explains further:
The NSW Alcohol Policy Alliance, which includes the NSW Police Association, Australian Medical Association and hospital and surgeon groups, has called for a defender’s office to be funded through the introduction of annual licence fees for pubs and clubs.
A report to be released on Thursday at a forum at NSW Parliament has found the community impact statements lodged by liquor licence applicants are often misleading while spot checks by the regulator have revealed many pubs and hotels don’t tell communities – giving them no chance to object.
A community defender’s office would notify communities of a new licence application, help prepare affidavits and gather data needed to challenge a new licence under complex rules.
”NSW communities are demanding a say in liquor licensing decisions but are increasingly frustrated at being locked out by a process that is unfairly weighted in favour of the alcohol industry,” said Michael Thorn, chief executive of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/push-for-help-fighting-bars-bottle-shops-20131019-2vtja.html#ixzz2iKdVFFSl
As one member of the community, Kandy Tagg explained, liquor licences arent the problem but the concern is that more big bars bring more drinking, more violence and noise and subsequently more disruption for the community.
The Fairfield City Council explained that it is extremely difficult for the community to challenge a licence proposal because they often dont have the means to do so and sometimes they arent even aware of the applications.
It is important that in areas where there is a high density of bars, pubs and licenced premises that Responsible service of alcohol regulations are strictly adhered to because often it is the only defence against the alcohol fuelled problems that communities are so fearful of.
The post on Smh.com.au goes on to explain:
Applicants were only required to provide the location of nearby schools, churches and hospitals, not the views of these groups. The only way a community discovered an application had been lodged was if they happened to see an A4 piece of paper stuck on a building, she said.
Manly Council uses its planning powers to alert community groups if a development application for a new pub or restaurant is received. Any objections go to an independent panel. Cr Griffin said the NSW government should adopt the same approach for liquor licences.
Residents on Thursday took objections to a restaurant Justin Hemmes plans to open on the Manly wharf to an independent hearing. It ruled the project could proceed but must address noise and environmental concerns.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/push-for-help-fighting-bars-bottle-shops-20131019-2vtja.html#ixzz2iKdVFFSl
Sydney will hopefully become less violence infested since the foundation of a panel to make suggestions on issues affecting Sydney’s nightlife has been announced.
The jury of more than 40 citizens is going to be empanelled with the task of tackling the issue of alcohol fuelled violence plaguing Sydney’s streets.
The panel is a joint effort, initiated by The Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation, the City of Sydney, the NSW government and the independent newDemocracy Foundation.The group will be composed of 43 randomly selected citizens of Sydney who are not affiliated with any parties, lobbyists or interest groups. Members of the panel will be asked to compile at least 5 recommendations to help make Sydney’s night life safer and less violence prone.
The initiative is being championed by someone who has been directly affected Sydney’s violent night life, Ralph Kelly, the father of teenager Thomas Kelly.
Thomas Kelly was slain in the notorious Kings Cross District last year when he decided to visit the area for the first time.
An article on www.TheAustralian.com.au explains,
Ralph Kelly, the father of Thomas Kelly who died after being king hit at Kings Cross in July last year, said the panel would hopefully cut through self-interest and conflicting views.
“I hadn’t appreciated just how politically complex this issue is,” Mr Kelly, who founded the Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation, said on Tuesday.
“I just want a jury of people to really look at what is happening and for there to be a sensible and informed conversation which government listens to.
“We don’t know what the outcome will be, but I think a citizens’ jury is a way to get beyond the simple back-and-forth between lobbies which goes nowhere.”
The primary sponsors of the initiative are the City of Sydney and the NSW government and will cost the state more than $132,000.
The call for jury members will be issued to a group of randomly selected Sydney residents from a selected sample of 20,000. The jury will also be made up of university and TAFE students to ensure that the 18-24 year old demographic is adequately represented.
Discussions will begin early next year and will include 6 face-to-face meetings where members of the panel will be asked to come up with set recommendations to reduce Sydney’s nightlife violence that could be attached and accomplished in a set timeframe.
Various interest groups will be allowed to voice their opinions to the jury who will make the ultimate decisions. These decisions will then be taken, as is to parliament. The article on www.TheAustralian.com.au goes on to explain:
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said expert groups, interest groups, community groups and lobbyists will be invited to make their case, but the extent of their role will be in the hands of the jury.
NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell has agreed the recommendations of the jury will be taken to parliament unaltered, she said.
According to the Northern Territory’s police commissioner, those who are critical of the government’s moves to push through tough new alcohol legislation should consider the women and children who are suffering in the NT because of alcohol abuse and drunken partners and parents.
The new restrictions include alcohol protection orders which will ban people who are charged with committing a serious offence while intoxicated from possession or drinking alcohol or entering a licensed premises for 3 to 12 months.
According to the Chief Minister Adam Giles this is significant because a staggering 70 per cent of domestic violence incidents in the NT are as a result of alcohol abuse.
The orders can be issued to any person who is charged with an offence that would attract a potential jail term of 6 months or more and could be implemented before they are found guilty by the courts.
Giles explained that if people want to avoid these restrictions, they should simply refrain from “bashing” their wives and don’t drink to such an extent that they end up punching someone in a licenced venue or drive home drunk.
The police commissioner, John McRoberts echoed the sentiments of Giles and said that the aim of the restrictions was to deal with those who behave badly under the influence of alcohol, he went on to explain:
“This legislation, as far as police are concerned, is designed to deal with harmful effects of alcohol and target those who behave irresponsibly,” Police Commissioner John McRoberts said.
“Far too often we see people mourning the morning after, because what started out as a pleasant night out for some has turned into an utter catastrophe for others.”
It will be up to police to stop banned people entering licensed venues and buying alcohol, and licensees may be provided with photos and names of those banned so they don’t unknowingly serve them.
Source: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/11/28/15/53/alcohol-orders-set-to-pass-nt-parliament
One would think that this move would be bad for business and therefore would not be supported by businesses, but the Australian Hotels Association says it is supportive of the move because it helps staff of licenced venues who would otherwise have to deal with these drunken offenders.
The post goes on to explain:
“I don’t think this puts the onus on staff,” AHA NT senior vice-president Mick Burns said.
“It targets the problem, it doesn’t target 99 out of 100 people that do the right thing and go out and enjoy a drink and don’t do the sort of things we read about on the front page of the paper.”
Source: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/11/28/15/53/alcohol-orders-set-to-pass-nt-parliament
The restrictions do have some critics who believe that it will criminalise drinking. The post goes on to explain:
Critics of the legislation say it will criminalise alcoholism and disadvantage Aboriginal people, and say that it’s more cumbersome than the previous Labor government’s Banned Drinkers Register, which created a centralised system for bottle shops and licensed premises to scan patron IDs and refuse service to those banned.
Source: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/11/28/15/53/alcohol-orders-set-to-pass-nt-parliament
A debate is raging in The United States about whether or not to lower the legal alcohol limit for drivers following a surge in road deaths caused by drink driving.
According to an article on The New York Times website, thousands of people are killed on American roads each year by car crashes caused by drivers who have been drinking but have not reached the legal alcohol limit. Therefore these drivers are not actually “drink driving” because they are acting within the law, yet lives are still being lost.
The National Transportation Safety Board said that it recommended states reduce the allowance blood-alcohol concentration by more than one third. It is currently 0.08 per cent BAC whereas it has been suggested that the USA drop this to 0.05, this is more in line with standards around the world, including in Oz.
According to the group, the current standard is outdated, it was established over a decade ago and at present around 10,000 fatalities are happening on USA’s roads each year.
Read what the article on NYTimes.com went on to discuss about the issue:
“There are at least 10,000 reasons to tackle this issue,” said Deborah A. P. Hersman, the chairwoman of the board. Foreign countries with stricter standards have had substantially more success, according to the board.
The board voted for a variety of recommendations. Some, like requiring that everyone convicted of drunken driving be required to install a Breathalyzer interlock in their car, which would prevent the vehicle from starting without an alcohol test, were focused on heavy drinkers and repeat offenders.
Officials said they hoped that a stricter standard would reduce drinking and driving both among social drinkers and among heavy drinkers.
Blood-alcohol concentration varies by body weight, gender, stomach contents and other factors, but generally speaking, a 180-pound man could consume four beers or glasses of wine in 90 minutes without reaching the current limit. At a limit of 0.05 percent, he could legally consume only three. A 130-pound woman could probably consume three drinks in 90 minutes and be legal under the existing standard; if the limit were lowered, she could consume only two.
Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/us/legal-limit-drunken-driving-safety-board.html?_r=0
However not everyone thinks reducing the BAC limit for drivers is such a good idea. Members of the American Beverage Institute have criticised it for failing to address the real problem, drunk drivers not drivers who are responsible by sticking to the limit. The post goes on to explain:
The blood-alcohol recommendation faces opposition. Sarah Longwell, the managing director at the American Beverage Institute, a restaurant trade association, called the idea “ludicrous.”
“Moving from 0.08 to 0.05 would criminalize perfectly responsible behavior,” she said. And “further restriction of moderate consumption of alcohol by responsible adults prior to driving does nothing to stop hard-core drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel.”
Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/us/legal-limit-drunken-driving-safety-board.html?_r=0
But government statistics have apparently been provided which show that people with a blood-alcohol level of 0.05 percent are 38 percent more likely to be involved in a crash than those who have not been drinking while people with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent are 169 percent more likely.
Most American states only switched to a BAC of 0.08 in the year 2000 when Bill Clinton signed a law which withheld highway construction money from states that did not do so but the rest of the world agrees that 0.05 BAC is the acceptable limit and some countries like South Africa are even considering lowering it even further after a number of alcohol induced crashes.
I recently found an interesting story that parallels the situation we are currently faced with in O, regarding underage drinking. A hidden camera investigation was carried out in a Canadian restaurant which revealed that underage drinking is a problem in that country as well. Australia is not the only country battling to come to a solution to the woes that result from teenage drinking and more specifically the serving of alcohol to minors.
The hidden cameras revealed that a number of establishments are selling alcohol to minors and perhaps a similar approach can be implemented in problem areas in Oz to root out the guilty parties.
This post on Cbc.ca explains in more detail
In the investigation, a group composed of three 18-year-olds and one 17-year-old was sent to four establishments. The CBC asked the three males and one female to order alcohol, but not to drink it if they were served. Provincial laws prohibit anyone under 19 years old from being served or sold liquor.
All four teens went together to Ebisu restaurant on Robson Street in Vancouver where they ordered a pitcher of beer and were served within minutes of sitting down.
The same night, the Keg Steakhouse & Bar on Still Creek Avenue in Burnaby served red wine to two of the 18-year-olds, who went in as a couple. Another Keg waitress served beer to the two other teens who were sitting in the bar area.All four left their drinks untouched and later left.
Outside the restaurant afterwards, the teens offered their own theories about why they were served.
“It was just really casual,” said Jack Hu, 17. “I guess [the server] just thought we were older.”
Aidan Ponton, 18, said he suspected the waitress sympathized with them.
“I guess she just saw us, just some younger kids and she knew what it was like, she’d been in that position before and she didn’t hesitate,” Ponton said.
These four teens checked out four restaurants in a CBC investigation. (CBC)
Ben Roberts, 18, saw a monetary motive.”They are making money off of it, a lot of money and I don’t think that’s their main priority to obey the law.”
“[If] your employer’s not forcing you to ID then you’re not going to,” said 18-year-old Katherine Gillard.
When later confronted with the results of the CBC News investigation, the management at Ebisu said they were shocked and embarrassed and promised to be more vigilant in checking identification.
A Keg spokesperson admitted its servers did not follow procedures and the restaurant chain will now redouble its training.
In Canada similar to Oz, there are hefty fines for selling alcohol to minors which doesn’t seem to be enough of a deterrent to sellers. In Canada the penalty for a first offence ranges from $7,500 to $10,000 (Canadian) or a 10-to-15- day licence suspension. Licensees can either accept the penalty or request an enforcement hearing.
The incident in Canada has resulted in the restaurant assuring that it will increase the training of its staff. However in Australian responsible service of alcohol training is mandatory for every person serving or selling alcohol.
One of the biggest benefits of RSA training is that it teaches you to serve alcohol in a manner that maintains the good reputation of the establishment. Ensuring that you do not suffer the consequences that come from serving alcohol to unduly intoxicated patrons or minors means that you will enjoy a pleasant working environment and be confident that each time you go to work you will be safe rather than being exposed to alcohol fuelled violence.
How Safe is it to Mix Alcohol?
Is it true that mixing different types of alcohol may result in drunkenness? Some people believe that by mixing different drinks they will get more drunk and suffer worse hangovers than if they stick to one type of drink only. For example mixing beer and vodka can make you more drunk than if you drink beer only for the entire night, but is it fact or just an old wives tale? In this post we explore the notion that mixing different types of drinks makes you more drunk.
This idea may have originated from the rate at which the body processes alcohol. The liver can only efficiently process one standard-sized alcoholic drink per hour, although men can process more alcohol per hour than women.
The body’s blood alcohol level rises more rapidly after drinking hard liquor than it does after drinking beer, therefore you may feel the effects of intoxication quicker.
If you drink liquor before beeryou are more likely to feel the effects of the alcohol sooner which may cause you not to consume as much alcohol thereby decreasing the chances of getting sick from over indulgence. On the other hand consuming beer before liquor can make you feel sick because if you felt little effect from the beer you may be motivated to consume more alcohol by consuming stronger drinks.
Some researchers have found that different types of alcohol contain different amounts of compounds which may cause hangover symptoms. Clear beverages like vodka, gin, and white wine contain less of these compounds than darker liquor like brandy, whisky, rum, and red wine while mixing the compounds may increase stomach irritation and subsequently the intensity of the hangover symptoms.
Rather than the mix of alcohol you consume it’s the rate at whichyou consume it that determines the level of intoxication and hangover symptoms you will experience. It is common to down shooters or shots which are most often mixed resulting in intoxication. It is the fact that you down these quickly one after the other, rather than the fact that they are mixed drinks, which makes you drunk.
Drinking mixed drinks and shots means consuming greater amounts of alcohol at a faster rate, and you may become intoxicated faster than you notice.
Even though you may mix your drinks or drink too quickly there are ways to reduce the intensity of the hangover the next morning. The most important factor to remember when drinking is to do so responsibly, don’t overdo it and arrange for safe transport home. To curb the hangover, eat something before drinking to slow the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. Alternate one alcoholic drink and then one non-alcoholic one to pace yourself and keep hydrated. Also be more attentive to the alcohol content of the drinks you are consuming.
Are there benefits to Wine drinking?
There has long been raging a debate as to whether or not wine presents any benefit to the health of its drinkers. Certainly a good argument has been that In ancient times when wine was the alcohol of choice people lived longer and healthier lives. In countries where wine is produced and forms part of everyday life the life span seems to be longer, such as in Mediterranean countries such as Italy and Spain. So does drinking a glass a day really have health benefits?
Well according to numerous studies done wine has many health benefits, when enjoyed in moderation, a few glasses a week. Red wine in particular can be good for you although white wine also presents its benefits. According to research drinking red wine can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimers, due to the grapes that make up the wine.
Grapes contain in their skin miracle nutrients and are packed with Resveratol which actually protects the body’s cells. Saponin also contained in the grapes skin binds together with bad cholesterol and sifts it out of the body. The third magic component Flavonoids interfere and interrupt the multiplication of deadly cancer cells in the body.
Non-alcoholic phytochemicals in wine, such as flavanoids and resveratrol, act as antioxidants and prevent molecules known as “free radicals” from causing cellular damage in the body. Although some studies which have focused on the health benefits of resveratrol use much greater dosages than you’ll find in an average glass of wine, resveratrol has been shown to prevent blood clotting and plaque formation in arteries by altering lipid profiles and plasma viscosity. Findings from a recent study suggest that resveratrol can produce potent anti-thrombotic agents that can potentially improve cardiovascular health and lower the risk for coronary heart disease. In animal studies, resveratrol reduced tumours forming by affecting one or more stages of cancer development.
The Documented Benefits of Wine Drinking
It reduces the risk of a heart attack. Evidence collected by The Harvard School for Public Health suggests that moderate wine drinkers suffering from high blood pressure are 30 per cent less likely to have a heart attack than non-wine drinkers.
Wine apparently promotes longevity. Wine drinkers have a 34 per cent lower mortality rate than beer or spirits drinkers according to a Finnish study of 2,468 men over a 29-year period, published in the Journals of Gerontology, 2007.
Wine can also reduce the risk of Type 2 Diabetes in drinkers according to a study by Amsterdam’s VU University Medical Centre who conducted studies on 369862 people found that moderate drinkers were 30 per cent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes that non-drinkers.
Wine drinkers have a lower chance of a stroke because the possibility of suffering a blood clot–related stroke drops by about 50 per cent in people who consume moderate amounts of alcohol. This according to a study of 3176 people in 2006 by a Columbia University. The university also found that the problem of brain decline is another problem that aging causes. Brain function declines at a markedly faster rate in non-wine drinkers than in moderate drinkers.
A problem that often plagues aged people, cataracts can be reduced by 32 per cent compared to people who drink beer.
Wine consumption also cuts the risk of colon cancer by an astonishing 45 per cent, research by a Stony Brook University revealed in 2005.
Although the benefits of wine have been well documented and the fact that moderate amounts of alcohol can raise your good cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) and thin your blood there are also negative consequences of wine abuse. Red wine in particular is better for your health than spirits and beer.
Red wine provides much more resveratrol compared to white. That’s because the longer the skin is kept on the grape during the wine making process, the greater the concentration of resveratrol in the wine. In white wine production the grape skin is removed before fermentation giving white wines a lower concentration in resveratrol compared to red wines.
The Negative Side Effects of Wine
Higher Risk of contracting breast cancer. Studies have shown alcohol can increase oestrogen levels and raise tumour progression in women rather than destroy it as in other cases.
Causes Migraines. Wine is often a big trigger for people who suffer with migraine headaches. Although white wine contains more sulfites than red wine (sulfites are added to white wine to preserve its light color), red wine seems to be a much bigger migraine trigger due to the accumulation of histamines and tannins from prolonged contact with the skin.