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  • Club Forced to Close due to RSA Breaches

    The consequences of breaching Responsible Service of Alcohol laws have been demonstrated by an incident which took place at the Wagga Wagga Boat Club at Lake Albert.

    Police say they were forced to shut down the club after they discovered more than 200 licensing breaches relating to responsible alcohol service during a single inspection.

    The police’s discovery was made during a raid on the weekend which was part of Operation Unite. The operation is a joint effort by police across Oz and NZ to crackdown on alcohol related criminal behaviour.

    The following excerpt explains what happened:

    The Club at Lake Albert was raided on Saturday night during Operation Unite – a crackdown on alcohol related crime and anti-social behaviour.

    In a statement, police say the breaches of the liquor law were discovered during a single inspection.

    The club was immediately closed and directed by the officers to cease trading.

    The Crime Manager of the Wagga Wagga Local Area Command Inspector Darren Cloake says the breaches relate to the number of days the club is alleged to have operated without properly accredited management.

    Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-16/police-close-wagga-boat-club/5158908?&section=news

    It is important that other licensees recognise how crucial it is for all employees including those who are not directly serving alcohol to be in possession of a Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate. Management and security staff working in a licenced venue must also complete the training and keep proof that they have done so on the premises so that when authorities request it, it is available. Even temporarily employed staff must complete this course, not only those permanently employed.

    The boat club involved in this incident had employed a temporary manager without ensuring that he had completed RSA training, the authorities take this type of offence very seriously, as Inspector Cloake explains:

    “The club has currently employed a temporary manager and that manager doesn’t hold a current RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) or RG (Responsible Conduct of Gambling) certificate, therefore the club’s been operating without the necessary authority,” he said.

    “The person’s been operating for approximately 44 days. Those offences relate to the sale and supply of alcohol. Basically for the 44 days, each day that they’ve been operating is an offence.”

    Inspector Cloake says police will follow up on the closure order tomorrow.

    No-one from the Boat Club’s been available for comment, but ABC News understands officials are working to reopen the facility as soon as possible.

    Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-16/police-close-wagga-boat-club/5158908?&section=news

    It is surprising that people in the alcohol service industry choose to neglect the importance of the Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certificate, despite it being so easy to obtain. Perhaps some of the reason why people operate illegally and fail to obtain their RSA certificate is that they are misinformed about how to complete the RSA course and aren’t aware of how simple a process it can be.

    The course can be completed easily and conveniently online from the comfort of your home or office. The online course is also much more cost effective than traditional forms of training in a classroom, so RSA staff and management have no excuse not to obtain their RSA certificate.

  • Study Disproves Theory that Alcohol leads to Depression

    According to a group of Western Australian scientists, alcohol consumption does not lead to depression as previously assumed.

    The scientists discovered that there was no truth to theory that alcohol causes people to become depressed.

    The discovery was made following a study of 3873 elderly men conducted over a period of 3 years as part of a long running men’s health study and the findings have been eye-opening especially in debunking some old myths such as the myth that drinking alcohol causes depression.

    This post from www.perthnow.com.au explains:

    A study of 3873 elderly men has shown no truth to the long-held belief alcohol causes people to become depressed, University of Western Australia school of psychiatry and clinical neurosciences professor Osvaldo Almeida said.

    The study was conducted over three years as part of the long-running Health in Men Study.

    “We found (as expected) that this particular genetic variant was associated with reduced alcohol use, but it had no association with depression whatsoever,” he said.

    Source: http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/alcohol-and-depression-not-linked-wa-study/story-fnhocxo3-1226717903594

    The researchers came to the conclusion that alcohol doesn’t cause depression in older men. There are often people who suffer from alcoholism and the effects of these addictions may lead them to become depressed but alcohol in itself doesn’t cause depression, as we previously thought.

    Even though this study shows that alcohol consumption does not directly lead to depression in drinkers, we should not take this as an opportunity to binge drink. Any excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to severe and sometimes life-threatening consequences which is why alcohol should always be consumed in moderation and responsibly.

    Consuming moderate amounts of alcohol can positively affect your physical and mental state. Even though alcohol is widely abused, which often overshadows the good it can do, there are some benefits to drinking alcohol in moderate amounts. And now that we know that alcohol doesn’t cause depression, people abusing it does, we can recognise the importance of promoting moderate consumption, particularly if we work in the hospitality industry.

    Workers who serve and sell alcohol have a responsibility to ensure that they are not serving alcohol to unduly intoxicated patrons which only promotes excessive drinking and negative consequences such as alcoholism and depression.

    The post goes on to explain:

    “The conclusion is that alcohol use neither causes nor prevents depression in older men.  Our results also debunk the view that mild to moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of depression.”

    Prof Almeida said the association observed between alcohol and depression could be explained by other factors, but not by alcohol itself.

    “It doesn’t mean alcohol is entirely safe and people can consume it in whatever way they like.  We know that alcohol when consumed in excess does create a lot of health problems – but what we now know is that one of those problems is not depression.”

    Source: http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/alcohol-and-depression-not-linked-wa-study/story-fnhocxo3-1226717903594

  • Sydney Panel to make Suggestions on State’s Nightlife

    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.”

    Source: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/sydneysiders-set-to-form-jury-on-alcohol/story-fn3dxiwe-1226720885641

    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.

    Source: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/sydneysiders-set-to-form-jury-on-alcohol/story-fn3dxiwe-1226720885641

  • Why so many road crashes are caused by Alcohol

    It seems that drink driving is one of those problems that is universal, no matter where you go in the world you will probably find drink drivers, in some places the problem may be worse than in others.

    Recently in New Zealand a woman was killed in an early morning crash which left another 3 people injured. We seldom hear of people drink driving in the early morning unless they are still on a buzz from the night before. It is not known whether the driver involved in this incident was intoxicated from the night before or began drinking early in the morning, the accident took place in Auckland around 5:30am.

    The vehicle was apparently travelling quite slowly at below 50km per hour but passengers weren’t wearing seatbelts and the driver may have been intoxicated which is what is suspected to have caused the crash and resulted in a fatality.

    The accident happened when the vehicle carrying 4 people collided with another vehicle before smashing into a power pole. The driver of the vehicle, a 20 year old woman died and the other occupants of the vehicle were injured. The second car’s occupant was not injured.

    The occupants of the first vehicle were trapped and had to be freed from the wreckage by firefighters. The injured were taken to Auckland Hospital for treatment. The article on Fullyloaded.com.au goes on to explain,

    However, speed may not have been a factor, as police told 3News it was believed the car was not travelling at more than 50 km/h.

    Police will investigate whether alcohol was involved, with toxicology tests due to be taken during a post-mortem tomorrow.

    Bottles of alcohol were found inside the vehicle, Senior Sergeant Matt Knowsley said.

    “Whether that alcohol was actually involved in the operating of the vehicle we don’t know. We’re trying to firm it up.”

    Mr Knowsley said police suspected the occupants of the crashed car were not wearing seatbelts.

    A number of people witnessed the crash, who were being interviewed by police.

    “It’s not a nice thing to see on a Sunday morning, or at any time, for that matter,” Mr Knowsley said.

    Police were in the process of formally identifying the deceased woman and notifying her next of kin.

    “The message here is, as with most accidents, they are avoidable,” Senior Sergeant Logan Christian said.

    Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11135642

    As this incident proves, intoxicated drivers do not need to be travelling over the speed limit to get into or cause a crash. This vehicle was travelling below the speed limit when it crashed and even cars travelling at moderate speeds can be involved in fatal accidents. This is a warning to all drivers about the dangers of drink driving and a reminder to RSA staff to ensure that customers who are intoxicated are not allowed to get behind the wheel. If you notice that they are intoxicated ask them if you can assist by calling a cab or a friend for them.

  • New Breath Tester works for both Drugs and Alcohol

    A breakthrough in technology may soon see drivers being issued with a breathalyser test that reads both blood alcohol content and blood drug content.

    A company that manufactures breathalysers is readying their trial of the new “all-in-one” alcohol and drug testing device, a first anywhere in the world.

    Not only will the new breathalyser be able to read both alcohol and drug content but it will also hopefully reduce the long delays associated with traffic caused by police road blocks. The device will be able to measure blood content within 30 seconds whereas at the moment officers take between 3 to 5 minutes to do so. This is usually associated with frustrating delays for motorists, hopefully this will soon come to an end.

    This excerpt from an article on www.brisbanetimes.com.au explains,

    Alcolizer has partnered with Britain’s Oxtox to develop the technology, which has detachable clips to provide both alcohol breath testing and drug testing, The Bayside Bulletin reports.

    Current roadside drug testing must be performed by specially trained officers and takes between three and five minutes.

    The Alcolizer ADU (Alcohol and Drug Unit) takes a saliva sample and returns a reading within 30 seconds.

    Source: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/onestop-drug-and-alcohol-breath-tester-20131111-2xbp1.html

    The article goes on to explain that the new improved device is expected to be trialled by several police forces in Oz during the first quarter of next year. This is good news for road safety and bad news for those drivers who think they can get away with drug driving.

    According to the chief executive of the company responsible for the device’s development, it will “streamline” the drug testing process which is significant because drugs are becoming an increasingly more common problem than alcohol among drivers.

    The post goes on to explain:

    Alcolizer chief executive Gary Johnson said the device would help streamline drug testing in Australia.

    “Drugs are becoming a bigger problem than alcohol on the roads and so there needs to be a better way of monitoring it,” he said.

    “The Alcolizer ADU can detect traces of cannabis and varieties of amphetamine.”

    Alcolizer has quietly built an international reputation in the breathalyser industry since it started out of a Cleveland garage 23 years ago.

    Source: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/onestop-drug-and-alcohol-breath-tester-20131111-2xbp1.html

    The company although originated in Cleveland, has become a leading breathalyser provider to police forces across Oz as well as some police forces in Asia.

    In addition to being used for random testing of drivers by police officers, the device can also be used by companies in the enforcement of their OHS to test workers sobriety.

    The company, Alcolizer is particularly concerned with tackling the issue of drink driving and have planned an educational program relating to this social problem. Johnson also explained that the company was planning on donating breathalysers to local clubs as well. The post went on to explain:

    Mr Johnson said Alcolizer was hoping to start a consultative education program about the risks of drink-driving.

    Redlands RSL has already agreed to install an Alcolizer instrument to promote the responsible consumption of alcohol.

    “We’re hoping to donate breathalysers to local clubs and work with police to change people’s drinking habits,” he said.

    “The cost of every person killed through a drink driving-related death is estimated at about $1 million.”

    Source: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/onestop-drug-and-alcohol-breath-tester-20131111-2xbp1.html

  • Licensees Claim SA Alcohol Crackdown Unfair

    Although controversial new alcohol laws have been implemented in South Australia, 2 of Hindley Saints biggest nightclubs have lost their last minute applications to stop the laws from impeding their regular business.

    According to media reports the efforts of 2 big nightclubs, The Palace and The Woolshed sought an urgent injunction in court to stop the changes, obviously they were unsuccessful as the laws came into effect. These businesses wanted the injunction imposed so that they could continue to trade as normal until the laws are challenged in the full court but their application was denied.

    The new restrictions have been described as harsh and therefore have been met with controversy. They entail all city pubs and clubs imposing a 3am lockout as well as other restrictions on the sales of alcohol.

    Despite these clubs claiming that they will lose millions due to the new restrictions, the application for the injunction was refused.

    Licensees said that the restrictions which are expected to cost them millions are unfair especially because casinos and restaurants do not have to abide by them.

    There are 98 venues that are affected by the changes and as it has been pointed out, allowing 2 clubs out of the 98 to operate as usual would only make the problem worse as patrons would just flock to these clubs, making the restrictions ineffective.

     

  • WA Police Commissioner says Parents giving Alcohol to Kids are like Drug Dealers

    The Police Commissioner of Western Australia has labelled parents who provide alcohol to their underage kids as being like drug dealers.

    Karl O’Callaghan, the WA Police Commissioner said at a school in Perth that parents who supply alcohol to minors are like drug dealers, the controversial statement was made while launching “Ocsober”. Now more than ever parents need to openly discuss alcohol and related issues with their children because alcohol harm associated with young people is higher than its even been. In fact alcohol has been named as the leading cause of teenage deaths in Australia.

    Ocsober is a fundraising initiative which is aimed at tackling youth drinking issues by encouraging young people to abstain from alcohol for the month of October, hopefully addressing these problematic issues and saving lives.

    The Commissioner made the statement while speaking to year 6 students at the Ocsober launch. The Commissioner also reiterated that alcohol continues to be the most abused drug in Western Australia.

    According to an article on Abc.net.au he went on to explain:

    “If alcohol is a drug, then let me tell you that your parents are the primary dealers of that drug because we know from research that most teenagers in Western

    Australia get their alcohol from their parents,” he said.

    “Their parents give it to them without knowing the impact it has on their brains and without knowing the impact it has on their bodies.

    “And, if we want to make a difference to binge drinking, we have to start with educating kids and parents.”

    Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-16/commissioner-likens-parents-who-give-alcohol-to-kids-27drug-de/4961080

    Donations for Ocsober will go towards continuing Life Education’s alcohol and drug awareness programs which run throughout WA’s primary schools.

    Mr O’Callaghan has also renewed his call on federal authorities to ban alcohol advertising during televised sports broadcasts because of the number of children that are exposed to it during these times.

    The post went on to quote O’Callaghan:

    “All of these kids are able to watch the footy final [this weekend] and all of these kids will be able to watch alcohol advertising during live sport because alcohol advertising is permitted during live sport in Australia,” he said.

    “If you’re going to change the culture, you’ve got to change the messages you send to our kids, and when I asked how many of these kids were going to watch the football on the weekend, all of them without exception put their hands up.”

    “I don’t think we’ve got any hope of changing the culture with these young people, unless we’re prepared to limit their exposure to messages about alcohol.”

    Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-16/commissioner-likens-parents-who-give-alcohol-to-kids-27drug-de/4961080

    With all the attention and effort being put into this Ocsober initiative and others trying to educate teens about drinking it is important that RSA do not undo all the good work done.

    Anyone serving alcohol needs to ensure that they never serve alcohol to an underage person. The best way of ensuring this is asking everyone for an ID if they look young (under 23) and ensure that if they cannot prove their age, you refuse them alcohol.

  • Health Experts Warn WA Govt. against Downgrading Rehab Services

    Health experts in WA have warned the state government not to downgrade any drug addiction services in the state in the midst of a merger of 2 vital government health departments, especially because recent figures have revealed that clinics are having to cope with increased cases of alcohol and cannabis problems including an increase in helpline calls from parents.

    According to statistics alcohol related hospital admissions rose by almost 40 per cent since 2007 until last year.

    The WA governments Drug and Alcohol Office annual report shows treatments in 2012-2013 rose 16 per cent to almost 33,000. The report shows that services at sobering up clinics increased 28 per cent to more than 15,000.

    Also increasing are the number of calls to the 24 hour Alcohol and Drug Information Service hotlines and the Parent Drug Information Service. The number of calls about cannabis increased dramatically in the last five years – almost doubling.

    An article about the report was posted on http://au.news.yahoo.com, the following excerpt from the post explains further:

    The report said WA’s rate of risky drinking was higher than the national average and though fewer children drank alcohol, those who did consumed more.

    Curtin University professor of health policy Mike Daube said the figures heightened concerns about the State Government’s planned merger of the DAO with the Mental Health Commission and argued it was crucial neither lost funding.

    Mental Health Minister Helen Morton announced five months ago that the two agencies would amalgamate to improve prevention and treatment services.

    She said the sectors had a big overlap, with studies showing half those with mental illness also had a drug or alcohol problem.

    Source: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/19130339/more-want-help-for-alcohol-and-drug-woes/

    According to the Drug and Alcohol Office’s chairman Gary Geelhoed, services in WA are under an increasing amount of pressure and the work that they are doing is vital, it cannot be stopped.

    Young people are an area of particular concern because they are increasingly being exposed to drugs and excessive alcohol. Alcohol and drug addiction have become major problems among the younger members of the population. Binge drinking is one of the issues that are fuelling the problem.

    The planned merger should not be allowed to interfere with drug and alcohol treatment in any way, according to Professor Daube. He went on to explain that although Minister Morton did have a strong commitment to the cause, the merger seemed to put drug and alcohol issues on the backburner and thereby downplay their importance.

    The post went on to explain:

    He said it was an odd time to downgrade, particularly with more parents worried about alcohol. He was frustrated that the Liquor Control Act review to address concerns had been delayed again.

    The Australian Medical Association said it discussed with Mrs Morton concerns about the merger and still had reservations about the decision.

    It warned the move could send the wrong message to people seeking medical help through the two sectors.

    Source: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/19130339/more-want-help-for-alcohol-and-drug-woes/

     

  • Alcohol Affects Brain Circuitry in Pregnant Women

    As if women needed any more motivation to avoid drinking during pregnancy a new study has been released by neuroscientists and the University of California which proves that alcohol affects the brain circuitry of pregnant women. And for the baby the effects are even greater, prenatal exposure to alcohol, the study found disrupts major features of brain development and can lead to increased anxiety and poor motor functions.

    According to the groundbreaking study conducted by the team at University of California, Riverside, prenatal exposure to alcohol significantly altered the expression of genes and the development of a network of connections in the neocortex which is the part of the brain responsible for high-level thought and cognition, vision, hearing, touch, balance, motor skills, language, and emotion.

    When tested on mice prenatal exposure caused the wrong areas of the brain to be connected with each other, the researchers found. These findings contrast the belief widely held by some that small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy is acceptable.

    The following excerpt from an article on ucrtoday.ucr.edu explains:

    “If you consume alcohol when you are pregnant you can disrupt the development of your baby’s brain,” said Kelly Huffman, assistant professor of psychology at UC Riverside and lead author of the study that appears in the Nov. 27 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, the official, peer-reviewed publication of the Society of Neuroscience. Study co-authors are UCR Ph.D. students Hani El Shawa and Charles Abbott.

    “This research helps us understand how substances like alcohol impact brain development and change behavior,” Huffman explained. “It also shows how prenatal alcohol exposure generates dramatic change in the brain that leads to changes in behavior. Although this study uses a moderate- to high-dose model, others have shown that even small doses alter development of key receptors in the brain.”

    Source: http://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/19363

    This research is significant because although researchers in the past believed that ethanol exposure from a pregnant woman’s consumption of alcohol would impact the child’s brain and cognitive development, researchers have now proven that there is a connection between exposure to alcohol and the disruption of neural networks, resulting in changes in behaviour.

    The post also explains:

    Huffman’s team found dramatic changes in intraneocortical connections between the frontal, somatosensory and visual cortex in mice born to mothers who consumed ethanol during pregnancy. The changes were especially severe in the frontal cortex, which regulates motor skill learning, decision-making, planning, judgment, attention, risk-taking, executive function and sociality.

    Source: http://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/19363

    As researchers explained the neocortex region in mammals is similar, so in mice and humans it can be compared however human processing is more complex.

    For pregnant women it is best to abstain from alcoholic drinks completely rather than choose to have one or two drinks every now and then because as research proves even moderate drinking may have an impact on the foetus and even if it doesn’t, it is better to be safe than sorry.

    Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a growing disorder and the side effects and symptoms are varied in the children it affects including facial deformities, cognitive, behavioural and motor disorders because of neurobiological damage during the brain’s early development as well as mental retardations, reduced intelligence, learning disabilities, anxiety and depression later in life.

     

  • Discovering What Type of Drinker you are

    According to new VicHealth research which examined the state’s alcohol culture drinkers can be categorised according to their drinking habits.

    The research attempted to put the states alcohol culture under the microscope to examine it in a non-judgemental way to determine why alcohol is such a central part of people’s lives.

    The research is aimed at informing a new conversation about alcohol which moves beyond simply blaming individuals.

    It is hoped that the project will help us to alter our attitudes towards harmful drinking and improve the health of people in the state.

    The research was conducted by RMIT University with a grant from VicHealth Innovation Research. To determine your own drinking profile click on the link, it may open your eyes to your own drinking habits.  The profile helps you to track your drinking over time and see how your drinking evolves and hopefully figure out why and what motivates your drinking behaviour.

    It is also useful in showing just how much you drink over periods of time which may surprise you. For example while we may be aware of how much we drink in a day, when we examine our drinking over a week or a month we may be surprised.

    Take the Quiz no to find out Your Drinking Profile

    http://www.yourdrinkingprofile.com.au/