The Adelaide government is considering new measures to ban discounted alcohol and the use of glass after midnight at venues in the entertainment districts. Part of the new measures would include not serving shots after 2am and a 3am lockout for new patrons.
The Australian Hotels Association also recommended that authorities should limit outdoor drinking to special events only because drinking on the street contributes to street violence.
Part of the new measures under review by government includes CCTV cameras, weapons detectors and restrictions on late night “happy hours” and shots in an effort to lift late venues’ standards and bring down the large numbers of alcohol fuelled incidents.
This post on Adelaidenow.com.au has more:
“We’ve determined a range of measures to apply late at night but we’re asking for feedback – particularly about the times they should be applied and how they are applied to different venues.
“We want people to be able to go out and have a good time but not have their safety put at risk by the alcohol-fueled violence of others.”
Last month, Mr Weatherill said the state needed a newcode of practice after a series of violent late-night, alcohol-fueled incidents, some of which were fatal.Under the proposed Late Night Code, venues that remain open after 2am will need to:
At all times
– ensure information about public transport and taxis is available
From midnight
– not serve discounted or free alcohol
– not supply more than four drinks at a time
– use polycarbonate or tempered glassware only
– ensure that food is available
From 2am
– not serve drinks commonly known as ‘shots’
– not serve drinks with more than 30ml of spirits
– not serve alcohol for consumption on a footpath or outdoor area accessible from outside of the premises
From 3am
– prohibit entry of new customers
And venues trading between 2am to 7am with a capacity of more than 200 patrons must:
At all times
– have high-definition CCTV in use at all entrances and exits (this applies only to venues in prescribed precincts)
From midnight
– have metal detectors to screen customers upon entry (this applies only to venues in prescribed precincts)
– have designated ‘drink marshals’ who identify any alcohol-safety issues
– have a staff member on duty who has undertaken first-aid training
There are a number of studies that have been conducted which reveal that drinkers aggression is proportionally linked with the amount of alcohol they intake, so new measures aim to counteract this. If these new measures are implemented as planned by government the responsibility on servers will increase as well. Alcohol servers should already know when to refuse service to a patron and should not need to wait for such laws to be implemented in order to serve alcohol responsibly.
Waitrons and bartenders should be skilled in identifying the signs of intoxication and when to refuse service. There should be consensus among staff as to what these signs are and which customers are to be refused alcohol. There should be open communication between bar staff to ensure this. Servers of alcohol should know how many grams of alcohol are in 3 or 4 of the most popular types of drinks you regularly serve.