The late-night alcohol-fuelled violence in Bundaberg has sparked a call for action by a Wide Bay MP, after the drink safe precinct was axed.
Police in the area say late-night incidents are at an all time high in the area.
As servers of alcohol, we need to be especially aware of the situation. A recent incident involving a teenager who allegedly punched a bartender on the Fraser Coast after he was refused service is an example of the kind of behaviour we need to contend with on the job.
Responsible Service of Alcohol training is crucial to ensuring that servers are aware of their duties and what the law says about how alcohol is served, so that incidents like this can be avoided.
The former Newman government introduced a draft of changes meant to crack down on alcohol-fuelled violence in its “Safe Night Out” policy. Unfortunately the Bundaberg drink safe precinct was axed in the latest state budget, but there are calls for more action to be taken.
In an article on Abc.net.au, Burnett MP Stephen Bennett was quoted expressing his disappointment that one of the programs was axed. He did however stress the importance of all levels of government working together better to address the issues.
“We just need to get the education out there and we as a society to understand this is not going to be accepted,” he said.
“So there is more to do done and this needs to go further than political cycles and it needs to be supported.”
Source: http://www.abc.net.au
The State Government said drink safe precincts would continue in Fortitude Valley, Surfers Paradise and Townsville but not Bundaberg.
Denying Alcohol Service to Minors
Under Responsible Service of Alcohol law serving alcohol to minors carries major fines for workers, management and owners of establishments, but the real cost of serving teenagers are the social consequences, such as teenage drink driving, teenage pregnancy and teenage violence such as in the incident mentioned above. Recent alarming statistics indicate that teenage drinking accounted for more teenage deaths than any other cause.
All employees of licenced venues need to undergo the necessary training, Responsible Service of Alcohol training to ensure that they know the rules in terms of serving alcohol as well as the consequences for breaking those rules.
Workers also need to apply the knowledge learnt during the RSA course to protect themselves from fines and possibly the loss of their job. More importantly they also have to protect society from the harm of alcohol abuse.
Even if you don’t think you can deny alcohol service to minors, remember their are serious consequences for both you and your employer if you are caught by authorities.
Who Needs RSA training?
Remember anyone beginning work in a licensed venue anywhere in Australia, whether they are directly serving alcohol or not needs to undergo Responsible Service of Alcohol Training. Bartenders, waitrons, sommeliers, security staff at venues must all have a valid RSA certificate.