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Tag: Alcohol Fuelled Violence

  • Group wants Stronger Action to end Alcohol Fuelled Violence

    Community members and businesspeople in Byron Bay want stronger action implemented to curb alcohol fuelled violence in the area. The group, Byron Liquor Accord want the voluntary measures taken to end anti-social behaviour in Byron Bay to be made mandatory.

    The group set up by community members and businesses in the town want to combat alcohol fuelled violence in their area. The group plans on arguing for the change to be made permanent before a NSW Upper House Inquiry into alcohol abuse among young people.

    The group made their presentation before a special session of the inquiry at the Byron Sports Complex last Tuesday, October 8th.

    The following excerpt from a post on NorthernStar.com.au explains more about the group’s position:

    “Research and the experience of other places, both in Australia and overseas, indicates that a significant drop in violence can be achieved by a package of measures including a modest reduction of late-trading hours, purchase limits on drinks and the prohibition of shots and doubles,” Last Drinks at 12 spokesman Mick O’Regan said.

    “We recognize the initiative of the Byron Bay Liquor Accord in this area, although the voluntary nature of the arrangements makes enforcement a real issue.

    “Recent investigations revealed that serious breaches of the Liquor Accord occurredwithin weeks of it being signed. We need these voluntary measures to be made mandatory for all late night trading licensed venues.”

    Two Byron Bay venues – Aquarius Backpakers and LaLa Land – have landed in strife for breaching liquor laws during a Liquor Accord trial aimed at stemming the violence issue.

    Source: http://www.northernstar.com.au/news/tougher-steps-needed-end-drunken-violence-group-sa/2037751/

    Even though these 2 venues have breached liquor laws related to violence, members of the Liquor Accord are pleased that there has been a drop of 25 per cent in alcohol-related incidents during the trial so far. The trial is set to run for another 6 months, so even more improvement is anticipated.

    One of the members of the group, Mr O’Regan attributed most of Byron Bay’s alcohol woes to the “over-supply of alcohol after midnight” which he said has contributed to serious and ongoing problems which are now plaguing the community. The post on NorthernStar.com.au goes on to explain:

    Mr O’Regan said alcohol-related violence was a serious problem with far-reaching ramifications.

    “The statistics on alcohol-related violence for our community are shocking in themselves, but they don’t reveal the full story,” he said.

    “People at the frontline such as police, doctors, hospital staff and emergency personnel, have to deal with direct effects of alcohol-related harms.” 

    Source: http://www.northernstar.com.au/news/tougher-steps-needed-end-drunken-violence-group-sa/2037751/

    Byron Bay locals have also come forward and told of their experiences of alcohol related violence and anti-social behaviour, many of these people’s experiences are in addition to those reflected in the statistics. O’Regan also urged other residents to come forward to tell their stories about alcohol related violent experiences which the group hopes will shed more light on the issue.

     

  • Responsible Service of Alcohol News: Parramatta Alcohol Violence gets Out of Hand

    While many parts of the country are experiencing progress in the fight against alcohol fuelled violence, there are some areas where alcohol fuelled violence is still alarmingly high. In fact in some areas the levels of alcohol fuelled violence are on the increase. Parramatta and its CBD in particular are one such area.

    Police have expressed major concerns over alcohol fuelled violence and other anti-social behaviour in Parramatta’s CBD especially over the weekend.

    Last weekend was no different with police from the Parramatta Local Area Command and the Alcohol and Licensing Enforcement Command (ALEC) removed 2 intoxicated men from a bar in Parramatta’s Church Street. The 2 men became argumentative and aggressive when approached by the police.

    The police officers managed to remove the 2 troublemakers from the bar but a large crowd joined in and became aggressive towards police and tried to intervene in the arrests. Because of this behaviour, officers had to be brought in from the Public Order and Riot Squad to assist in dispersing the crowd.

    Read what happened according to a post by www.ParramattaSun.com.au

    Police will allege during a number of inspections of the bar they located two men in seriously intoxicated states.

    One man refused medical treatment while another was allegedly so intoxicated he had to be taken to Westmead Hospital for treatment.

    A third man was allegedly found in the car park of the premises in a drunken state and also had to be taken to hospital for treatment.

    A number of people were charged or infringed for alcohol-related offences.

    This included three men who were charged with failing to quit licensed premises.

    Another man was issued a court attendance notice for assault police, resist arrest and offensive conduct while three people were issued criminal infringement notices for offensive language and re-entering the premises after they were excluded.

    Source: http://www.parramattasun.com.au/story/1781531/alcohol-fuels-trouble-in-parramatta/?cs=12

    According to Acting Parramatta commander, Superintendent Karen Webb the police need pubs and clubs to work with them in the responsible service of alcohol to reduce alcohol fuelled incidents such as assaults caused by excessive and irresponsible drinking.

    All employees, management and owners of licenced venues need to ensure that they are properly trained on Responsible Service of Alcohol measures and are enforcing RSA rules when they supply alcohol to customers – it is vital to overcoming alcohol fuelled misconduct.

    The police have vowed to continue to conduct patrols of licensed premises to ensure the safety of patrons. The article goes on to explain:

    “Every weekend police are out on patrol to ensure the safety of the community but we can only do so much,” she said.

    “More often than not, those who drink to excess find themselves making poor choices, passing out in the street or leaving themselves vulnerable.

    “It is sad people feel the need to get blind drunk to have a good time and it is about time people took responsibility for their actions.”

    Superintendent Webb assured the community and local businesses that police were committed to reducing alcohol-related crime in Parramatta.

    Source: http://www.parramattasun.com.au/story/1781531/alcohol-fuels-trouble-in-parramatta/?cs=12

     

  • Alcohol Fuelled Violence Rate in Newcastle improves

    Newcastle’s bad night life reputation seems to have been shed, supposedly due to measures implemented to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence, according to Newcastle City local area commander Superintendent John Gralton.

    The city’s top cop said that it had finally shed the “bloodbath” after dark reputation when speaking at the Community Drug Action Team Conference at City Hall.

    The top cop also told the Newcastle Herald that the city’s police were now hunting for trouble rather than what they previously did when they were overwhelmed with the violence and prevalence of drunken misconduct.

    Superintendent John Gralton said that “Five years ago the city was described as a bloodbath after dark”.

    He went on to explain, according to a post on www.theherald.com.au

    “Now, anecdotally, my police are telling me there is far less violence in and around the city and the streets are calmer.

    “Whereas previously they wouldn’t have had time to stop someone urinating on the streets because they were too busy dealing with violence, they now tell me they are hunting for people (causing trouble) in the streets.”

    Superintendent Gralton highlighted figures released by Hunter New England population health director John Wiggers at the conference.

    These figures showed Newcastle had maintained a 33 per cent reduction in reported assaults since bringing forward pub and club closing times to 3am in 2008.

    “Since that time we’ve focused on consequence policing which means making sure someone receives a consequence for poor behaviour in the city,” Superintendent Gralton said, also crediting the group banning and scanning system in the city’s entertainment precinct and police and industry working closer together.

    Source: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1780469/alcohol-bloodbath-over-conference/?cs=303

    The cop went on to explain that there has since been a significant reduction in malicious damage. He also explained that it is not the police’s intention to stop people from having fun but they want people to feel comfortable and safe when they go out. There has been a significant positive change in the city since the police stepped up their game and patrons in entertainment districts who are out to have a good time responsibly will benefit from this.

    During the conference an Associate Professor from Deakin University, Professor Peter Miller said that the decline in Newcastle’s booze filled violence was attributed to less people indulging in the dangerous practice of heavy pre-loading before hitting the town.

    According to a study which looked at evidence from Newcastle and Geelong, it was common for drinkers to consume a lot of alcohol before they left home so that they could get drunk while spending less money before even leaving home. Statistics showed that this quadrupled drinker’s chance of getting in brawls.

    The post went on to explain:

    “We conducted interviews with patrons and it showed changes in culture (in Newcastle) with declining levels of pre-drinking and people going out earlier,” he said.

    The lock-out and earlier closing times meant people had to be in the city earlier, so could not drink as much at home.

    The two-day conference will wrap up on Tuesda, with Dr Adrian Dunlop, the director of Hunter New England Health’s drug and alcohol clinical services, among the speakers.

    Source: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1780469/alcohol-bloodbath-over-conference/?cs=303

     

  • Sobering Up Centres opened in Sydney to Crack down on Alcohol-fuelled Violence

    In an attempt to crackdown on alcohol related violence the New South Wales government have opened the first of its “drunk tanks”.

    Police in Sydney’s CBD and Randwick were the first to start operating the tanks last week. But drinkers and visitors to entertainment districts do not need to fear, the centres are reserved exclusively for violent or nuisance drunks, so those who are ‘well behaved’ have no need to worry about being locked up.

    Those who should be concerned are people who are intoxicated in a public place, refuse to move on direction by police and behave in an anti-social manner that may endanger themselves or others. These people will be detained and kept in a drunk tank (or sobering up centre).

    The first night of the sobering up centres resulted in 5 men aged from their late teens to early twenties being locked up and fined $200 each before being released the next morning.

    The tough new conditions were spurred on by the death of a teenager in July last year. Thomas Kelly’s death in Sydney’s Kings Cross District resulted in a range of new regulations including a ban on the sale of shots after midnight. The teenager was hit while walking in the district with his girlfriend last year and died in hospital a few days later.

    In the wake of the new sobering up centres, the State Government also announced further legislation to curb alcohol-related violence, including bans for disorderly behaviour, ID card scanners and greater supervision at high-risk venues.

     

  • Push To Tackle Alcohol-Related Violence in Sydney

    According to an article on Abc.net.au Sydney’s late night emergency services personnel have urged authorities to close all pubs and clubs in the state at 3am.

    According to the NSW Police Association president, all current methods of tackling alcohol fuelled violence have failed if the number of emergency call outs and people being arrested are anything to go by. According to the police, it is obvious that Sydney needs stricter rules governing late codes.

    This is what they are suggesting according to the article on Abc.net.au:

    The President of the New South Wales Police Association says it’s time to admit policies to tackle alcohol-fuelled violence have failed.

    Mr Weber says Sydney needs harsher restrictions.

    “We need to reduce trading hours back to 3am, put restrictions in regard to the sale of shots and heavy liquor and also make sure there is lock-outs at 1am,” he said.

    Nurses and health workers have joined the campaign calling for Sydney to follow the example of cities like Newcastle.

    Mr Weber says there’s a 1am lockout and restrictions on the sale of shots in Newcastle and similar rules should be imposed across Sydney.

    “We’ve seen a model up in Newcastle where there’s been a 37 percent reduction in regards to alcohol-related violence.

    “That is across the board. At licensed premises, out on the street and even domestic violence. A 37 percent reduction.

    “If we were talking about a road toll or cancer, it’d be implemented straight away,” he said.

    Read more at:

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-12/a-push-for-tougher-rules-to-tackle-alcohol-related-violence/4684216

    Although the NSW government has no current plans to implement heavier restrictions across Sydney’s venues, the Hospitality Minister George Souris says the so-called “Newcastle model” works because it covers a smaller area.

    Especially on the weekends police, ambulance and hospital staff find themselves scrambling to keep up with call outs and emergencies related to alcohol fuelled violence and misconduct, taking time away from other patients with natural diseases and illnesses.

    It is obvious that in NSW Responsible Service of alcohol is not being practiced as strictly as it should be. Anyone serving or selling alcohol has a responsibility to the community to enforce RSA rules when going about their job, to avoid the emergencies that we are seeing each and every weekend across the state.

    If the emergency services staff get their way and venues are forced to close at 3am, staff of licenced venues will suffer a financial knock because their hours of work may be affected which would resulted in fewer tips and less shifts. In order to avoid this staff of licenced venues should ensure that they enforce the RSA rules which they have been trained to do, including not serving alcohol to minors and never serving an unduly intoxicated patron.

    This can be difficult because while most intoxicated patrons show physical signs of being drunk, they may get someone else to purchase the alcohol on their behalf. Never the less look out for the signs – their eyes may become red and blood shot, their speech slurred or may even display signs of forgetfulness. Talking slowly or moving slowly is also a sign.  They also commonly show a lack of coordination, instability resulting in stumbling, swaying, falling down, dropping glasses etc.

    The person may stink of alcohol and sweat more than usual. Observe the early signs and avoid many of the consequences of over intoxication for the customer, yourself, your establishment and society in general.

     

  • Researchers Concern at Rising Alcohol Harm despite Fall in Consumption

    An informative article I recently read on the website http://theconversation.com discussed how despite falling alcohol numbers, alcohol induced harm is still on the rise. This seems quite paradoxical considering that when the consumption of something decreases, the effects of that substance are also expected to decrease, not so with alcohol it seems.

    Previously we have viewed alcohol induced harm as directly correspondent to level of alcohol consumption in a community but this is not necessarily the case, according to new research by Michael Livingston, post-doctoral research fellow in the Drug Policy Modelling Program at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre and a research fellow in the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research at Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre.

    The research looked into countries drinking habits such as Sweden where per capita alcohol consumption has fallen in the last five years while the rates of harm associated with alcohol has remained fairly consistent.

    A similar phenomenon was experienced in Britain where alcohol consumption has apparently decreased since 2004 yet harm induced by alcohol consumption has remained high and Australia seems to be in the same boat as Sweden and England.

    Read an excerpt from the article below which explains further:

    Over the last decade or so, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics have shown almost no change in the amount of alcohol consumed per person in Australia. In 2000/01, it was 10.15 litres of pure alcohol, while in 2010/11 (the most recent year for which data are available), it was 9.99 litres. In contrast, rates of alcohol-related harm are increasing.

    Recent studies in Victoria of both adults and young people have found sharp increases in a range of problems from alcohol. This includes rates of alcohol-related hospitalisations, presentations at emergency departments due to intoxication, late-night assaults, domestic violence involving alcohol and alcohol treatment.

    And a national study of alcohol-related harm between 1995 and 2006 found increases in alcohol-related hospitalisations in all states.

    http://theconversation.com/alcohol-fuelled-violence-on-the-rise-despite-falling-consumption-9892

    Recently the issue of hospitalisations due to alcohol induced harm have become a matter of particular concern, costing the economy millions and taking up beds in hospitals that could be occupied by people with serious natural illnesses.

    One thing these findings make very clear, vilifying alcohol is not the answer. Drinking alcohol is not the source of the violence and harm but the few people who are still abusing alcohol are the problem. Alcohol consumed responsibly and moderately is good for you, both in terms of mental and physical wellbeing but abusing alcohol and binge drinking which has become a part of our culture is the real culprit and needs to be tackled.

    Another painfully obvious part of these findings is that people whose responsibility it is under the law to ensure alcohol is sold and served in moderation are not doing so well enough. Responsible Service of Alcohol is a vital part of the plan to tackle alcohol induced harm in Australia and it can only be successful if the staff of every licenced venue across Oz does their part.

     

  • Responsible Service of Alcohol: Operation Rushmore rolled out in Sydney CBD over Weekend

    The weekend is one of the worst times for alcohol fuelled crime and binge drinking in Sydney’s CBD and last weekend was no different. Police in the CBD embarked on “Operation Rushmore 4” the latest round of police inspections aimed at rooting out harmful drinking behaviour leading to violence.

    Each night this weekend police patrolled the entertainment districts and licenced venues. The operations yielded 40 arrests and 54 charges were laid against drunk troublemakers.

    These are the types of operations that patrons and licensees should expect in the future and any venues found guilty of Responsible Service of Alcohol breaches will find themselves on the 3 strikes register.

    Police have run special operations targeting alcohol related violence for a number of years, and police are pleased with this weekend’s success.

    Over 260 police officers were on the street carrying out the operation, roaming the streets in order to deter would-be troublemakers with their presence and to catch people displaying anti-social behaviour related to binge drinking.

    According to police, the aim of the operation is to encourage patrons to drink responsibly. Even though police are pleased with this weekend’s results, 43 arrests were still made, totalling 54 charges. Police searched 91 people with another 176 moved on from trouble spots.

    Officers from the Highway patrol conducted in excess of 1400 random breath tests, with 400 infringement notices being handed out

    Read more about the operation with this post from TheShout.com.au:

    Over 260 police officers were deployed each night of the weekend in the latest round of Operation Rushmore, the NSW Police initiative to target alcohol-related violence in Sydney’s CBD.

    From Friday to Sunday nights police inspected licensed premises and patrolled key areas, arresting 40 people and laying 54 charges “against a number of people who, as a result of the excessive consumption of alcohol, caused trouble and committed a number of violent offences” said acting superintendent Tony Bell in a statement yesterday.

    The activity concentrated on the entertainment precincts at The Rocks, George St, Oxford St and Kings Cross and is the fourth round of Operation Rushmore.

    Previous operations have also resulted in multiple venues being added to the NSW ‘3-Strikes’ register.

    Source: http://www.theshout.com.au/2013/02/18/article/Police-swarm-Sydney-in-latest-crackdown/IPXDYWUDBV.html

    Although pleased with the outcome of the operation, police are still concerned about the number of young people roaming the streets, “looking for trouble”. This is even more worrying than the adults that were found because it indicates that young people are starting at an even earlier age to abuse alcohol and cause trouble.  Police found a number of these young people roaming the streets. 11 young persons were detained and assisted home, the youngest one of them being only 13 years old.

    Police are expected to continue these types of operations with the support and backing of the government and the public who are sick and tired of the alcohol fuelled violence in the entertainment districts. Police are confident that with continued operations they will be able to positively impact the safety in these districts and make them safer for all patrons, with licensees and their staff also playing an vital role in controlling binge drinking by monitoring how much alcohol patrons are served.

     

  • Australians apparently tired of Extreme Alcohol Messages

    According to a post I discovered on TheShout.com, the Australian people are becoming increasingly annoyed at hearing messages about the woes of alcohol which anti-alcohol activists are pushing on people. According to a political commentator people are sick of hearing how excessive alcohol consumption is bad for them.

    This is a problem because when people become tired of hearing the message, they will begin to ignore the message and this will exacerbate the problems associated with binge drinking such as alcohol fuelled brawls.

    Read what the post had to say:

    Australians are sick of being preached to by anti-alcohol activists, argues political commentator Christian Kerr.

     Kerr this week penned a column for The Australian arguing that preventative health is too heavily influenced by ideology rather than hard evidence. He told TheShout that Australians are starting to see through activists’ agendas and he forecasted that the ‘nanny-state’ will become an election issue.

     “Australians don’t like wowsers,” Kerr said. “We are basically a common-sense lot, and don’t like people telling us how to live our lives.

     “If Australians feel as though they are being preached to, they either switch off or rebel.

     “Public health advocates should remember this, or risk a backlash and people ignoring messages.”

     AHA (NSW) CEO Paul Nicolaou added: “These groups won’t be happy until we are all vegetarians living in solar powered huts drinking nothing but water and eating nothing but tofu.”

     “Bureaucracy for the sake of bureaucracy – the perfect example of interest groups trying to justify their existence.”

    Source: http://www.theshout.com.au/2013/01/23/article/Australians-switching-off-to-wowsers/THGHTJXBUR.html

    Unfortunately the alcohol fuelled problems are not stopping which presents an even bigger problem. If people are no longer willing to listen to the experts and continue to abuse alcohol at their current rate, authorities will be forced to take even further action. Strategies such as sobering centres could become more common and spread across the country. Also police will be forced to take a stronger stance against people drinking in public and the alcohol fuelled violence that has followed it.

    Although the post insists that Aussies are a sensible lot, we cannot generalise. A culture of excessive drinking has been entrenched in our society and it is because of this handful of alcohol abusers that we are inundated with messages of alcohol’s ability to cause harm.

    Of course servers of alcohol, like bartenders, waitrons and liquor store sales people play a crucial role in the fight against this anti-social behaviour. This can be done by limiting the amount of alcohol sold to any one customer and never providing alcohol to unduly intoxicated patrons. Another important consideration is ensuring they do not serve alcohol to anyone under the legal drinking age.

    They should also make every attempt to help people get home safely by encouraging them to call a taxi or take public transport to prevent drink driving and loitering which has been shown to contribute to alcohol fuelled violence in many areas. Even security staff of licenced venues has a role to play in combatting these problematic issues, and must undergo Responsible Service of Alcohol training so that the messages that dominate our media about the dangers of alcohol consumption can soon come to an end.

     

  • Liquor Licence Requests Being Rejected due to Alcohol Fuelled Violence


    Need for Responsible Alcohol Service

     

    Fear that new licensed venues may contribute to the increase in alcohol fuelled crime has resulted in the rejection of a liquor licence for Griffith’s proposed BWS store. The Woolworths owned business has been denied a liquor licence to operate in the area because the community is concerned that another licenced venue will result in an increase in the crime already plaguing the area.

     

    The community of Griffiths apparently has a high rate of domestic violence which research has linked to alcohol. The number of liquor outlets in the area is thought to be contributing directly to these.

     

    The main issue affecting the area seems to be the large number of alcohol abuse cases that bring with them devastating side effects that have an impact on the community.

     

    This issue highlights the need for responsible alcohol service in communities across Oz. Although it is the law and is meant to decrease the amount of alcohol fuelled violence and crimes we see, the large number of incidents indicates that there are venues and alcohol servers that are not doing their legal duties when serving alcohol to their patrons.

     

    Bartenders, bouncers, alcohol shop attendants and shop keepers and anyone who sells or serves alcohol to the public is required by law to undergo responsible service of alcohol training. Part of this training involves learning who not to serve alcohol to, including unduly intoxicated patrons and how to recognise these people.

     

    Either the alcohol service industry is not undergoing this mandatory training or they are not implementing what they have learnt. Either way they are legally responsible for the repercussions of their actions. Should servers ignore the warning signs that a person is unduly intoxicated and serve them more alcohol, that patron could resort to alcohol fuelled violence or other irresponsible behaviour, for which the server will be held partly responsible.

     

    Brawls, assaults, robberies and other violent crimes are being committed by customers who are over intoxicated. Unduly intoxicated patrons have also been identified as a contributor to the drink driving crashes we see on our roads because drunk drivers have the false confidence to drive while drunk, endangering not only their own lives but the lives of other innocent road users in the process.

     

    Recognising the signs of intoxication is central to an alcohol servers job and they should be on lookout for signs of intoxication (As well as other things such as legal drinking age) when serving alcohol to customers.

     

    Luckily, intoxication presents itself in a number of visible ways and most people, even those not trained in Responsible Service of Alcohol, can recognise the most common signs. These includes slurred speech, swaying and bumping into things, inability to walk, rowdiness, anger, aggression even violence.  In a crowded and noisy bar, however, these could be difficult to notice. Servers should also keep an eye out for previously timid patrons who become aggressive or vice versa, a social person who becomes withdrawn or a quiet person who becomes overtly friendly.

     

  • Link between Alcohol and Violence

    Alcohol and Violence
     

    In light of the recent tragic demise of the young Thomas Kelly in Sydney’s now notorious Kings Cross district, there has been much talk about the role that alcohol played in the incident and in fact the role it plays in all violent incidents in the area. Is there really a correlation between alcohol over-indulgence and violence?
     

    Politicians and police have been scrambling for ways to combat the violence in these entertainment areas, with such suggestions as lock-outs put forward as well as campaigns to educate the youth. But is the problem much deeper than that? What exactly is the connection between alcohol and violence?
     

    Alcohol has been identified as the main contributor to the violence in the Kings Cross area and something needs to be done before the problem escalates into more deaths.
     

    Late trading hours and lack of public transport are just a few of the issues that make the area so conducive to violence. Authorities have been urged to address these problems. There is no doubt that increased policing in the area needs to be implemented by authorities. But more importantly the problem of providing alcohol to these criminals in the first place needs to be addressed.
     

    Drinking alcohol affects a person’s ability to make safe decisions and often makes a person lose their inhibitions, resulting in fighting and a lack of self-preservation instincts. Research shows that there are strong links between excessive alcohol consumption and being a victim or perpetrator  of violence.
     

    While we are all aware of the physical effects of alcohol, alcohol consumption has been shown to directly affect cognitive functions as well. Meaning that it affects the way a person thinks, often hindering logical thinking. A person can lose self-control and indulge in activities that they wouldn’t ordinarily, such as unsafe sex and violence. Excessive drinking brings out the risk taker in people, especially teenagers who are not developed mentally or emotionally enough.
     

    Alcohol abuse can increase emotions and often makes a person more impulsive, so violent confrontations seem like a good idea at the time. Built up frustration is let out, often without the fear of the consequences.
     

    Reduced physical control and ability to recognise early warning signs can make some people, especially teenagers easy targets. Alcohol and violence is often a central part of youth gang culture and often times young people will indulge in excessive amounts of alcohol in anticipation of a violent confrontation.
     

    So basically alcohol consumption increases a person’s aggression and often results in violence. People, particularly youth that are intoxicated will quickly become hostile and easily aggravated, which is why they resort to violence quickly. Alcohol does this by interrupting normal brain functioning.
     

    Scientists have long stressed the ability of alcohol to affect the brain by inhibiting normal restraintive behaviour, causing over aggression.
     

     By impairing the processing of information, alcohol may lead a person to misjudge social cues that they would normally understand, by overreacting to a perceived threat. Also the person’s ability to pay attention is hampered which may lead them to irrationally react with violence.
     

    Studies also show that people’s aggressive reactions proportionally correspond with the amount of alcohol they intake.
     

    While science has proven a direct link between alcohol and violence, some scientist argue that alcohol merely brings to the surface aggression already within a person. Often people will only become aggressive if they perceive a threat. This theory would exonerate the pubs in the Kings Cross Area because the problem of violence is more rooted in a person’s social background, rather than being brought on by alcohol.
     

    Such social problems as childhood abuse, bullying, victimisation etc. are more likely to cause a person to become violent than excessive alcohol intake. However Serotonin, the chemical messenger in the brain which acts as a behavioural inhibitor, is decreased during intoxication which may contribute to aggressive behaviour and violence.
     

    While authorities attempt to tighten laws to reduce the violence and hold businesses responsible for the service of alcohol, perhaps an overhaul at grassroots level is needed. More education about the negative effects of alcohol among teens and at schools may also provide some assistance. Parents have an important role to play as well, because children often mimic their behaviour, including their alcohol consumption habits. So perhaps a more holistic approach to the problem is called for.
     

    Posted by Peter Cutforth