The former operators of Kings Cross bar, Déjà vu have been banned from holding liquor licences for life after committing repeated breaches of the Liquor Act.
One of the breaches committed involved serving alcohol to minors.
This serves as a cautionary tale to other liquor licensees about the importance of Responsible Service of Alcohol training.
Read the full story here.
According to an SA based keg supplier, Hoshizaki lancer, there has been a surge in the number of restaurants offering beer on tap.
Demand among restaurant and cafe patrons has led to these venues having kegs installed so that they can serve draught rather than bottle beer.
As beer drinkers become more fussy, demanding fresher craft beers, draught beer is gaining in popularity.
Read more here.
Under the NSW government proposed new one-punch laws, people with a blood alcohol level of 0.15 will be found “intoxicated” – this is the equivalent of people charged with high-range drink driving offences.
Under Premier Barry O’Farrell’s Crimes and Other Legislation Amendment (Assault and Intoxication) Bill 2014, intoxication will be defined as a blood alcohol concentration of .15. The amendment was tabled last week Thursday and is three times the level used to measure low-range drink driving offences (.05). The bill is expected to be passed by the Parliament soon with the support of the Labour opposition.
According to O’Farrell the bill is intended to bring about safety on the state’s streets with its new measures which are aimed at combating drug and alcohol fuelled violence.
O’Farrell was quoted as saying about the amendment:
“The NSW government has heard the community’s call for action. We are committed to continuing to address the drug and alcohol-fuelled attacks on our street and the increase in violence that is used in those attacks.”
The bill says that there will be a “conclusive presumption of intoxication if the accused has more than .15 concentration of alcohol following a breath or blood sample analysis”.
The measures do not set any limits for drugs which means that any level of drugs found in a person’s system may indicate intoxication.
Perhaps one of the more controversial of the government’s alcohol violence measures is the introduction of a minimum mandatory sentence of eight years and a maximum penalty of 25 years in jail for an assault causing death if the assault is committed by an “intoxicated” perpetrator, under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. For those perpetrators who aren’t intoxicated a 20 year maximum penalty will apply for assaulting a person resulting in their death. Also whether the victims die from the injuries received during the assault or hitting the ground etc, the same will apply.
Alex Wodak, the emeritus consultant for the Alcohol and Drug Service at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney said the 0.15 blood alcohol level was the same level at which drivers are charged with high range drunk driving. The following excerpt is taken from Smh.com.au and quotes Wodak about the new measures:
“That comes from a huge body of research into blood alcohol and risk of a car crash. But this figure has been plucked out of the air,” Dr Wodak said.
“There is no research on the link between blood-alcohol concentration and violence.
“Some will be unconscious at this blood level and most will be very drunk.
“But some drinking, say, three bottles of wine per day might be little affected by it.”
According to Dr Wodak, the risk of these new laws is that some people have higher alcohol tolerance levels than others and these people may be found guilty when they are innocent. Dr Wodak said that high blood alcohol concentration levels aren’t always linked to violent crimes.
According to the proposed law a breath test must be taken within 2 hours of the alleged offence and blood and urine samples can only be required within 4 hours after the alleged offence.
The legalisation of marijuana is a hot topic in many parts of the world and especially in the US, after the US president made a statement that alcohol is more dangerous than marijuana. Colorado and Washington have legalised the sale of marijuana for recreational use and some having been calling for a similar amendment to Australian laws so that marijuana rather than alcohol becomes the drug of choice in popular night spots. People claim that while alcohol abuse makes drinkers violent marijuana doesn’t which may help combat alcohol violence in city hotspots.
In a recent magazine interview, President Barack Obama stated the following:
“As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life.”
“I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol,” he said.
When asked whether it was less dangerous, Mr Obama said that it was less dangerous in terms of its impact on the individual consumer. “It’s not something I encourage, and I’ve told my daughters I think it’s a bad idea, a waste of time, not very healthy,” he said.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-10/barack-obama-marijuana-alcohol-claim-unsubstantiated/5243462
According to the experts Obama’s claims that marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol is unfounded. There simply isn’t any evidence to support the claim.
The article on Abc.net.au looked into and examined these claims and whether there was any fact behind them. They found that these claims were unsubstantiated.
The article’s writers recognised that health risks were associated with both substances increase with quantity and frequency of use and in the case of marijuana use, the age of first use also affects people’s health.
The short term health effects of too much alcohol include headaches, lack of coordination, shakiness, nausea, vomiting and passing out. In the long term alcohol abuse can lead to brain damage, heart and liver disease, pancreatitis, mouth, neck and throat cancers and a compromised immune system. Long term alcohol use can lead to dependence, with severe withdrawal symptoms.
Whereas with alcohol one can control the amount they consume and therefore the severity of its effect on their health, marijuana use, even mild use has been linked to an increased heart rate, low blood pressure and anxiety. Like alcohol, marijuana is not a harmless drug as people mistakenly think.
In the long run the use of marijuana can affect the user’s brain and lung function, hormone levels, immune system and mental health. The article on Abc.net.au explains:
“Cannabis use is associated with psychotic symptoms, schizophrenia, anxiety and depression,” according to a discussion paper released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The paper also notes that “long-term heavy cannabis users… show impairments in memory and attention that endure beyond the period of intoxication and worsen with increasing years of regular cannabis use.”
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-10/barack-obama-marijuana-alcohol-claim-unsubstantiated/5243462
Doctors say that in people who are predisposed to certain types of mental illness, marijuana use may actually worsen the conditions, especially conditions like schizophrenia.So contrary to the claims made by the US president, marijuana is not less harmful than alcohol.
According to Australian specialists young women between the ages of 20 and 29 are increasingly being treated for advanced liver disease as a result of steady and dangerous drinking since their teenage years.
Doctors have warned that even professional women are becoming the victims of liver disease and having to be hospitalised for alcoholic cirrhosis.
According to figures obtained from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the number of hospital admissions from alcoholic liver disease almost doubled in the 15 years to 2009. The number increased from 2976 to almost 6000 during this time period.
The following excerpt from an article which appeared on Smh.com.au explains further:
”We are used to alcoholic liver disease in middle-aged men but scarily we are seeing a significant number of women in their 20s and 30s in this situation,” Simone Strasser, a liver specialist and spokeswoman for the Gastroenterological Society of Australia, said.
”These are young professional women aged 25 to 35 who are functioning in other areas of their lives but are drinking at consistently risky levels,” Associate Professor Strasser said. ”They have busy lifestyles and think it’s not doing them any harm.”
The post went on to quote an addiction medicine professor, Paul Haber from the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital who said that the increase in alcoholic liver disease, both early and late stage was evidence that young people, particularly women are extending their “adolescent lifestyles” into their twenties. He went on to state:
”It’s an urban disease and a disease of affluence,” said Professor Haber, who is leading a clinical trial of the muscle-relaxing drug baclofen to treat alcoholic liver disease. ”Young people have more money and are less encumbered than they were 30 years ago.”
Women seem to be especially susceptible to the toxic effects of alcohol because of their weight which is generally lower than their male counterparts and also because they have fewer enzymes to break down alcohol when compared to men.
One of the trial’s co-researchers Kirsten Morley also said that women in their thirties were becoming susceptible to the disease particularly those who work in high volume, fast paced, traditionally “male” environments where in the past drinking on a daily basis is the norm. Morley went on to explain:
”Women often get caught up in what is socially acceptable. They might be drinking to help anxiety or as a social lubricant.
”Because people have the perception this is something that happens to old men, there is a stigma attached, which has prevented patients from seeking treatment.”
According to Morley most people she saw during the trial consumed at least 6 standard drinks a day, with 4 or more being classified as “heavy” drinking. These people had generally engaged in this drinking behaviour for more than 10 years, making them susceptible to the disease.
This is yet another reason why Responsible Service of Alcohol is an important requirement for anyone who works in the hospitality industry serving alcohol at a licenced venue. When serving alcohol, RSA staff such as waitrons, bartenders etc. should keep in mind the consequences associated with excessive consumption and consider the role they play in ensuring people do not abuse alcohol.
Some people are taking the Neknominations to the extreme, even coming up with a way of turning it into something positive whereas others are just using it to get publicity and promote irresponsible behaviour as one British student recently proved.
The video below shows the British student Rebecca Dagley stripping down to lingerie in a grocery store. The young woman walks in wearing just high heels and a trench coat, then removes the coat, strips down to lingerie and downs a can of lager as her friends look on and cheer.
Rebecca Dagley’s video went viral proving that it doesn’t take much to get the attention of the online masses. The 19 year old student is filmed entering a supermarket in central England wearing a trench coat and high heels. As she reaches one aisle, she strips to reveal she is just wearing stockings, suspenders and purple lingerie and begins to drink a can of lager. The video was filmed by her friends and she is encouraged by them as other shocked shoppers observe. Her friends shout “Go on Becca! That’s it girl”.
After drinking, as is the custom with the Neknominations, she tells three friends to take the challenge.
Neknominations have swept the online world having originated in Oz. It involves someone downing a drink in an extreme manner and then nominating others to do something similar within 24 hours. It has been criticised for promoting irresponsible, binge drinking. The craze has even been linked to the deaths of 2 young men in Ireland where it has also become popular.
Alcohol campaigners are afraid that people will try to outdo each other and come up with more crazy and extreme drinking acts which could be dangerous. An example is a man who drank a cocktail of cider, eggs, battery fluid and 3 goldfish.
Watch the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XzdykwAEkk0
Many people associate the holidays with drinking and doing so in excess but it is also the time of year when the most road accidents, violent assaults and alcohol related hospital admissions take place so drinkers need to drink responsibly and moderately to avoid becoming another statistic.
Now as the festive season is in full swing, there has been a call from Tasmania’s Alcohol and Drug Service Clinical Director, Dr Adrian Reynolds to rethink the advertising of alcohol. He says that hospital staff and families are the ones who suffer and are left picking up the pieces when people’s excessive drinking leads to serious injuries.
The doctor also stated:
“Advertising and promotion is of concern,” Dr Reynolds said.
“I think we need to do something about that and we do have evidence of other things to reduce access, reducing closing times for example.”
Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-22/the-cost-of-excessive-festive-cheer/5171382
Dr Reynolds has urged the community to think about what is shaping this dangerous drinking behaviour.
Sadly the doctor is not alone in his concern as doctors around the country have warned that beds are being taken up by alcohol patients which is disrupting the treatment of other patients with “real” medical issues.
In Victoria around 30,000 people are hospitalised a year due to alcohol and related implications. According to data compiled by the organisation Turning Point, most of those hospitalised are due to excessive alcohol consumption. It seems as though the number of people being hospitalised each year because of alcohol is growing steadily.
This issue has reminded me about the importance of Responsible Service of Alcohol because so many of these alcohol fuelled incidents causing people to be admitted into hospital are due to people going out to entertainment districts and getting drunk. As RSA staff we should never be turning a blind eye to the implications of our actions.
Not only is getting unduly intoxicated a risk to the public but the intoxicated person themselves are more at risk of becoming the victim of a violent attack, as statistics have proven.
Licensees are the ones most responsible for the behaviour that happens in their venues and their first priority is to ensure that everyone employed to work in the venue, regardless of position are in possession of an RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) certificate. Management, security staff, waitrons, bartenders and anyone working at the venue must complete RSA training and keep their proof of doing so on the premises.
But completing the course is only one part of it, management and staff of licensed venues must ensure that they are enforcing the principles taught by the RSA training, particularly those pertaining to underage drinkers and unduly intoxicated patrons.
Staff on booze cruises are no different than those employed in pubs and bars and so aren’t exempt from Responsible Service of Alcohol rules, however senior police officials in NSW say these party boats on Sydney Harbour are operating as “pubs without rules”. Police say these party boats should be held to the same liquor laws and regulations as other licensed venues.
Some of the boats operating on Sydney harbour carry up to 900 people and the manner in which some of them serve alcohol is becoming a problem to police in the area. According to one police officer, the boats get people intoxicated by serving them multiple shots and then “dump them” at wharves where they become a problem to local police with their menacing behaviour.
The police officer was quoted as saying,
“They can be a nightmare,’’ one senior police officer said. “Many go out for four and five hours at a time where people drink non-stop and then (they) turf them out at Darling Harbour and Circular Quay and then it’s our problem.’’
Read more at: http://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/harbour-party-fun-boats-face-new-controls/story-fnii5s3x-1226821950057
This article highlights an important issue – the need for Responsible Service of Alcohol training.
RSA training applies not only to the employees of pubs, clubs and bars but also to those working on booze cruise party boats. Each boat’s employees must have a responsible service of alcohol certificate according to the law and although they currently are some slipping under the radar because of little policing on boats, authorities are likely to begin cracking down on these vessels as their fight against alcohol fuelled violence grows stronger, one officer suggests scanning customers getting on boats.
Although most operators are abiding by RSA rules, there are some that are getting away with irresponsible practices, the following excerpt from the post on News.com.au explains:
Most boats dock between 10pm and midnight but operators admit there are rogues in the business.
“We have security guys on our vessels but there are a few operators out there who cater to the backpacker market and give a $50 all-you-can-drink package,’’ one employee of a well-known harbour vessel company said.
“They are pretty much no-holds-barred and they don’t care what goes on.’’
Read more at: http://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/harbour-party-fun-boats-face-new-controls/story-fnii5s3x-1226821950057
It is likely that as government cracks down on alcohol fuelled violence in entertainment districts, party boats will also come under the spotlight.
With the measures announced by government last week, included 3am last drinks calls and 1:30am lockouts, greater regulation of party boats were also announced.
The following is a quote from a licensee who runs a harbour cruise and said that boats were safer than pubs and clubs,
“We’re very wary we don’t want a volatile situation on a boat so it’s pretty much a code within the charter boat industry that we take exceptional control in alcohol usage,” he said.
“I’m not interested in making an extra five, 10, 20 bucks out of a person when they’re going to create havoc and start spewing all over the boat and there’s no area to kick them off.”
Read more at: http://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/harbour-party-fun-boats-face-new-controls/story-fnii5s3x-1226821950057
If you or your venue is not complying with RSA laws it is vital that you do so before the government’s scrutiny of party boats hea
The consequences of drink driving can be severe even if they do not prove fatal, as they often do, you could be left paralysed, brain damaged or cause serious injury or death to others, sadly many people are ignoring the risks and choosing to drive while intoxicated. This irresponsible behaviour was the cause of crash which place at Clifton recently. A driver who was 6 times over the legal alcohol limit was injured in a crash.
The man was subsequently charged after police received the results of the blood test which they administered on the man which demonstrated that he was well over the legal alcohol limit. The man’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.321 and the legal limit is 0.05 per cent.
The article on www.warwickdailynews.com.au explains:
BLOOD taken from a man who was injured in a crash at Clifton has revealed he was more than six times over the legal alcohol limit, according to police.
Clifton police officer-in-charge Sergeant Guy Smidt said he charged the 45-year-old man on Tuesday after receiving the results of the blood test.
Sgt Smidt said the man’s blood was sampled after the car he was driving ended up on the railway line in a single vehicle crash at the intersection of Clark St and Wiedman Rd about 3pm on December 1, last year.
He said tests indicated the man had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.321.
The man was charged with driving under the influence of liquor as well as driving a vehicle that was not fitted with an interlock device.
Source: http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/news/crash-driver-six-times-over-limit/2134535/
According to a police sergeant the reading was particularly high. He expressed his frustration that drivers are simply not getting the message when it comes to the dangers of drink driving.
The culprit was transported to hospital for treatment after the crash. The man will appear in court on 19 February. The post goes on to explain:
“It is an extremely high reading,” Sgt Smidt said.
“We just can’t get the message through.”
He said at the time of the incident, the man had been taken to Toowoomba Hospital for treatment to injuries to his lower spine and sternum.
Source: http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/news/crash-driver-six-times-over-limit/2134535/
Despite the fact that alcohol slows down your brain functions and causes drivers to react slower and affects decision making negatively too many drivers are making the wrong choices.
Alcohol reduces your ability to judge your speed and distance, so you don’t notice how close other cars and objects are to you. It is important that before we even pick up a drink we should ensure we have a safe way home.
But sadly, alcohol makes you more confident than you would be normally, leading you to think it is safe to drive and resulting in more dangerous and reckless driving behaviour.