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Tag: Responsible Service of Alcohol

  • Alcohol Servers – Don’t Make This Mistake

    Don’t let this happen to you. A venue owner on The Sunshine Coast has been fined $1500 for serving alcohol to an already drunk patron.

    The licensee and an employee of a hotel in Gympie pleaded guilty to supplying liquor to an intoxicated person resulting in a $1500 fine for the licensee and the employee was placed on a six-month good behaviour bond with a recognisance of $600.

    No one at the venue made an effort to stop the patron from consuming more alcohol although he was already intoxicated. That is why Responsible Service of Alcohol training is so important.

    Find out more about this incident here.

  • AHA Rejects Annual FARE Alcohol Consumption Poll

     

    FARE recently released its annual alcohol consumption poll claiming that 75 per cent of Australians believe that the nation has a problem with alcohol abuse.

    The Australian Hotels Association (WA) have rejected the findings. Its CEO Bradley Woods says that there are problems with the poll’s distribution of respondents. What do you think?

    Read more here.

  • ALSA Responds to Underage Service Claim

    Part of Responsible Service of Alcohol means not serving or selling alcohol to minors and asking for IDs to prove that customers are the age they say.

    Yet a professor at Curtin University claims that at least half of young people find it easy to buy alcohol. He was speaking on ABC’s Radio National.

    Professor Mike Daube said some retailers are responsible when it comes to selling alcohol to minors, but many are not. He also called for the government to act.

    ALSA has refuted these claims and says that data suggests otherwise.

    Read more about it here.

  • Official Stats Show that Sydney Lockout Laws are Effective

    Official statistics released recently indicate that lock-out laws have had a positive effect on Sydney’s  night life.

    Lockout laws, limiting the sale of alcohol in the CBD and Kings Cross and access to alcohol has been given a thumbs up by top criminologist and director of the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Don Weatherburn.

    The bureau’s study shows a 40 per cent fall in the number of assaults in the CBD and a fall of 32 per cent in Kings Cross following the introduction of the laws.

    Read more here.

     

     

  • Diners Demanding Keg Beer Driving Installations

    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.

  • Wealthy Women Most at Risk of Binge Drinking

    As an alcohol server, it is important to know which sectors of our customers are most risk of binge drinking, so we can be prepared.

    According to a new OECD report wealthy, middle-aged women are most at risk of drinking too much. This is interesting because these women don’t necessarily fit the profile of what we would imagine as “a drunk”.

    Young people are also drinking at exceedingly higher levels.

    Read more about the findings here.

  • Developed Nations Drinking Less – Report Shows

    According to a report by  the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) drinking in developed nations has declined by 2.5 per cent over the past 2 decades.

    Despite the decline, risky drinking is on the rise which is why the report advises people to avoid excessive alcohol consumption. It also notes that drinking among the youth has also increased.

    Find out more here.

  • .15 Alcohol Level equals Intoxication

    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”.

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/bill-to-combat-brawl-deaths-sets-bloodalcohol-level-at-15-for-intoxication-20140130-31oh9.html#ixzz2slbYAtNA

    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.”

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/bill-to-combat-brawl-deaths-sets-bloodalcohol-level-at-15-for-intoxication-20140130-31oh9.html#ixzz2slbYAtNA

    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.

  • Revisiting the Benefits of Moderate Drinking

    An article on Abc.net.au recently discussed the benefits of drinking alcohol in moderation, something that we have always advocated. While it’s true that excessive alcohol consumption can be extremely detrimental to your health both in the short and long term, moderate and responsible consumption can be good for your health and wellbeing.

    With a lot of people vilifying alcohol in the media these days because of a few who cannot control their drinking and go out and cause a menace, it is important that we know what the limits are and adhere to them, not only for our wellbeing but also for the safety of others.

    So what level of regular drinking is agreed to be harmful to our health?

    According to Australian guidelines, adults shouldn’t drink more than 2 standard drinks a day because this poses an “unacceptable” risk of lifetime harm.  According to an alcohol researcher, Professor Chikritzhs from the University of WA, these are some of the effects those who abuse alcohol have to look forward to,

    “For example, alcoholic liver cirrhosis, alcohol dependence and a range of cancers, including breast cancer, are all longer-term consequences of regular ongoing exposure to alcohol,” says Chikritzhs.

    Sticking to fewer than two standard drinks a day means your risk of such nasties over your lifetime is below one in 100.

    “One in 100 was selected because that’s the kind of benchmark by which we test water quality and other kinds of things. People often see that as an acceptable level of risk.”

    It’s drinking levels below two standard drinks a day where any protective effect against heart disease, diabetes and strokes come in (for those who believe it exists).

    Source: http://www.abc.net.au/health/features/stories/2014/02/20/3948645.htm

    Some of the ways that alcohol is thought to impact the body in this positive way includes boosting levels of “good” fats in the blood, increasing the body’s sensitivity to insulin and decreasing inflammation.

    Although Chikritzhs says that if your do not drink, you do not need to start drinking just so that you will live longer. For example if you suffer from heart disease and you’re a non-drinker, starting to drink alcohol won’t help you cure your heart problems.  Read more from Professor Chikritzhs http://www.abc.net.au/health/features/stories/2014/02/20/3948645.htm

    Some of the Benefits

    Research also shows that moderate consumption of alcohol can reduce the chance of having a stroke. For women who drank moderately research shows they are at a lower risk of developing high blood pressure.

    Experts have long advocated the consumption of beer and wine in moderation to enhance the flow of blood through the arteries and blood vessels and help reduce chances of a heart attack. An alcohol drinker will therefore be able to handle physical activities without the risk of sudden death even if there are blockages in certain parts of the cardiovascular system. Amazingly alcohol also discourages the development of gallstones. This is because the presence of alcohol in a person’s body reduces the tendency of cholesterol to accumulate in the bile.

    But just as beneficial as drinking in moderation can be, drinking in excess and binge drinking can have the adverse effect and be extremely dangerous to your health as well as place you in immediate danger. Stick to the rule of no more than 2 drinks a day and avoid drinking on a daily basis to protect your health and stay safe.

  • NSW Government Releases Fact Sheet for Licensees

    The New South Wales Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing (OLGR) recently released a fact sheet for liquor licensees detailing the reforms which were passed by Parliament last week Friday. The changes were implemented so swiftly in a large part due to the mounting pressure the government was receiving from the public to act to reduce violence in Sydney’s night life districts.

    The Liquor Amendment Bill 2014 was passed by the NSW Parliament last week amidst strong opposition from licensees and the legal fraternity. The amended laws will introduce a host of measures that are aimed at improving safety in Sydney’s entertainment district by tackling alcohol and drug fuelled violence.

    Although the government has been criticised for moving so swiftly in implementing the new measures, the OLGR said “preparation and consultation is underway to ensure its effective implementation” to allow the industry enough time to adjust the way it does business to incorporate the new measures and establish appropriate changes to its practices and procedures.

    The most notable changes that will apply once the legislation commences includes:

    No take-away liquor after 10pm anywhere in NSW;

    Suspension of the trial of online RSA training;

    The creation of a new Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct;

    “Lock-outs” at 1.30am and “Last drinks” at 3am for some venues in the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct and the Kings Cross Precinct;

    A freeze on new liquor licences in the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct;

    Temporary and Long-term banning order provisions in the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct; and

    Suspension or revocation of an RSA competency card or disqualification of a person from holding an RSA competency card, for staff in the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct.

    Source: http://www.theshout.com.au/2014/02/03/article/NSW-liquor-laws-Fact-sheet-for-licensees/EQXWLIBZWY.html

    The strict new measures targeting drug and alcohol fuelled violence will officially begin on February 24th 2014 – giving licensees little time to adapt, many of which say their business will suffer severe negative financial implications which may not allow their businesses to survive. Others welcomed the new measures which they believed would help attract the right customers and keep the wrong element out of their venues.

    Some of the other measures to implemented include an annual risk-based licensing fee scheme for liquor licenses and additional special licence conditions on venues in the district as determined as the article on TheShout.com.au goes on to explain

    Development of a plan of management for the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct, which will impose additional special licence conditions on venues in the Precinct

    An annual risk-based licensing fee scheme for liquor licences.

    Source: http://www.theshout.com.au/2014/02/03/article/NSW-liquor-laws-Fact-sheet-for-licensees/EQXWLIBZWY.html

    The OLGR said it will continue to notify affected liquor licensees and other key stakeholders of developments, including the commencement date of each of the reforms.

    In the meantime night time revellers can expect 1.30am alcohol lockouts and 3am last drinks while the whole of NSW will have a ban on takeaway alcohol after 10pm as of the 24th of this month.