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  • 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 Campaign Warns Youth to Avoid Drinking

    A new alcohol campaign aimed at educating young people about the risks associated with alcohol is gaining momentum since its launch recently.

    The campaign which costs $300,000 was launched by the Mental Health Minister, Helen Morton outside the Royal Perth Hospital emergency department and is also being backed by Dr Fiona Wood, Perth based burns surgeon and former Australian of the Year.

    The backing of Dr. Wood is significant because as a burns surgeon she has seen first-hand how devastating the effects of alcohol can be when it is abused and people make the wrong choices.

    An article on News.com.au quoted Dr. Wood as saying,

    “When I was asked to join and put my shoulder to the wheel for this (campaign) I said I see this, I see young lives changed so often,” she said.

    “I think if only. If only someone has thought, ‘actually do we need to do this?’ If only someone had thought as parents let’s ring each other and stand as a united front. If only someone has thought to stand back from that barbecue. To stand back from that aerosol can.

    “Then those lives that I see changed in an instant would be happy lives without scarring, that would have the opportunity to reach their potential.”

    Source: http://www.news.com.au/national/western-australia/dr-fiona-wood-and-mental-health-minister-helen-morton-launch-new-alcohol-campaign-directed-at-teens-and-parents/story-fnii5thn-1226756788073

    The Australian School Students Alcohol and Drug Survey 2011 indicated that the number of students in Western Australia who are drinking at dangerous levels has risen in every age group.

    The survey also indicated that more than 28 per cent of students were getting alcohol mostly from the parents and 26 per cent were getting from friends.

    One of the reasons why medical professionals such as Dr Wood were so supportive of the campaign was because of the increasing number of young people who were showing up at Princess Margaret Hospital with injuries related to alcohol.

    Dr Wood went on to explain:

    “We see really quite more severe burns often … as a combination of being in a more hazardous environment with your capacity to protect yourself being impaired,” she said.

    “I think young children choosing not to drink is something to be encouraged.

    “And adding that understanding to people that if they do choose to drink it’s not just that drink, that night. It’s the flow on effects from that situation.”

    Source: http://www.news.com.au/national/western-australia/dr-fiona-wood-and-mental-health-minister-helen-morton-launch-new-alcohol-campaign-directed-at-teens-and-parents/story-fnii5thn-1226756788073

    The campaign is not only meant to educate young people, but their parents as well about the impacts of alcohol on these youths. Students and their parents need to understand the importance of making the right decisions when it comes to alcohol.

    Helen Morton went on to explain about the campaign:

    “I’m sure that the police will have their usual road blocks etc but the area that I’m most focused on is making sure that we give parents really good, factual information around the impact of alcohol on young people – young people’s developing brains and young people’s developing bodies,” she said.

    Source: http://www.news.com.au/national/western-australia/dr-fiona-wood-and-mental-health-minister-helen-morton-launch-new-alcohol-campaign-directed-at-teens-and-parents/story-fnii5thn-1226756788073

    As Morton explained, parents that are educated and provided with the necessary information will make better choices which will benefit their children and young people and hopefully reduce much of the harm being done by alcohol among this age group.

     

  • Campaign urges parents not to give their children alcohol

    The issue of parents giving alcohol to their underage children has once again come under the spotlight.

    This time the Western Australian state government is urging parents to think about the dangers of underage drinking before supplying alcohol to their children.

    The state government has launched a new campaign which will feature on the radio, television as well as print advertisements and will highlight the effects of alcohol on the brain of young people. This follows research which reveals that a disturbingly high number of young people are obtaining alcohol from their parents.

    The following is an excerpt from a post on Abc.net.au which explains more about the campaign and the government’s warnings:

    The State Government has launched a new campaign warning parents about the dangers of supplying alcohol to children.

    The television, radio and print advertisements highlight the effects alcohol has on brain development in young people.

    The government says the latest data shows almost a third of young people got their last alcoholic drink from their parents.

    Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-10/alcohol-ads/5081760

    There is an overwhelming body of evidence which proves that alcohol can be damaging to the developing brain of a teenager, yet many parents fail to recognise the risks and continue to provide their children and their children’s friends with alcohol.

    Either parents are too ignorant of the risks to their children ‘s health or they are trying to teach their teens to drink responsibly however the problem with this approach is that it fails to recognise that even moderate amounts of alcohol can damage the brain of a young people, most times irreversibly.

    The post also goes on to explain:

    The Mental Health Minister Helen Morton says the evidence that alcohol can damage a young person’s brain and body is clear.

    Mrs Morton says the advertisements coincide with end-of-school year celebrations, when some parents consider providing alcohol for their children.

    “I believe parents haven’t had the awareness or the understanding around the impacts of alcohol and the damage it can cause to young people’s brains and bodies,” she said

    Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-10/alcohol-ads/5081760

    I am reminded of a recent study discussed in an article on British website Dailymail.co.uk which detailed the findings of a study conducted by psychologist, Dr Aric Sigman.

    Dr. Sigman explained that delaying alcohol introduction to children is best because alcohol can do long lasting neurological damage to their developing brains and bodies.

    The psychologist has appealed to British parents and parents across the EU to refrain from giving their children alcohol until they are of 18 years old age. In fact he believes people shouldn’t drink until they are 25.He also explained that the earlier in life a child begins drinking, the more likely they are to develop a drinking problem.

    Sigman warned parents that for the health of their children they should wait till their children are at least 16 before they introduce them to alcohol at home. Obviously it is best to wait till teenagers are of legal drinking age (18 in Oz) before allowing them to drink alcohol but those parents who want to teach their children responsible drinking should not do so until they are at least 16.

    For more on Sigman’s research read the full post at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2320218/Under-18s-banned-having-ANY-alcohol-Warning-attempts-introduce-children-drinking-risks-turning-alcoholic-later-life.html

     

  • Epidemic of Female Alcohol Abusers Rapidly Spreading

    The number of women drinking alcohol, especially those binge drinking alcohol has seen a dramatic rise across the globe. In most developed countries female drinkers are the ones driving growth in alcohol markets. Globally, the richer the country the more drinkers and the smaller the gap between male and female consumption.

    The alcohol industry is aware of the fact that women are driving the growth and are capitalising on this. Alcohol advertising is increasingly being aimed at the female market with multiple brands competing for the loyalty of women, fruit and berry flavoured vodkas, coolers, alcohol lemonades, low calorie drinks etc.

    Unfortunately many still think of alcohol abuse as a male-dominated problem but an increasing number of women are becoming addicted to alcohol.

    Alcohol dependency and addictions have long been thought of as a male dominated problem but the truth is more and more females are falling victim to this epidemic, as an increasing body of research is proving.

    In a recent article on News.com.au one writer describes her journey into alcohol abuse and how alcohol subtly takes its place in our lives as we go through ups and downs, one glass a day turns into two, then three, then a bottle a day until we become totally dependent on that drink to cope.

    “Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol” by Ann Dowsett Johnston tells the story of Ann, an accomplished writer and mother who used alcohol to get through the difficult times in life that we all experience.

    There is an interesting portion of the article on News.com.au which gives us more insight into not only female drinking habits and motivations but drinking by different generations. Read an excerpt from the article below:

    Preeminent American alcohol researcher Sharon Wilsnack, of the University of North Dakota, believes we are now witnessing a “global epidemic” in women’s drinking. In 2011, Katherine Keyes, now an assistant professor at Columbia University, reviewed 31 international studies of birth-cohort and gender differences in alcohol consumption and mortality. Her conclusion? Those born after the Second World War are more likely to binge drink and develop alcohol-use disorders than their older counterparts.

    “Those born between 1978 and 1983 are the weekend warriors, drinking to black out,” Keyes says. “In that age group, there is a reduction in male drinking, and a sharp increase for women.”

    Meanwhile, women who are in their 40s and 50s have a very high risk in terms of heavy drinking and weekly drinking. “We’re not saying, ‘Put down the sherry and go back to the kitchen,’ ” says Keyes. “But when we see these steep increases, you wonder if we are going to see a larger burden of disease for women.”

    Source: http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/female-alcohol-abuse-is-a-global-epidemic/story-fneuzlbd-1226734156286

    This increase may explain why so much of today’s alcohol marketing is aimed at women.

    Another reason is because women are increasingly being accepted into male dominated circles, this increases their opportunity to drink to keep up with their male counterparts. This also increases their risks of alcohol abuse disorders.

    Women should remember that it takes less alcohol to get them intoxicated than it does males and size also has something to do with it. The other factors that influence the effects of alcohol include:

    • Persons size, weight, age, gender,
    • The type and quantity of alcohol consumed
    • Persons unique body chemistry
    • Amount of food in the persons stomach
    • The drinking experience a person has
    • The mental health status of the individual
    • Health conditions that could be increased or made worse by alcohol

     

     

  • Drinking Restrictions in NSW lead to lower rate of Assaults

    According to the latest figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics (BOCSAR) assaults at licensed venues seems to be on the decline, apparently due to tougher conditions for drinkers and restrictions on licensed venues across the state.

    The measures are believed to be the greatest cause of the decline in alcohol related assaults according to the state’s number one crime statistician.

    The crime statistics show that assaults at licensed premises were stable over the last 2 years but have declined by about 7.9per cent each year over the past 5 years.

    This post from Bigpondnews.com explains further,

    Before 2009, assault rates at licensed premises were rising. But government-imposed restrictions, which started in Newcastle, have helped drop the frequency of boozed-up bashings, BOCSAR director Don Weatherburn told AAP.

    ‘It’s not going down really rapidly but 7.9 per cent per annum’s not to be sniffed at,’ he said.

    ‘Getting tough with licensed premises that serve alcohol to intoxicated people is working.’

    But he doesn’t know whether the government needs to crack down further.

    ‘The measures that are in place at the moment are pushing it down,’ he said.

    ‘Maybe we should just keep things as they are until and unless we see it level out again.

    ‘It’s not rising, it’s not stable, it’s falling so I think the current policy settings are probably doing good.’

    Source: http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Crime/2013/09/12/NSW_drinking_restrictions_drop_assaults_905642.html

    The only area where violent offences have increased is lower northern Sydney were it has increased by 11.5 per cent, other than that the rate of violent offences in metropolitan areas has stabilised.

    The statistics also show that although assaults at licensed venues are declining, indecent and domestic assault are on the rise in part of the state.

    The report from BOCSAR measures crime trends across 154 local government areas over the last 2 years to June 2013. The report shows that there have been a considerable increase in indecent assaults. These indecent assaults are up 38 per cent in Sydney’s inner west and up by 23.3 per cent at the mid-north coast.

    The report also shows a spike in the number of drug possession charges, particularly possession and use of ecstasy which increased by an alarming 70.8 per cent. The report showed cocaine use up by 44.1 per cent and amphetamines by 22.1 per cent.

    Another notable increase was in the number of alcohol thefts which has increased by 34.5 per cent.

    The article goes on to explain,

    Dr Weatherburn said he believed this figure reflected better policing, not that more people are using drugs.

    ‘Police ran operations, arrested a lot of people for drug possession,’ he said.

    Shootings remained stable and murder and attempted murder have dropped.

    The opposition used the figures to take a swipe at the government, saying it is ‘not putting a dent in the gun violence playing out in our suburbs.’

    Fraud has risen 22 per cent over the 24 months to June this year.

    ‘The majority of these offences involve the unauthorised use of credit cards and bank cards,’ Dr Weatherburn said.

    Source: http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Crime/2013/09/12/NSW_drinking_restrictions_drop_assaults_905642.html

     

  • Do you think Underage Teens should be allowed to serve alcohol?

    The NSW Restaurant and Catering Association (R&CA) wants the state government to implement changes to the law which would allow minors to serve alcoholic drinks.

    Although 16 year olds can’t legally buy alcohol if these controversial changes are passed they may be able to serve alcohol in restaurant bars and dining areas to overcome staff shortages. Currently under NSW law, staff of licensed venues must be at least 18 years old to serve alcohol.

    The NSW R&CA represents 11,500 venues in the state and wants the government to follow in the footsteps of Queensland and allow minors to serve alcohol.

    According to the chief executive officer John Hart, the move would help restaurant and bar owners desperate for additional staff.

    He was quoted on the website www.dailytelegraph.com.auas saying,

    “So long as a Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) course has been completed, junior staff – 16 or someone in Year 11 or 12 – should be allowed to serve booze,” he said.

    “At the moment, you’ve got a situation where someone orders a beer and a burger and junior staff can only serve the burger and has to get someone else to serve the beer.”

    Source: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/nsw-restaurant-and-catering-association-calls-for-underage-teens-to-be-able-to-serve-alcohol/story-fni0cx12-1226718539061

    Every 5 years the NSW government has a review of the liquor laws, this time around scores of submissions have been put forward, one of which being the NSW Restaurant and Catering Association’s (R&CA) request for staff as young as 16 to be able to serve alcohol.

    The post on DailyTelegraph.com.au tells of one licensee, Cresent Head Tavern’s director Darren Gunn who claims that finding staff to work at his venue in the small mid-north coast town is a battle. He is calling for people as young as 15 years old to be trained to work in the bar to fill staff gaps. He is currently training a number of 15 year olds to work in the restaurant, with food but he is unable to train them to work in the bar because of the state laws. He says once these staff are of legal age they leave the small town to find full time work elsewhere.

    The post goes on to state,

    Brooke Mozeley, 17, who has been working at the Crescent Head Tavern three nights a week and during school holidays since she was 15, said it was frustrating not being able to serve alcohol.

    “People will call out and ask to be served and I have to tell them that I can’t,” she said.

    “It would be easier if we could serve drinks as well.”

    Source: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/nsw-restaurant-and-catering-association-calls-for-underage-teens-to-be-able-to-serve-alcohol/story-fni0cx12-1226718539061

    Community groups also want laws changed to allow staff of licensed venues to drink on the premise after hours. The Government is due to table its report into the review in December. These are some of the proposed changes for the state’s liquor laws,

    • Venue licences revoked after five violent incidents

    • Lower age of bar staff to at least 16

    • After-work drinks for staff

    • Ban patrons from “stockpiling” drinks

    • “Water bars” and “chill out rooms” at venues

    Source: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/nsw-restaurant-and-catering-association-calls-for-underage-teens-to-be-able-to-serve-alcohol/story-fni0cx12-1226718539061

     

  • Discussion on Parliamentary Enquiry Suggestion to Clampdown on Parents who Supply Alcohol

    Most adults would agree that alcohol can be seriously damaging to young people, to their health, safety and wellbeing. Many parents choose to forbid their children from drinking alcohol at all but there are many that choose to provide alcohol to their kids so that they can “control” the amount they consume, rather than have them just sneaking around drinking with their friends with the possibility of them abusing it even more. Obviously there are those that don’t limit the amount of alcohol they provide for their kids and don’t teach them to be responsible drinkers, which is where the problem comes in.

    In fact according to a NSW parliamentary committee, parents or guardians who do not behave responsibly when it comes to giving alcohol to minors should be forced into counselling in the hopes that this will make them more responsible when providing alcohol to minors.

    It is not expected to be met with much criticism because most people agree that many adults aren’t cautious enough about providing alcohol to minors, which is breeding a problem.

    The clampdown on parents has been pushed by the committee and others who believe that in order to tackle a problem of this magnitude it is vital that parents also be dealt with. Alcohol abuse among young people is growing, this is obvious from statistics and the number of minors being checked into rehabilitation centres. Also many adult users began their unhealthy relationship with alcohol at a young age.

    At the moment, parents and guardians are legally permitted to supply alcohol to their children as well as children placed in their care as long as their parents give consent.

    Read what this excerpt from an article on TheHerald.com.au had to say:

    The parliamentary committee wants to add the mild proviso that any such supply be made “in a manner that is consistent with responsible supervision”. Relevant factors would be the child’s age, whether the adult or child was drunk, whether the child was drinking alcohol with food, the amount and type of alcohol and the time over which it was supplied.

    Fair enough, but debate on such a minor legal tweak shouldn’t be allowed to overshadow much bigger and more important questions in the overall alcohol debate.

    Newcastle Community Drug Action Team chair Tony Brown has correctly noted, for example, the large volume of unregulated online liquor promotions that are directed at teenagers.

    Read more: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1775920/editorial-children-drinking-alcohol/?cs=303

    According to the team the saturation of the Aussie alcohol market has led the alcohol industry seeking other opportunities for sales growth, to look to the youth market. Alcohol companies understand that market growth is limited and requires them to “groom” the younger generation to become drinkers, it is the only untapped or underdeveloped market at the moment.

    The post goes on to explain:

    If policymakers are genuinely concerned about this possibility then they should by all means consider enforcing greater accountability for parents and guardians. But tackling liquor advertising and promotion and considering other factors such as price and availability would bring a bigger dividend for the effort involved.

    Read more: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1775920/editorial-children-drinking-alcohol/?cs=303

     

  • ACT Police Minister calls for Alcohol Crime Squad Reinstatement

    The Police Commissioner, Simon Corbell has called for the reinstatement of the crime squad and has also described changes to the policing of alcohol crime in the territory as “sensible”, saying that licensed venues will continue to pay higher fees to help fund the services.

    The Attorney-General has promised that the amalgamation of an alcohol crime squad with the city beats police will not reduce efforts to tackle alcohol-related crime.

    The opposition have asked that the government reinstate an alcohol crime task force which was amalgamated with the city beat police to fill in due to the lack of officers patrolling at night, when most alcohol fuelled incidents occur.

    The Canberra Liberals will also call for at least $15 million that was cut from the ACT Police’s budget. The money is required to employ more police for the currently understaffed city beat. In addition to the calls from extra beat police, there will also be a call for legislation to provide additional protection for police who are assaulted in the line of duty.

    Reports have surfaced which claim that police chiefs have been having to work with seriously low numbers of beat police even though written complaints from officers have been coming in at least once a month for the past 2 years.

    Police management have this month responded by merging the beats squad with the alcohol crime squad. The alcohol crime squad was established in 2010 under new liquor laws and are being funded in part by pubs and clubs through higher fees which licensees have to pay under a risk-based licensing scheme. The following excerpt from CanberraTimes.com.au explains:

    The alcohol task force was set up to curb alcohol-related violence. Funding the squad led the fees for some venues to rise to more than $10,000 under a risk-based licensing scheme.

    Mr Corbell told the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday he was informed of the amalgamation about a week ago. The Attorney-General said the move would not reduce police resources targeting alcohol-related crime.

    ”Madam Speaker, the decision is one which is a sensible one on the part of the chief police officer,” Mr Corbell said.

    ”The chief police officer is seeking to deploy his resources in the most effective way possible.

    ”Of course it makes sense that particularly on a Friday or Saturday night the alcohol crime targeting team, which is in operation often in the Civic area, will work with and co-operate with the city beats team.

    ”This does not result in any reduction in the capability of the new dedicated combined team to focus on alcohol-related crime and violence, and those activities will continue, I’m advised, unchanged.”

    Under questioning from the opposition, Mr Corbell said the new structure would not mean a reduction in or refund of fees for licensees.

    Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/hanson-to-call-for-reinstating-alcohol-crime-squad-20130917-2txlk.html#ixzz2fAsycbdL

    Clubs ACT are not happy with both the ACT government and police management, claiming that pubs and clubs were not informed about the changes, some even calling the changes deceitful.

     

     

  • 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

     

  • Alcohol Fuelled Patients Clog up Ambulance Services

    It appears the number of alcohol related call outs in Geelong has gotten out of control and is putting even more pressure on ambulances than any other region in Victoria, according to reports.

    According to an article on the Geelong Advertiser website, a report released by Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre earlier this year revealed that over 200 call outs a month in regional Vic are as a result of alcohol abuse or misuse.

    According to the report paramedics in greater Geelong attended almost 500 alcohol fuelled incidents in 2011-2012. Most of these cases are from self-inflicted injuries caused by alcohol as is actually risking the lives of other people in the area because it is diverting lifesaving resources away from the people that really need it.

    The article had this to say about the report’s findings:

    Greater Geelong paramedics attended 497 alcohol-related incidents in 2011-12, more than doubling the workload of areas such as La Trobe (190), Ballarat (178), Greater Shepparton (153) and Greater Bendigo (148).

    The report, released by Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre in May this year, found ambulances attended more than 200 call-outs per month in regional Victoria due to alcohol abuse.

    Ambulance union state secretary Steve McGhie said self-inflicted cases were diverting lifesaving resources away from patients with genuine health issues.

    “Geelong should be concerned,” he said. “It’s something we have to address together.

    “People get angry about illicit drugs and its toll on the community but alcohol abuse is much worse.”

    The Surf Cost recorded 46 alcohol-related call-outs, Colac Otway 30, Golden Plains 10 and Queenscliff five.

    Read more: http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2013/10/14/374443_news.html

    A spokesperson for the Minister for Mental Health, Mary Wooldridge said the situation is a major social problem, especially considering that it is likely to increase if it is not dealt with. In the past 10 years, the number of alcohol related ambulance attendances increased every year,

    The government is committed to tackling this problem by reducing the impact of alcohol and drug abuse in the community – this is the only way to alleviate the problem of alcohol related attendances wasting valuable medical resources.

    The article goes on to explain:

    “The (whole-of-government strategy) plan includes initiatives to promote healthier attitudes to excessive drinking and drunk behaviour, as well as measures to effectively regulate alcohol supply with strengthened reforms to liquor licensing laws,” the spokesperson said.

    Labor secretary for health Wade Noonan said the report showed paramedics were being sent into dangerous situations and that people were left “dangerously exposed”.

    “The increase in alcohol and drug-related ambulance attendances is leading to some serious incidents involving our respected paramedics, including assaults,” he said.

    Source: http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2013/10/14/374443_news.html

    As the spokesperson explained the huge alcohol related caseload is adding enormous pressure to the ambulance service which is already under stress. In fact the situation is so serious that one in four ambulances already failed to response to life-threatening emergencies within 15 minutes – the government’s target response time.

    A spokesperson for the Health Minister David Davis denied that the Ambulance service was failing to keep up with the high demand and cited a 13.7 per cent increase in ambulance shifts operating in the Geelong area. He says, the Geelong has more paramedics now than it’s ever had.

    What does this mean for RSA Staff?

    As RSA staff we have a duty to serve alcohol in a socially responsible manner so as not to contribute to the high number of alcohol related incidents tying up ambulances and other medical services, keeping them from seeing to patients with “real” non-self-inflicted problems. We can do this by completing the Responsible Service of Alcohol course and adhering to all RSA rules.