RSA Course Online

Tag: RSA course

  • Healthy Lifestyle Ads Blocked

    The issue of alcohol advertisements and promotions which certain members of the public say “entice” young children into drinking have once again come under the spotlight as a father has been blocked by the AFL and Cricket Australia from taking out advertisements promoting healthy living because sporting bodies feel it would conflict with their sponsorships from alcohol companies.

    The incident has public health experts up in arms and they have accused sporting codes of “bowing down to corporate bullies”.

    Read about the controversy below, taken from TheHerald.com.au:

    Tasmanian Aaron Schultz tried to buy advertising space at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval to promote his ”Game Changer” campaign against the marketing of junk food and alcohol towards children through sport.

    He hoped to run four 30-second advertisements on the big screens during the North Melbourne versus Sydney game on April 13 at a total cost of $1500, but was told via email by North Melbourne that the AFL ”could not accommodate” the ad.

    It carried the slogan ”tackling unhealthy advertising in sport” and the gamechanger.org.au website.

    Mr Schultz also approached Cricket Tasmania, which have permanent signage rights at the ground, willing to pay up to $15,000 for a space.

    But an email response from Cricket Australia sent on March 26 said; ”Unfortunately your campaign contradicts with some of our contracted partners.”

    Public health expert Mike Daube, director of the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth, said he was amazed sporting bodies would censor public health messages.

    ”It is appalling that alcohol and junk food companies can prevent the communication of healthy messages,,” he said.

    Source: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1478342/sports-reject-healthy-living-ad-series/?cs=2373

    Schultz launched the “Game Changer” campaign in January this year after he became concerned that advertisements during sporting events was having an impact on his children who displayed an interest in cricket and began to watch it a lot on television and live in Hobart. He then realised that high levels of alcohol and other junk foods products being promoted were sending the wrong message to children and in fact all Australians.

    The article on TheHerald.com.au also went on to discuss the recent analysis of 3 AFL final series games where alcohol promotions were shown an average of 244 times which worked out to more than 20 minutes a match.

    A spokesman for the AFL said that the code had no contracts with any of its partners or sponsors that banned advertisements such as Game Changer but the advertisement did oppose the beliefs of the AFL because according to the AFL people should make their own decisions about what they drink and eat and also do so on behalf of their families. He also said that the AFL supported messages around responsible use of alcohol but not imposing restrictions.

    The spokesman went on to say:

    A Cricket Australia spokesman said the responsible drinking category was already filled.

    ”Cricket Australia and Carlton & United Brewery’s ‘Know When to Declare’ responsible use of alcohol advertising is the only advertising of this type we carry,” he said.

    Source: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1478342/sports-reject-healthy-living-ad-series/?cs=2373

     

  • Alcohol Promotions at NSW Events may be Banned

    NSW festivals and events may never be the same again if calls for alcohol promotions and sponsorships to be banned come into effect.

    People travel from across the country to attend festivals and events in NSW, so this issue has relevance for everyone.

    Alcohol promotions and sponsorships at North Coast festivals are frequented by young people many of whom aren’t even of legal drinking age. A NSW Upper House inquiry has heard that alcohol sponsorships and promotions should therefore be banned.

    The parliamentary inquiry into alcohol abuse in young people, the Byron Youth Service made its submission to have alcohol promotions and sponsorships banned. The group called for a review into the regulation of alcohol service at festivals and events such as Splendour in the Grass, Schoolies, Blues Fest and even New Year celebrations.

    The Byron Youth Service says that alcohol at festival bars in glamourized which thereby promotes heavy drinking especially amongst young people and encourages these impressionable youth into consuming alcohol.

    The submission also noted that the high profile crime in the area, related to alcohol appears to have escaped the State Government’s radar.

    According to a report on MyDailyNews.com.au this is what the BYS (Byron Youth Service) had to say:

    It says an area, which has 30% more liquor licences and significantly higher crime statistics than most of NSW, heavy tourism traffic and a shortage of taxis, is in desperate need of funding for safety programs.

    The street-based program, run by BYS every weekend and throughout special events and peak periods like Schoolies for the past 13 years, was working, according the submission but lacked “sufficient, ongoing funding”.

    Byron High students suggested funding for school-based programs, more RBTs at “high risk” areas like Byron, western Sydney and the Gold Coast and curfews for P platers, could help deter young people from binge-drinking.

    The submission, penned by school captains Taylor Kempnich and Brodie Snow and vice captains Danika Saul and James Dennett, said the focus should be on “prevention rather than the cure” if the State Government wanted to “save money, time in the workplace, but most of all, lives”.

    Byron-based Greens MLC Jan Barham and Lennox Liberal MLC Catherine Cusack are sitting on the committee which will report back to parliament later this year.

    The next hearing will take place in Sydney on May 6.

    http://www.mydailynews.com.au/news/push-ban-alcohol-promotion-nsw-festivals-and-event/1849647/

    Whether or not the BYS will be granted their request, we will have to wait and see but in the interim it is important that people realise that serving alcohol to underage minors is illegal.

    Parents need to understand the daamage that alcohol is doing to their children and the risks that it is placing them under.

    Servers of alcohol, whether in a bar or pub or at a festival or event needs to be aware of the damage that serving alcohol to youth can do. In addition to the harm that alcohol can do to young people, anyone who provides alcohol to a minor is liable to be charged.

     

  • Responsible Service of Alcohol Role in Reducing Bar Brawls

    Bar brawls seem to have become a common occurrence in Oz regardless of the fact that police are out in full force each weekend attempting to keep revellers at bay. It is concerning to think that in Australia 16 per cent of bars account for 60 per cent of bar brawls. Obviously certain licenced venues are not concerned about the safety of their customers and employees and it is unlikely these venues are enforcing Responsible Service of Alcohol rules.

    Drinkers who engage in bar brawls are not deterred by negative consequences (such as minor injuries, tension among friends, or trouble with the police), all of which tend to be delayed. The perceived rewards are more immediate and include feeling right about fighting for a worthy cause, increasing group cohesion among friends, getting attention, feeling powerful and having entertaining stories to tell. Also most often these people are so intoxicated that they have been freed from all inhibitions so the consequences of their actions is the furthest thought from their mind.

    Binge drinking and underage drinking have been identified as 2 of the major contributors to alcohol fuelled violence. Binge drinking in particular is a problem contributing to the major of bar fights.

    Responsible service of alcohol laws dictate that drinkers be cut off after reaching a number drinks, regardless of the situation or how irate they may become at being denied another drink. If bar fights are something that happen often in your establishment, undoubtedly it will quickly develop a bad reputation and more responsible patrons will avoid it. Therefore waiters need to know how to properly recognize and respond to drunken patrons.

    Tact is needed and you should always remain respectful and understand that the person is intoxicated and probably unreasonable at this stage.

    You may need to remove a patron from the bar if they refuse to accept your decision to stop serving them.  That is why the best thing to do is to inform the customer beforehand that they will not be allowed more alcohol. You could politely mention to the customer that they will only be served one or two more. Then you should inform other servers as well as any bouncers or security along with your manager that a particular patron is close to their limit. It is much easier for a customer to understand this news before they are extremely intoxicated and unmanageable.

    In order to learn all the other responsibilities of an RSA employee and how to reduce the number of bar fights and violence associated with your bar or licenced venue, every staff member needs to undergo Responsible Service of Alcohol training. Each employee’s certificate should be kept on file at the premises to be provided to authorities as and when requested. This training will teach employees all the skills needed to avoid situations such as bar brawls and alcohol fuelled violence as well as the consequences for their actions.

    If you or any of your workers have not undergone the RSA course, you need to do so immediately not only to avoid legal prosecution but also to ensure that your venue remains safe and profitable.  Visit our homepage to get more information.

     

  • Last Resort in Responsible Service of Alcohol

    Responsible Service of Alcohol seems to be taking a back seat these days judging by the number of intoxicated patrons that can be found loitering around licenced venues in entertainment districts across Oz. Alcohol Servers need to question whether they have done all they can to reduce intoxication and effects of alcohol misuse.

    Employees of the hospitality industry that are involved with the sale of alcohol must ensure that they do not contribute to the alcohol fuelled problems plaguing our entertainment districts. In order to do this they need to be aware of their responsibilities according to the law.

    The responsible service of alcohol certificate will assist in this regard and teach workers how to properly serve alcohol as to not contribute to these alcohol fuelled incidents. (To learn how to register for the RSA course online, visit www.Rsacourseonline.com.au

    Some of the serious incidents we have witnessed recently include assault, murder, robbery, drink driving accidents and brawling.

    As an RSA worker, you must constantly ask yourself whether or not you have done all you can reduce the numbers of alcohol fuelled incidents. Have you fulfilled your duties by, not serving minors, not serving intoxicated patrons, recognizing the signs of intoxication and acting accordingly? This will in turn positively affect the community if all RSA workers employ this self-reflective approach to alcohol service.

    Some of the Actions an RSA employee must undertake include:

    • Look out for the visible signs of intoxication, such as a person’s speech, balance, co-ordination or behaviour. These are noticeably different when someone is intoxicated and it is reasonable to assume these changes are due to intoxication and deny this person further alcohol service.
    • Apply tact when denying alcohol to a customer and always remain respectful and understand that the person is intoxicated and probably unreasonable at this stage.
    • Learn what a standard drink constitutes and know more or less the alcoholic content of drinks you serve so that you are able to advise patrons accordingly and assist them in remaining sober. Learn what a standard drink is and stick to the government’s recommended daily standard drink. This will allow you to remain within the limits of the law when serving patrons or drinking yourself.
    • Ask anyone who looks under 23 for their proof of ID. A current driver’s licence (or interstate equivalent) or passport will do.
    • Provide customers with good quality food and free drinking water wherever alcohol is sold.
    • Provide alternatives to full strength alcohol, such as low alcohol beer, soft drinks and coffee to patrons. Advise patrons to alternate one alcoholic drink with one non-alcoholic drink or a glass of water.
    • Do not serve the same patron with too many drinks at once, this is an easy way of binge drinking which can have serious negative consequences for them and other bystanders. Coordinate with other workers in the venue about who to stop serving alcohol to.

    If staff of licenced venues are aware of their responsibilities and enforce them, it is likely we will see a significant decline in alcohol fuelled misconduct and violence on our streets.

     

  • Responsible Service of Alcohol News: Huge Cost of Alcohol Harm

    We often consider the emotional and physical costs of alcohol abuse on the community and individuals in particular when discussing alcohol harm but we seldom consider the huge financial cost alcohol related harm has on the Australian society.

    A recent article on www.caboolturenews.com.au discusses a study which estimates alcohol related harm at more than $14 billion in 2012, which was double the amount of revenue collected in tax and excise.

    The study by researchers at Griffith University undertook the study on behalf of the Australian Institute of Criminology. This huge financial cost of alcohol related harm was the key finding of the report.

    The authors of the study have suggested a substantial amount of the government’s revenue generated from alcohol taxes should go towards diversion and prevention strategies to tackle the issue head-on and at the root rather than having to deal with the consequences.

    Read more about the study below with an excerpt from the post on www.Caboolturenews.com.au :

    The Commonwealth raised $7 billion in total tax revenue in 2010 from alcohol products through excise and GST revenue.

    Matthew Manning, a co-author of The Societal Costs Of Alcohol Misuse In Australia, said the paper built on a series of costings carried out over the past decade by David Collins and Helen Lapsley and showed the extent of damage that alcohol caused to the economy.

    Of the $14.352 billion estimate, $6.046 billion involved costs to Australian productivity, $3.662 billion were costs associated with traffic accidents, $2.9 billion comprised costs to the criminal justice system and $1.686 billion represented costs to the health system.

    Dr Manning made the point the total did not incorporate the negative impacts on others – estimated at more than $6 billion – associated with someone else’s drinking.

    Productivity losses, which accounted for almost half of the total cost, were calculated as the sum of reduced workforce and household labour due to premature death, reduced household labour due to sickness and reduced workforce participation due to absenteeism.

    The criminal justice system costs were made up of police (38% of total), child protection and support services (8%), prisons (21%), plus insurance administration (1%), to courts (3%) and other organisations such as detox, counselling and victims services, associated with addressing violence (29%).

    Source:http://www.caboolturenews.com.au/news/alcohol-harm-cost-us-more-twice-tax-revenue-raised/1817693/

    Servers of alcohol should never underestimate the role they play in keeping this high financial cost to the country down. Employees of the hospitality industry that are involved with the sale of alcohol must ensure that they do not contribute to the alcohol fuelled problems and therefore cost to the economy.

    As an RSA worker, you must constantly ask yourself whether or not you have done all you can reduce the numbers of alcohol fuelled incidents and minimise the huge financial impact on the community and Australian society in general. Have you fulfilled your duties by, not serving minors, not serving intoxicated patrons, recognizing the signs of intoxication and acting accordingly?

     

  • Making a Cocktail Dessert

    If there are 2 things that everybody loves its cocktails and dessert. So why not combine the 2 and make something your guests or customers will really enjoy. Jelly shots are basically just vodka and jelly but you could make them with other types of alcohol too. Vodka has a taste that lends itself well to other flavours, so it is most commonly used when making jelly shots.

    Make a lot of different flavours of jelly and they look beautiful with all the colours. Watch this video by a professional mixologist that shows you exactly how to make the perfect jelly shot.

    But be careful when eating them, they are easy to over-do because you feel like you’re having dessert more than drinking, and you could quickly find yourself quite tipsy.

    Link http://youtu.be/obAL3sPcK8E

    Why not prepare your jelly shots in hollowed out fruit skins for a beautiful and professional look. Simply scoop out the flesh from the fruit and pour in the vodka/jelly mixture before freezing in a baking tray so that the fruit stays upright. The result is quite impressive.

    megan_jello_2

    Photo Source: http://kirtsy.com/2011/11/02/fancy-fruit-wedge-jelly-shots-for-grown-ups-how-to/

    megan_jello_3

    Photo Source: http://kirtsy.com/2011/11/02/fancy-fruit-wedge-jelly-shots-for-grown-ups-how-to/

     megan_jello_4

    Photo Source: http://kirtsy.com/2011/11/02/fancy-fruit-wedge-jelly-shots-for-grown-ups-how-to/

     

  • Palm Islanders Launch 580 Separate Appeals in Court against AMPs

    The state government is currently in the midst of reviewing its alcohol management plan (AMP) that will address “sly-grogging” matters as the  AMPsare challenged in the High Court. But Palm islanders are trying beat charges of “sly-grogging” according to an article on TheAustralian.com.au and feel that the alcohol management plans are discriminatory towards them. They have subsequently lodged 580 separate appeals in court in an attempt to avoid fines and jail time.

    The High Court will soon deliver its decision about a case brought to court and argued by Joan Monica Maloney that Alcohol management plans are discriminatory. Should the court rule in Maloney’s favour and find that AMPs are discriminatory in terms of the Commonwealth Racial Discrimination Act, the police may be liable to pay thousands in compensation for all the alcohol they’ve seized as part of the AMPs.

    The police however have called upon the government to maintain the AMPs which it believes are keeping violence and sexual assault somewhat at bay, especially against women and children. The police say if the court rules in Maloney’s favour, the number of women and children abused as result of alcohol will “skyrocket”.

    According to an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service solicitor quoted in the article, the prohibitions contained in the AMPs would just drive the problems to continue underground. While those that lodged the appeals are not arguing that all AMPs were wrong but that the plans legislated were not discussed with the community.

    Read what he and others had to say about the issue from the post on TheAustralian.com.au:

    “There is a huge amount of organised sly-grogging happening on Palm Island. Just about any type of liquor can easily be bought from the sly-groggers,” he told The Courier-Mail.

    “As an example, one can only buy one six-pack of XXXX Gold beer at a time from the only hotel on Palm Island at a cost of $30 … $120 a carton.

    “Sly-groggers will deliver a carton to your door, chilled, for $110 a carton. Compare this with $37.99 a carton and $12.49 a six-pack in Townsville. Sly-groggers therefore have a (huge) profit margin.”

    Only low-strength beer can be legally bought and consumed on Palm Island.

    The office of the Attorney-General, Jarrod Bleijie, confirmed there had been 580 appeals lodged in Townsville District Court relating to charges of sly-grogging..

    “Irrespective of the current High Court challenge it still remains an offence to possess alcohol in a restricted area.

    “Alcohol management plans were introduced as a special measure to reduce violence and increase social cohesion within communities, and that will continue to be the focus of Newman Government programs and services,” Mr Bleijie’s spokesman said.

    Source: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/binge-on-prohibition-appeals-as-high-court-set-to-deliver-alcohol-management-plan-discrimination-rulling/story-e6frg6n6-1226581452927

    Ian Leavers, the police union president has argued that the people of Palm Island have never enjoyed such safety and anyone who believes that the AMPs are discriminatory are not aware of the just much alcohol has devastated these communities in the past.

     

  • RSA Update: Does Liquor Outlet Density Affect Residents Health?

    A question that often faces the community and authorities in charge of issuing liquor licences is whether or not the density of liquor outlets and licenced venues in a neighbourhood has an effect on the health of people in that neighbourhood.

    Many believe that the more licenced venues and outlets an area has, the more difficult it is to enforce responsible service of alcohol laws.

    Now new research by the University of Western Australia has determined that people with more liquor outlets in their neighbourhood do in fact have higher levels of harmful/ binge drinking and also suffer from worse mental health that those who live a further distance away from outlets.

    The study funded by Healthway was published in a prestigious online US journal called PLOS One and is important because most research on alcohol outlet density in the past has focused only on violence, crime, safety and vehicle crashes. The findings of the research are particularly significant because it supports the plan by the WA Health Department to establish a healthier WA,part of the plan is to limit the density of alcohol outlets.

    The research found that the rate of alcohol consumption and harmful alcohol consumption in particular increased as the number of alcohol outlets in the neighbourhood also increased. This also has an effect on the mental health of the neighbourhood as well because the study shows that more people had to be treated for anxiety, depression and stress in areas that were more densely filled with liquor outlets.

    What the research proves is that authorities concerns about alcohol outlet density is valid and limiting the number of outlets in a particular area is warranted.

    Read the post below which elaborates on the research from www.news.uwa.edu.au:

    Co-author Associate Professor Lisa Wood, Deputy Director of UWA’s Centre for the Built Environment and Health, said the study reinforced the WA Health Department’s five-year plan for a healthier WA.

    “One of the suggestions in the five-year plan is limiting the density of alcohol outlets,” she said.

    “We found that the average number of standard drinks per day and the rate of harmful alcohol consumption increased for each additional alcohol outlet in a neighbourhood.”

    The researchers also found that the likelihood of being treated in hospital for anxiety, stress or depression increased as the number of alcohol outlets within walking distance (1600m) of home increased.

    “While the association between alcohol outlet density and injury, crime and violence are well documented, this is one of the first studies internationally to specifically look at how this might impact on mental health disorders,” Associate Professor Wood said. 

    The study was based on Department of Health survey data from nearly 7000 Perth-based adults, and used geographical mapping to link this to the location of all licensed alcohol outlets in Perth.

    “Our findings underscore the importance of limiting both the number of liquor store licences and the geographic density of outlets as a way to improve mental health and reduce other alcohol-related harm,” Associate Professor Wood said.

    Source: http://www.news.uwa.edu.au/201301235382/research/health-issues-linked-nearby-liquor-outlets

     

  • How do You Know When you’ve had Enough

    Knowing when to quit is an important quality that we need to develop in order to become responsible drinkers. But the problem with this is that once we start drinking, the alcohol relaxes us and gives us a sense of euphoria which is difficult to quit. So the more we drink, the more we want and often we don’t feel inebriated until it’s too late. For this reason it’s best to count the number of standard drinks we consume, set ourselves a limit before we even start drinking and stick to it.

    Calculating a standard drink is the next thing we need to learn. It’s not rocket science and rather than counting glasses or bottles counting the number of standard drinks we consume is a more reliable way of keeping track of the actual quantity of alcohol we have already downed.

    Bottles, glasses and cans contain varying amounts of alcohol and so counting these can be misleading and not give us any indication of where we are in terms of the legal limits. Whereas a standard drink is a unit of measurement for measuring how much alcohol is contained in a drink, so it is a more reliable way of keeping track of the alcohol we consume.

    A standard drink by Australian standard is any drink containing 10 grams of alcohol. One standard drink always contains the same amount of alcohol regardless of the container size or alcohol type consumed. The number of standard drinks in an alcohol beverage is always shown on the label of the container.

    This is how you calculate it:

    Volume of container in litres

    X % alcohol by volume (ml/100ml)

    X 0.789*

     =number of standard drinks

    (Multiply the volume of the container in litres by the alcohol volume and multiply that by 0.789.)

    This will allow you to plan your consumption more carefully and be a responsible drinker.

     

  • Hidden Camera Reveals Underage Drinking

    I recently found an interesting story that parallels the situation we are currently faced with in O, regarding underage drinking. A hidden camera investigation was carried out in a Canadian restaurant which revealed that underage drinking is a problem in that country as well. Australia is not the only country battling to come to a solution to the woes that result from teenage drinking and more specifically the serving of alcohol to minors.

     

    The hidden cameras revealed that a number of establishments are selling alcohol to minors and perhaps a similar approach can be implemented in problem areas in Oz to root out the guilty parties.

     

    This post on Cbc.ca explains in more detail

     

    In the investigation, a group composed of three 18-year-olds and one 17-year-old was sent to four establishments. The CBC asked the three males and one female to order alcohol, but not to drink it if they were served. Provincial laws prohibit anyone under 19 years old from being served or sold liquor.

     

    All four teens went together to Ebisu restaurant on Robson Street in Vancouver where they ordered a pitcher of beer and were served within minutes of sitting down.

     

    The same night, the Keg Steakhouse & Bar on Still Creek Avenue in Burnaby served red wine to two of the 18-year-olds, who went in as a couple. Another Keg waitress served beer to the two other teens who were sitting in the bar area.All four left their drinks untouched and later left.

     

    Outside the restaurant afterwards, the teens offered their own theories about why they were served.

     

    “It was just really casual,” said Jack Hu, 17. “I guess [the server] just thought we were older.”

     

    Aidan Ponton, 18, said he suspected the waitress sympathized with them.

     

    “I guess she just saw us, just some younger kids and she knew what it was like, she’d been in that position before and she didn’t hesitate,” Ponton said.

     

    These four teens checked out four restaurants in a CBC investigation. (CBC)

     

    Ben Roberts, 18, saw a monetary motive.”They are making money off of it, a lot of money and I don’t think that’s their main priority to obey the law.”

     

    “[If] your employer’s not forcing you to ID then you’re not going to,” said 18-year-old Katherine Gillard.

     

    When later confronted with the results of the CBC News investigation, the management at Ebisu said they were shocked and embarrassed and promised to be more vigilant in checking identification.

     

    A Keg spokesperson admitted its servers did not follow procedures and the restaurant chain will now redouble its training.

     

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/11/15/bc-hidden-camera-underage-drinking.html

     

    In Canada similar to Oz, there are hefty fines for selling alcohol to minors which doesn’t seem to be enough of a deterrent to sellers. In Canada the penalty for a first offence ranges from $7,500 to $10,000 (Canadian) or a 10-to-15- day licence suspension. Licensees can either accept the penalty or request an enforcement hearing.

     

    The incident in Canada has resulted in the restaurant assuring that it will increase the training of its staff. However in Australian responsible service of alcohol training is mandatory for every person serving or selling alcohol.

     

    One of the biggest benefits of RSA training is that it teaches you to serve alcohol in a manner that maintains the good reputation of the establishment. Ensuring that you do not suffer the consequences that come from serving alcohol to unduly intoxicated patrons or minors means that you will enjoy a pleasant working environment and be confident that each time you go to work you will be safe rather than being exposed to alcohol fuelled violence.