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  • 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.

     

  • Drink Drivers Cars to be fitted with Interlock

    All drink driver’s cars will be fitted with interlock devices at their own cost under a new reform of Vic’s road laws.  The crackdown on drink drivers is expected to catch about 17,000 motorists a year who exceed the legal alcohol limit. This is a serious issue in a state where 20 to 30 per cent of road deaths are a result of drunk drivers.

    The interlocks stop the car’s engine from starting if the driver drinks over the legal limit and attempts to drive.

    The Herald Sun newspaper conducted a survey into whether citizens were in favour of the new reforms of not and 83 per cent consented to the increased use of interlocks. The survey convinced the State Government of the public’s support of the interlocks and toughening drink driving laws.

    The interlock costs the driver around $400 to install and $160 a month to maintain and also requires the driver to undertake a re-test while driving, cost and inconvenience that I’m sure everyone wants to avoid. And by forcing users to pay, it was a deterrent to drink driving because nobody wants to part with their own money. Use of the interlock device costs $1049 for six months and over a four year period it would cost the person $6509. If a driver attempts to start the vehicle while drunk and the car doesn’t start, the attempt is still recorded. This is an important deterrent as authorities believe that most drink drivers are repeat offenders of will be. In fact 30 per cent of drink drivers will attempt to drink drive again.

    Read what this post by HeraldSun.com.au had to say about the issue:

    “This will also bring about a strong cultural change and it will save lives,” Mr Ryan told Fairfax Radio today.

    “People get killed on our roads not because of accidents – it happens because people make poor choices and the issue here is do not drink and drive.”

    The law will apply to all drink-drivers, unless they are able to convince a court “exceptional circumstances” exist in their case.

    Interlocks protect not only the community and would-be drink-drivers, but the drink-drivers from themselves

    Work has already started on drafting the legislation and the Government will enact it as soon as possible.

    “Some may argue these are harsh penalties for drink-drivers,” Mr Ryan said.

    “But people should remember interlocks aim to stop more families from suffering the pain of losing loved ones. Interlocks protect not only the community and would-be drink-drivers, but the drink-drivers from themselves.”

    Currently, only repeat offenders, drivers who blow more than .15, and those aged under 26 who blow .07 or more have interlocks fitted.

    The duration ranges from six months to four years depending on the blood alcohol reading and on whether the driver is a repeat offender.

    Read the full story at: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/toughest-clamp-on-drink-drivers-since-booze-bus/story-fnat79vb-1226584586165

    592914-interlock-device

    This infographic from HeraldSun.com explains more about the interlock:

    Source: HeraldSun.com

    Recognising the signs that indicate intoxication is vital to people who serve alcohol because as an RSA worker you want to ensure you do not contribute to the problem of drink driving or any other form alcohol fuelled misconduct. The RSA Course is the first step in ensuring your contribution to safer and healthier Australia by helping you recognise your responsibilities and duties according to the law and how to carry them out. If you notice a person is unduly intoxicated or has had a significant amount of alcohol, encourage them to take public transport home or call them a taxi.

     

  • Alcohol Advertising Targeting Children According to Study

    The damage that alcohol can do young people is a topic that is particularly relevant to workers in the RSA industry because they play such an important role in making sure minors don’t get their hands on alcohol.

    Anyone whose work involves selling or serving alcohol to the public, need to consider the negative effects of alcohol on teenagers and the legal consequences of serving minors. Anyone in a position to serve alcohol to underage minors needs to be aware of the consequences of their actions, which can be detrimental to young person because it may instil in them a drinking problem later in life.

    Studies have already proven that the younger a person starts drinking, the more likely they are to binge drink at a later stage in life. Now a new study in the UK has confirmed what many have suspected even here in Oz, that children are more exposed to alcohol advertising than their parents.

    Although the study was arranged by the European Commission and surveyed children in the UK, similarities can be drawn to Oz. Even here alcohol advertising has been criticised as targeting children with its themes and timeslots, especially during big sporting events.

    Another interesting finding by the report was that social media advertising of alcohol is on the rise which may have a greater impact on young people as they are the ones who predominantly use social media.

    According to the New Zealand based Alcohol Action group alcohol advertising encourages young people to start drinking and for those that are already alcohol consumers, marketing encourages them to drink more. The group are afraid that these advertising and marketing messages are saying to youth that alcohol is the way to happiness and success.

    Read about the study below, the post was taken from Tvnz.co.nz:

    Youths are more exposed to alcohol advertisements than their parents, according to a new study.

    A new study for the European Commission found that children in the UK are more exposed to alcohol marketing than adults are, with 10 to 15-year-olds seeing 10% more alcohol advertising on television than their parents do, and 50% more ads for pre-mixed drinks.

    The report also warned of the expansion of alcohol marketing on social media like Twitter and Facebook, which many young people use.

    Alcohol Action New Zealand says alcohol marketing increases the likelihood that teenagers will start drinking and encourages those who already drink to consume more.

    It said in a statement that alcohol advertising helps to maintain the country’s “damaging drinking culture through influencing the population, especially the next generation, to believe that drinking alcohol is the path to happiness and success”.

    http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/kids-see-more-alcohol-marketing-than-adults-study-5360443

    The consequences of underage drinking go beyond the physical impact that alcohol has on the developing body of a teen, but it also affects the choices they make, which often can impact their entire lives.

    The Responsible Service of Alcohol regulations dictate that any person who looks young must be asked for their ID by alcohol servers, especially people who appear under the age of 25. Serving alcohol to minors can result in a fine for the server, the venue and even the young person, so be sure that you aren’t contributing to the problem by asking young people for an ID and ensuring that they are over the legal drinking age.

     

  • Best Hangover Cures

    So you got that promotion you’ve been working so hard towards or finally get engaged and it’s a life changing event that warrants some serious celebration. So you head out with your friends to celebrate and let your hair down.
     

    Well we seldom think of the suffering we will most likely have to endure the next day when inevitably the dreaded hangover kicks in.
     

    It’s most likely that you will wake up the next morning with a pounding headache, dizziness, aching muscles, nausea, sensitivity to light and sound and an overall feeling of irritability. The smell of food or alcohol is enough to make you vomit.
     

    Although we don’t like to admit it, especially when we’re having such a good time, alcohol is a drug. It’s a depressant, and when it is taken in excess, it fills the body with toxins.
     

    Your body reacts as it would to any drug overdose which is trying to metabolize and get rid of the toxins.
     

    We all know the best way to prevent a hangover is to drink in moderation or abstaining from alcohol but where’s the fun in that? So keeping well-hydrated and well-nourished when you’re drinking is your best way of reducing hangover symptoms.
     

    Here are few cures that according to doctors may help:
     

    1.       Bananas
     

    Intoxication and the dehydration that it causes means that your body has been drained of potassium. Eat a banana to give your body the potassium boost that it needs.
     

    2.       Ginger
     

    In the East they have been using ginger to cure nausea. If you are really hung over drink a ginger ale or brew some ginger tea by boiling ginger in hot water. Add orange juice and lemon and honey for a super cure to that nauseous feeling.  
     

    3.       Honey and Lemon
     

    A hot toddy made by combining honey, lemon and hot water is an excellent way of  replenishing lost fluids and sugars to the body.  The fructose in the honey competes for the metabolism of alcohol which prevents the rapid change in alcohol levels that results in headaches.
     

    4.       Eat Food
     

    Although you may be too nauseous to even think of food you need the energy. Stay away from clear liquids until you can tolerate something solid. Then start off slowly with mild, easy-to-digest foods such as plain toast, rice or clear soup.
     

    5.       Consume Sport Drinks
     

    Sports drinks are composed of electrolytes and glucose which are used by athletes to replace lost fluids, it can work for hangovers too.
     

    6.       Use Ice
     

    An ice compress can help the headache. So place it on your forehead or where your head hurts the most.
     

    7.       Drink Juice
     

    Fresh orange juice especially can raise your blood sugar level and ease the symptoms of the hangover.
     

    8.       Drink Water
     

     
     

    Water is undeniably the best cure for a night of overindulgence. Dehydration is the biggest side effect of drinking and causes most of the discomfort you feel during the hangover period, so drink water to replenish the liquid you’ve lost.  
     

    Tips to Remember:
     

    • Always drink plenty of water. Even before you go to sleep have a full glass of water and the next morning the symptoms won’t be as bad. If you can remember one thing while intoxicated, remember this: Consume enough water before going to bed. It will help stop dehydration before it starts and you’ll feel much better in the morning.
     

    • Drink only one alcohol beverage or less every hour and do so slowly. One hour is approximately the time it takes for the average adult body to process an alcoholic beverage.
     

    • Get plenty of Rest. Draw the curtains and the blinds, unplug the telephone and go to sleep.
     

    • Never, ever under any circumstances drink and drive. Before overindulging make sure you have a safe way of getting home. A designated driver, a taxi cab, a friend or family member to pick you up…arrange this beforehand.
     

    • Try antacid to relieve queasiness and settle your stomach, this will especially help with that nauseated feeling that is so synonymous with hangovers.
     

    • Take a multivitamin with B vitamins to replace those lost during your night of drinking. Drink more than eight glasses of water a day while recovering from the hangover, most should only last a day.
     

    Posted by Peter Cutforth
     


     

  • RSA Update : The Truth About Champagne

    Winemakers and connoisseurs have been debating the pros and cons of screw caps over cork for a while now. Recently sparkling winemakers have begun investigating the benefits of screw caps to the industry.

     

    According to a post by TheShout.com.au:

     

    About 18 million bottles of Champagne are wasted each year due to cork taint, according to a top wine critic, who has welcomed Australian winemaker De Bortoli’s pioneering move to release the world’s first screw-capped sparkling wines.

     

    Wine writer Tyson Stelzer told journalists at this week’s launch of the new De Bortoli wines that about five to six per cent of the Champagnes he tastes are “corked or distinctly ‘corky’”.

     

    “Comparing that with other international Champagne writers there seems to be fair agreement that it’s somewhere between four and six per cent,” he said.

     

    “If you do the maths somehow, Champagne ships 320 million bottles a year and that equates to 18 million bottles down the drain.”

     

    “At what cost? I reckon it must be at least a billion dollars, possibly $2 billion in corked or cork-tainted Champagne.”

     

    Stelzer said it was a gutsy move by De Bortoli to be the first to introduce the new Viiva closure, which uses technology that was five years in the making by Guala Closures.

     

    “There’s probably no more challenging sector of the wine market to pitch an alternative closure than sparkling wines,” he said.

     

    “Whether we like it or not, the consumer attachment to the pop of the cork is something that I don’t think we should underestimate.”

     

    De Bortoli Wines national sales manager, Peter Yeoman added that corked sparkling has hidden cost impacts for winemakers, because consumers who have a bad experience with a brand may not go back to it.

     

    “People turn around and they think there’s an issue with the product itself, when it’s actually been the closure,” he said.

     

    Source: http://www.theshout.com.au/2012/05/11/article/Corked-Champagne-costing-billions/XJHJCXQIUO.html

     

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    The Low Down on Bubbly

     

     

     

     

    Picture : strangehistory.net

    		 While real Champagne is produced in the Champagne region of France, everything else is just sparkling wine.  The consensus is that the smaller the bubbles the better quality the champagne or sparkling wine. The reason for this is there are more bubbles available to release the flavor and aroma. But what other similarities does champagne share with wine?  Champagne is no different from any other kind of wine. It can be cellared (that is kept and improved with age) but the degree to which you can age a bottle of champagne without ruining it will vary according to a particular brand of champagne and conditions under which the champagne is stored.

     

    Napolean Bonaparte once said, : “I drink Champagne when I win, to celebrate… And I drink Champagne when I lose, to console myself.”

     

    Champagne certainly is the drink for celebrations and the 5400 champagne suppliers worldwide is a testament to its popularity.   Moët Et Chandon is the largest producer and its holds over 55% of the champagne market.

     

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    So what is the best way to drink champagne?

     

    From a flute glass of course. The wider wine glasses are not at all suitable as the bubbles evaporate too quickly and the aroma is also wasted. The better class of flutes has a little drop of glass on the bottom of it, that makes the bubbles rise from the little drop. Crystal glasses are also better as they are slightly rougher allowing the bubbles to come out more.  Champagne is best consumed at 6 to 10 degrees centigrade (42-50F).

     

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    Types of Champagne

     

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    Non Vintage

     

    Blended from wines that are several years old. Many NV Champagnes are a blend of thirty or forty different wines.  This Champagne cannot be sold until it is 15 months old, although most reputable houses will age the wine in for longer.  With age most champagnes will become richer.

     

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    Vintage

    Vintage champagne must be 39 months before it can be sold. Vintage Champagne is a blend of wines from a particular year, when the quality of the harvest was sufficient to declare a “Vintage”. Obviously, not every year is a vintage year, but the vintage is left to the individual houses themselves to declare. Therefore, some houses declare a vintage Champagne in a year where others did not feel the quality justified it.

     

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    Rosé

    Rosé Champagne can be made either by maceration of black grapes during pressing, so that the colour leeches out from the skins  or by adding a small proportion of the red wine form the Champagne region to give the wine a rose colour.

     

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    Prestige Cuvées

     

    Invented by Moët  in 1921. A special champagne in a vintage year can be “Prestige or Deluxe cuvées”. Probably the most famous of these is Moët’s Cuvée Dom Pérignon.  These are the most expensive champagnes and are the epitome of achievement for the champagne house.

     

    Complete the RSA course online and serve all these in your favorite champagne glass