topic Re: War On Alcohol A Failure in Community Spirit

War On Alcohol A Failure

icyfroth — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 10:35:00 GMT

THE state government is handing out a record number of liquor licences, yet there are more police fighting the war on alcohol than there are troops left fighting the war on terror in Afghanistan.

that's a pretty sobering statistic!

The Police Association also made a submission to the Liquor Act review that asked the government to put in a maximum closing time of 3am and 1am lockouts for every hotel across the state, and to trial the Newcastle model in every pub in NSW.

● THE government is refusing to trial the Newcastle solution of lockouts and earlier closing times, despite strong warnings from the Police Association and the Australian Medical Association - and the fact these measures resulted in a 37 per cent fall in violent assaults;

The government has, to date, steadfastly refused to act. But Hospitality Minister George Souris said the government would consider all of the 91 recommendations in the Liquor Act review, and would provide a response next month.

AMA NSW head Brian Owler said in the submission there was no excuse for not trialling the Newcastle solution on a statewide level, given the big drop in assaults.

"This is a staggering figure. If a new medical treatment were shown to reduce harm by more than 35 per cent, it would be adopted as best practice,'' Dr Owler said,

Click Here For Full Article

Wonder who's keeping Mr. Souris in beer and skittles?

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

icyfroth — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 01:45:13 GMT

The hotel industry has accused the NSW premier of bowing to pressure on the drunk violence issue and telling 'furphies'.

Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation president Alex Wodak has accused the NSW Government of repeating lines fed to it by the Australian Hotels Association (AHA).

This follows growing pressure on the government to crack down on alcohol-related violence, including trading restrictions.

Dr Wodak told ABC Radio that Premier Barry O'Farrell used a line from the AHA that drugs like steroids were contributing to the violence.

'This is just a furphy, another red herring that the Premier is using to get him out of a hot spot,' he said on Friday.

'I think it is time he faced up to the fact what he is advocating is not evidence-based proposals.

'They are sound-bites that sound good that have been no doubt been focus tested by the AHA.'

Dr Wodak also rejected statements from the Premier that assaults had declined.

Dr Wodak said we needed to be very careful about rejecting or accepting statistics that differed to reports from emergency crews.

'What has happened is absolutely shocking,' he told ABC Radio.

'One tragedy after another with these king hits.

'So maybe minor assaults are down but certainly that is not true with the major assaults.

'Something funny is going on and I have really found it offensive that the Premier of this state is singing from the AHA song sheet.'

From Here

Our governments are so under the thumb of the Big Money people like the AHA.

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

i-need-a-martini — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 01:57:13 GMT

I really think the hotel industry is under fire unfairly.

The drunks on our streets aren't getting drunk in hotels. They are getting drunk at home and then hitting the city looking for action.

The Thomas Kelly incident is a good example. His killer never went near a pub that night - he bought a case of vodka mixers and drank at home for 2 hours before heading into the city.

The hotels do all that they can to prevent getting alcohol to drunks. PreChristmas I was out quite a bit and I saw the hotel bouncers turn away a lot of drunks. Sadly that leaves them with nothing to do but roam the streets but that is hardly a pubs fault.

A smart education campaign is the only answer.

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

the_hawk* — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 02:01:37 GMT

as with all these wars on issues they are all an epic fail

what we now need is a war on wages so workers can get a fair deal

and a war on industry and manufacturing so it can flourish in this once great land

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

the_hawk* — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 02:01:46 GMT

as with all these wars on issues they are all an epic fail

what we now need is a war on wages so workers can get a fair deal

and a war on industry and manufacturing so it can flourish in this once great land

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

crystal**flake — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 02:05:12 GMT

Clubs ect should be closed by the latest 1pm and anyone acting drunk should cope a fine, there should be some sort of limit like there is with driving.

Martini is right too, young people are getting drunk before they leave the house.

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

*mrgrizz* — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 02:08:53 GMT

@crystal**flake wrote:
Clubs ect should be closed by the latest 1pm and anyone acting drunk should cope a fine, there should be some sort of limit like there is with driving.

Martini is right too, young people are getting drunk before they leave the house.

i remember when i was young heaps of people used to ACT drunk(mainly girls) why would you fine them for acting?

what about the ones who are actually drunk?

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

icyfroth — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 02:12:00 GMT

Fair enough comment, Martini, but if licensed venues weren't open til the early hours of the morning, if they closed at, say midnight, there'd be less time to get drunk before they leave home, and less opportunity to try entry into said venues if they closed earlier.

There'd be less half-bleeped people milling about in the early hours of the morning to pick fights with, too.

A smart education program would be great, but how do you educate stupid?

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

azureline** — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 02:11:02 GMT

New Years Eve was a prime example of the culture of alcohol drinking at home. Emergency services here were under stress with calls to homes where whole families were drunk, children as young as 10yo included, where violence had broken out.

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

*mrgrizz* — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 02:13:56 GMT

@icyfroth wrote:
Fair enough comment, Martini, but if licensed venues weren't open til the early hours of the morning, if they closed at, say midnight, there'd be less time to get drunk before they leave home, and less opportunity to try entry into said venues if they closed earlier.

There'd be less half-bleeped people milling about in the early hours of the morning to pick fights with, too.

A smart education program would be great, but how do you educate stupid?

how do you educate stupid?

stocks in the city centre, with big barrel's of rotting fruit

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

icyfroth — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 02:15:00 GMT

@azureline** wrote:
New Years Eve was a prime example of the culture of alcohol drinking at home. Emergency services here were under stress with calls to homes where whole families were drunk, children as young as 10yo included, where violence had broken out.

That's unbelievabel Az.

It's really time to crack down on the glamourisation, advertising and ready availability of alcohol.

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

azureline** — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 02:21:34 GMT

It's actually worse that that Icy, the 10 yo may not survive.

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

i-need-a-martini — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 02:26:26 GMT

But why close early when the vast majority are people like me going out with friends until the early hours? Why should I be penalised because some yobbos haven't been taught how to drink properly?

And how does closing early stop anyone anyway? Thomas Kelly was king hit at 10pm. Daniel Christie was king hit at 9pm. How early do you want to close?

We seriously need to look at the underlying cause and resolve that rather than bandaid fixes.

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

cherry*135 — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 02:33:14 GMT

Maybe one size fits all in regards to licensing hours doesn't apply to all cities in Australia? .Sydney is the major city/global tourist attraction in Australia...people expect bars etc to be open into the early hours of the morning.

The young man (18yo) that is critically ill in hospital after being king hit on NYE in Sydney, was hit at 9pm.. a 1am curfew wouldn't have prevented that tragedy. The boof head that hit him started drinking at 3pm that day.

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

cherry*135 — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 02:39:00 GMT

The penalties for king hitting another person and killing them whilst drunk need to be increased. Thomas Kelly's killer got 4 years in jail. 4 years for killing an innocent 18yo minding his own business walking down a Sydney street at 10pm.

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

azureline** — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 03:35:11 GMT

at 12 midday here, the local bottleshop attendant was assaulted by a drunk he refused to serve.

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

donnashuggy — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 03:43:36 GMT

There aren't many pubs in Bondi when you consider the popuation but my closest 2 closed at 10 pm on New Year, they just don't want the trouble. Yet there are a record number of licences being issued. Years ago you had to eat something to be served alcohol, now it is everywhere.

If blokes just stuck to beer I think it would make a difference.

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

icyfroth — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 04:35:55 GMT

@am*3 wrote:
The penalties for king hitting another person and killing them whilst drunk need to be increased. Thomas Kelly's killer got 4 years in jail. 4 years for killing an innocent 18yo minding his own business walking down a Sydney street at 10pm.

Totally agree re the penalty, Am but that's not much comfort to a grieving family.

Really, you'd want measures taken pre-tragedy rather than penalties post-tragedy.

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

icyfroth — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 04:37:59 GMT

azureline** wrote

It's actually worse that that Icy, the 10 yo may not survive.

OMG Really!? Do you have a link?

Re: War On Alcohol A Failure

cherry*135 — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 04:40:02 GMT

The aim of the increased penatly is intended to be a deterent in the future for the yobbo's that think king hitting random strangers is an OK thing to do... to avoid anymore of these tragic needless deaths.

The grieving parents who have lost their sons so far, are the ones advocating for these changes...hopeing to prevent other families having to go through what they have had to to through.