|
|
| pkcRAISTLIN |
| quote: |
PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd's historic ideas summit will look at slashing the number of bars in Australia and reducing their opening hours to break the binge drinking culture gripping the nation.
One of the summit's hand-picked leaders, Tim Costello, said yesterday access to alcohol in Australia was too easy and tackling the problem would be high on his agenda at the April summit in Canberra.
"There are far too many outlets," he said.
"Closing times need to be adjusted. The way we serve alcohol in a responsible way, the codes for serving alcohol, need to be tightened."
Amid growing evidence of a drinking epidemic, Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital said yesterday the number of drunken louts turning up injured had quadrupled in the past five years.
Emergency Department director Phillip Kay said the main offenders were young men aged 17 to 25, although some were as young as 14.
"We see about 5000 every year, most of which come in Friday and Saturday nights," Dr Kay said. "The part of their brain that recognises danger doesn't develop until they're 25."
The Australian National Council on Drugs this week estimated more than 30,000 15-year-olds and one in five 16 and 17-year-olds binge drink every week.
While Mr Rudd has promised action on alcohol and drug abuse, describing the problem as "out of control", Mr Costello wants his 2020 summit session on strengthening communities, supporting families and social inclusion to find practical solutions.
He has flagged proposals to wind back the number of bars operating in Australia and their opening hours, while revising the operating rules for liquor outlets.
"What we know is that alcohol does far more damage than any illegal drug in Australia," Mr Costello said.
His suggestions yesterday won the backing of Curtin University's National Drug Research Institute senior researcher Tanya Chikritzhs, who has just released the results of a study linking new liquor licences with increased assaults.
Her study found an average new city hotel would increase the number of domestic violence assaults in the surrounding area by 17 a year, while a new metropolitan liquor store would see an extra eight assaults a year.
And Dr Chikritzhs said those figures were probably just the tip of the iceberg, given the nation's under-reporting of domestic violence.
"The bottom line is the more licences you have, the longer trading hours they have, the more problems that will occur," she said.
"That is the consistent, unavoidable conclusion that research has come to in this domain."
In Queensland, the State Government has responded to concerns about violent teenage parties and alcohol-fuelled Schoolies events with plans to fine parents up to $3000 for "recklessly" supplying alcohol to their under-age children. |
ing hell :rolleyes:
im sick and tired of do-gooders telling the rest of us what we can and cant do, and when we can and can't do it. |
|
|
| 00soups00 |
| i may be getting older, but i tend to think that Kevin is right.. not saying that i welcoem the changes, because i like the majority of people my age have fallen into the 'drinking' rut. will be interesting to see its impacts and how far he takes it. |
|
|
| eRRaTiK |
lol why doesn't someone in the political game think? Reducing the number of bars and opening hours does not mean effectively reducing alcohol consumption or curbing the "binge drinking culture". What is that anyway? Something that we got from our British friends?
Maybe invest some time and money in understanding why the culture is the way it is, and then work with those who are part of the culture to come up with some strategies.
As for Soup's comment, people need to take responsibility for their own behaviours. I think there is a greater problem of people pointing their fingers at others instead of looking in the mirror to see what's really going on. |
|
|
| pkcRAISTLIN |
i wonder if you'll feel the same soups when there's no clubs around for you to DJ at? what do you think it will do for dance parties generally, if they say, make 2am closing time?
the good thing though is that licensing decisions arent the responsibility of the federal government.
and imagine trying to close certain pubs/clubs down - by what measure will they do that? ridiculous.
will they want all the same people packing themselves into half the venues? overcrowding and frustration wont cause any more violence of course!
and as for this:
| quote: |
His suggestions yesterday won the backing of Curtin University's National Drug Research Institute senior researcher Tanya Chikritzhs, who has just released the results of a study linking new liquor licences with increased assaults.
Her study found an average new city hotel would increase the number of domestic violence assaults in the surrounding area by 17 a year, while a new metropolitan liquor store would see an extra eight assaults a year |
how about we blame stupid women that date/marry abusive arseholes? no, we'll blame the pubs! |
|
|
| Lilith |
| quote: | Originally posted by eRRaTiK
As for Soup's comment, people need to take responsibility for their own behaviours. I think there is a greater problem of people pointing their fingers at others instead of looking in the mirror to see what's really going on. |
As if that's going to happen... it could be anarchy! :eek:
Do we really want the peons voting for someone that might do something constructive? Instead of someone who will just tell them what to do all the time and thus conveniently blame for their failings because 'the government told me so/made me do it' ;) |
|
|
| christos |
| lol at this whole issue. |
|
|
| eRRaTiK |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lilith
As if that's going to happen... it could be anarchy! :eek:
Do we really want the peons voting for someone that might do something constructive? Instead of someone who will just tell them what to do all the time and thus conveniently blame for their failings because 'the government told me so/made me do it' ;) |
why of course not! encouraging free thinking? that's just a ludicrous notion! |
|
|
| Trance Nutter |
lets reduce pollution by reducing the number of petrol stations too.
If people can't go out and drink, they'll drink at home.
Reducing the number of bottle-o's won't help either, they'll just go further to get the alcohol. And if they reduce the pubs, which ones go? If they reduce the bottle shops, which ones go? Woolies and Coles won't be too happy about losing their bottle shop licenses, which means that the independents would probably be forced to close, family businesses going out of business, I thought Labor was supposed to stick up for the little guy.
And making earlier closing times etc won't fix anything, people will just drink faster to get pissed before the closing time. Just like the 6pm swig when pubs had to close at 6.
Look at the culture and try to fix that rather than naive and short sighted plans that are doomed to fail.
| quote: | | The Australian National Council on Drugs this week estimated more than 30,000 15-year-olds and one in five 16 and 17-year-olds binge drink every week. |
And closing pubs will fix this how?
how about this one
| quote: | | Her study found an average new city hotel would increase the number of domestic violence assaults in the surrounding area by 17 a year |
Consider the number of patrons that would go to an average city hotel in a year. And compare that number with 17. While domestic violence is a problem (usually caused by stupid piss-weak little excuses for men), thats not a doomsday argument is it?
And not one thing theres suggests any hard evidence that closing existing pubs/bottle-shops will cause a reduction in drinking. |
|
|
CLICK TO RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE
tranceaddict Forums Archive > Local Scene Info / Discussion > Australia
|
