Push for pub lockout laws in Melbourne
Pressure is building for Victoria to go the same way as New South Wales and Queensland and adopt lockout laws.
Deakin University researchers have called for lockout laws in Victoria following the release of a study showing that drinkers get more intoxicated at venues with more men.
NSW’s licensing law changes, including 1.30am lockouts for some pubs and clubs, bans on shots after midnight and “last drinks” for all venues from 3am were introduced two years ago and are still very controversial with critics saying it’s killed the night life and venues in the city and King’s Cross.
However, champions of the lockout laws including Premier Mike Baird say there’s been a reduction in the number of assaults since the laws were introduced.
The Deakin study analysed 828 people across 62 bars, nightclubs and large pubs in Wollongong, Geelong, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.
The researchers were on the lookout for such signs of inebriation as changes in behaviour, slurred speech and lack of balance and coordination.
They found that half the patrons were under 25 years old.
For each percentage point increase of men, there was a five percentage increase of what they deemed to be high levels of intoxication in the venue.
Crowded venues was another risk factor for high rates of drunkenness.
The study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy also found that nightclubs had a lower percentage of drunks than mainstream large pubs.
Study co-author Professor Peter Miller, from Deakin University said there was enough in the study to show there was a need for lockout laws.
“It quantified things like an 11 per cent increase in intoxication for every hour after midnight,” Professor Miller told the Herald Sun.
“That sort of (data) gives us real insights into why restricted trading hours work.”
He said the New South Wales changes had been very successful.
Still, it doesn’t look like Victoria will go down that direction. The state government is not keen on it at all.
Victorian Minister for Liquor and Gaming Regulation Marlene Kairouz told the Herald Sun that “lockouts would be disastrous for the fabric of our city’s social and cultural identity”.
“We are getting on with making vibrant Melbourne a 24-hour city. We have a liquor freeze on beer barns, and inspectors on the beat making sure licensees are doing the right thing,” Kairouz said.
by Leon Gettler, August 11th 2016
