An archaic new State Government proposal involves the implementation of ‘in venue’ breathalysing tactics to help build strong cases against local venues. The plan could see licensed premises fined up to $56,000 for breaching alcohol service laws, meaning venue owners will be forced into a regulatory corner that’s draconian at best and destructive at worst.
According to the Gold Coast Bulletin, the baseline for testing in nightclubs will be based on the standards used on national roads, meaning “drinking the equivalent of a sixpack of beer may soon be regarded as a big night out.” While reports suggest these levels are still under consideration, there remains little doubt the chosen figures will ostracise the majority of nightclub and bar patrons.
Attorney General Yvette D’Ath says the proposed methods are a way to curb alcohol-fuelled violence, in the same vein the suffocating lockout laws were intended to. The alcohol industry, patrons and venue owners are understandable upset about the proposal and are already rallying together to question its effectiveness.
The largest flaw in the new system involves the varying perceptions of ‘drunk’. There’s no definitive scale person-to-person, nor is there an effective method of observing how many standard units of alcohol a patron has consumed prior to arriving at a licensed venue. On top of that, it’s a ‘naked eye’ deal when assessing if one is capable of handling his or her next drink.
The new legislation will be used in conjunction with an increased push to further tighten lockout laws, bringing the proposed closure from 3am until 1am.
Not good.
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