Push for blanket 1am lockout
A coalition of groups representing NSW emergency services has called for drastic restrictions on Sydney’s nightlife.
The Last Drinks campaign consists of the Australian Medical Association (NSW), the Police Association of NSW, the NSW Nurses’ Association and the Health Services Union.
It is lobbying the NSW Government and Opposition for a 1am lock-out on all venues, the maintenance of restricted opening hours statewide for another year, and a ban on shots, mixed drinks with more than 30mls of spirit, and ready-mixed drinks with more than 5 percent alcohol after 10pm.
Wines and beers containing more than 5 percent alcohol would not be affected by the ban.
Police Association vice president and campaign spokesman Scott Weber denied the proposed measures punished law-abiding drinkers.
“Ensuring people can go out and have a good night out without getting bashed shouldn’t be viewed as punishment,” he told Sydney Star Observer.
“What we are talking about today is a small reduction in the opening hours of our hotels, pubs and clubs. These moderate measures will bring about a significant reduction in alcohol-related crime and violence.”
Last Drinks’ own report states that 90 percent of people threatened by an intoxicated person do not report the incident to police, with 72 percent failing to report an incident even after abuse turns physical.
However, Weber said a push to encourage the public to identify intoxicated perpetrators of crime to police so they could be prosecuted would be “putting the cart before the horse”.
“We certainly need to encourage more people to come forward if they have been the victim of alcohol-related crime or violence,” Weber said.
“But … we need to prevent these incidents from happening in the first place”.
Letting people make up their own minds?? ahhh NO.
The problem has become too much, how could you even argue the point of personal choice in this matter April?
We are clearly not worthy to make our own judgments with alcohol anymore (the majority of us) thus I will always support any restrictions on alcohol and opening hours of clubs – it’s for our own good because we simply just do not know any better, dont agree? look at the stats, better still google “alchol related violence in sydney”.
I applaud David’s comments – totally agree!
The trouble is, people are making up their own minds then getting out of their minds on huge amounts of booze. Then they bash people, walk in front of traffic, fight with security and chunder all over the footpath.
If the issue is reduced to personal choice then why not have all pubs open 24 hours a day? Partly because some of us would like the choice to walk the streets without being belted or puked on.
haha. people getting all het up about the possibility of having to stop drinking at a pub at 1am! Always fun to see!
(I’m John 1, not John 2)
Might sound better for you John, but how about we let people make up their own minds?
Sit in any local court for a morning and you will gain a better understanding of the impact of alcohol in our society and on peoples lives. It’s horrendous. Let’s not just lockout at 1am, but close at 1am. That way we can all get to bed and get our beauty sleep. Sounds a he’ll of a lot better than dragging yourself out of some club into squinting into the daylight.
I think this is a good idea. There is too much boozing around these days. It might even get rid of the riff raff off Oxford st.