AN article with disturbing similarity to many that have appeared before was published on Thursday, August 23 (The Standard), and related to a court case involving drunken violence.
The following quote is taken from the article; “(The offender) and his friends later went to the Flying Horse Brewery and then the Cally Hotel where (he) continued drinking despite being heavily intoxicated.” In general terms this paragraph could be taken as a template for much of the drunken troubles that occur in Warrnambool nightclubs and streets.
These sorts of instances occur time and time again, yet, and this is the kicker, I have never read about licensees and owners of these establishments, when obviously intoxicated patrons continue to be served drinks, being charged or fined. Why not? Let’s face it, the “responsible serving of alcohol” program is a sham and a failure, at least as it applies to many hotels and nightspots.
The concept is flawed from the start because employees who do “the training” are compromised by a conflict of interest.
Their job is to sell alcohol but at the same time stop selling it.
They are put in an invidious position.
Owners and licensees are there to make a buck and the more bucks the better, so it’s not in their hip pocket’s interest to not serve alcohol to people.
Until authorities target the “facilitators” of much of the alcohol-related troubles we have in nightclubs, hotels and out on the streets, we will continue to read about alcohol-fuelled violence.
Craig Homberg, Mannerim Avenue, Warrnambool