Tuesday, April 1, 2003

Drunks propel rise in violent crimes! But who promotes drinking really?

Every day NSW police deal with more than 300 violent offences committed by people who are drunk and they say the number is rising. But they don't say because the government promotes alcohol and only alcohol.

Governments, who promote only alcohol as a legal social drug are narrow-minded greedy people with a shallow ideology in terms of the variety of substances that could be available to prevent binge drinking. Having more choices is what prevents people taking the same substance over and over again.

Taking the same substance over and over again only promotes abuse of the same substance. We have one heavily taxed and promoted (drug) substance and a government who maintains that: social drinking is the only legal drug to escape life's bitterness?

But the Australian Government the same people who take the tax has an interest in it and now you have a problem with it and so do they!

Many violent offences are occurring around pubs, bars and clubs a factor that has contributed to assaults doubling in the past 10 years, according to Bureau of Crime Statistics figures.

The Police Commissioner, Ken Moroney, yesterday announced police were making alcohol-related crime a priority ahead of the Premier's Alcohol Summit planned for later this year.

Pubs and clubs say they are already doing the right thing when serving alcohol and would be working closely with police.

But the head of the National Drug Research Institute, Tim Stockwell, said licensees could do much to reduce the chances of violence because of alcohol, although he agreed their strategies had improved in recent years.

Management in licensed venues could reduce crowding and "sexually permissive behaviour", ensure bouncers were trained in defusing violence, and insist bar staff did not serve those who were intoxicated, he said.

"In places where anything goes, there is a high risk of violence," Professor Stockwell said.

A recent survey had shown drinkers are rarely refused another drink even if they show signs of intoxication.

But the head of the Australian Hotels Association, John Thorpe, said hoteliers were "leading the way in responsible service of alcohol". They had also embraced measures to deal with unsociable behaviour, such as lock-outs and liquor accords. He suggested bar staff should have to take courses about serving alcohol every three years to keep up to date.

According to figures from the Department of Gaming and Racing, 67 cases related to intoxication were prosecuted in the licensing court in the past year.

A spokeswoman for Mr Moroney said that in the year to February, police dealt with almost 120,000 cases of assault, sexual assault, malicious damage and domestic violence related to alcohol abuse.

More than two-thirds of all incidents attended by police - and an even higher percentage in cases of domestic violence and street offences - were related to alcohol. Operation Vikings had shown that alcohol-related crime had risen in the past 12 months. Newcastle had been identified as a hot spot. Recent research had shown alcohol was a factor in 31 per cent of road deaths. Last year 72,000 people nationwide were admitted to hospital because of alcohol.

By Mad Mans Broth 1 April 03

THE DRUNK: Just one more for the road?

Related:

Another lethal party drug article...
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Tobacco, alcohol top the drug abuse toll
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Alcohol pickles your brain
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