Liquor abuse !

Its about time the government started to think outside the nine dots when it comes to curbing liquor abuse.

People are actually losing their lives when mobs of drunken revellers disgorge from late night pubs and clubs - and commence to brawl in the street. Club and pub owners have an incentive to promote excessive drinking - because the more booze they sell - the more profit they make - and that is where the key to more moderate behaviour can be found.

We need a law change to make patron behaviour determine the hours that licensed establishments may trade.

If a club or a pub becomes the scene of frequent street brawls at closing time, then the police should be able to appeal to a court to have the trading hours restricted. For instance, should unseemly behaviour mean a 3 am license was curtailed back to midnight for a six month period - that would provide a huge incentive for the proprietor to engage security guards - and most importantly - enforce the appropriate serving of liquor so that patrons do not get stinking drunk !

Forced earlier closing would inflict a massive hit to the profit motive - and the profit motive is the only inducement that will make venues take measures necessary to curb excessive drinking and the mayhem that causes from intoxicated patrons.

We are looking in the wrong direction by using the police to break up drunken behaviour at closing time. The answer is to make it unprofitable for publicans and club owners to allow the serving of liquor to create the problem in the first place.

Refusal of service for those approaching their liquor tolerance limit needs to occur - at the point where the line between reasonable sobriety and becoming drunk happens - and that is where the empty glass is proffered for a refill !