Australia fights alcohol-fueled violence

Australia has always had a reputation as a hard drinking nation but there is now a culture of binge drinking amongst young people seeking instant gratification, says Fulde.

Binge drinking is also widespread among high profile Australian footballers, the role models for young males who are most likely to be involved in alcohol-related violence, says a study by the Burnet Institute at Melbourne University.

The study of Australian Football League players found they led a roller-coaster life of extreme binge drinking alternated with bursts of abstinence.

It found 88 percent indulged in high-risk drinking, more than 11 drinks in a day, at least once a month and more than half were endangering their long-term health by consuming large amounts of alcohol during end-of-season celebrations. A quarter of players were involved in fights due to alcohol.

Fulde says young Australians seemed to be more angry, less tolerant and desensitized to violence.

“We all seem to have a shorter fuse. We are more stressed, bigger populations, bigger expectations. What confronts young people on TV and in the media is violence. Violence is the norm.”

Criminologists say the alcohol-fuelled violence will rise come summer when young Aussies party more in the outdoors.

This Australian summer, an extra 150 police will patrol the nightclub beat on Friday and Saturday nights in Australia’s second largest city Melbourne to try and stem violence.

WORSE THAN LOS ANGELES

NSW police say Sydney’s alcohol-fuelled violence is already worse than Los Angeles due to Australia’s 24-hour liquor licenses. There are more than 600 24-hour licensed premises in Australia, with more than 400 in NSW.

“This drink to get drunk culture must stop. LA doesn’t have the problems we do. They close the doors at 2 a.m. It’s time to give the neighborhood back and take the hoods out,” says NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione, a teetotaler.

Scipione is fed up with seeing his officers assaulted and backs a government move to cut back on licensing hours.

Australia’s national government has raised taxes on “alcopops”, premixed alcohol drinks which are so sweet you can’t taste the alcohol, to try and curb young binge drinking.

The NSW state government has announced no more 24-hour liquor licenses will be issued and Sydney’s local government is promoting small European-style wine bars to change drinking habits away from the barn-style pubs.

The NSW government has also identified 50 pubs and clubs for tough new liquor rules. From December 1, these pubs and clubs will be forced to lock out patrons after 2 a.m., serve drinks in plastic glasses after midnight, restrict drinks bought after midnight, and close alcohol service 30 minutes before closing.

But glassing victim Kelley does not believe the tougher drinking laws will end the violence.

“There are no consequences and they are wrecking people’s lives. I want a permanent statutory law against anyone that uses a glass as a weapon that carries a jail penalty,” she says.

1|2

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos Respond to this email