Kypros Kypri writes in The Conversation (8.1.16) about the most effective ways of reducing alcohol-related violence:
‘The Queensland parliament is set to consider whether the state should adopt a 2AM last-drinks limit – except in entertainment precincts, where 3AM last drinks and a 1AM lockout may be approved.
‘This is a further advance in the evolution of these laws, bringing them closer to the scientific evidence. The proposal advances the public interest by extending the policy state-wide, affording citizens in smaller centres and towns the benefits enjoyed by those living in major cities. It also limits the reliance on lockouts, whose efficacy is at best uncertain.
‘The Queensland bill would be better still if it applied the 2AM limit across the state and required that alcohol consumption (rather than sales) cease by 2AM (“last drinking”, as happens in the US state of California).
‘A second reading of the bill when Queensland’s parliament resumes in February will reveal whether the government has the numbers to pass the legislation in a precariously balanced parliament.’