Kick Drunks Out; Don’t Fence Families In

PRESS RELEASE
2 NOVEMBER 2005

An easy solution to protect families and the hundreds of others who wish to enjoy sporting events without being hassled by drunks would be for the stadiums to simply comply with the law and refuse to serve intoxicated people, says the Alcohol Advisory Council.

ALAC’s comments follow a report that New Zealand Cricket (NZC) will have a separate section for families and fans wanting to enjoy a quieter time at one-day internationals this summer. NZC Chief Executive Martin Snedden said the zones will have dedicated security hosts and drunkenness and bad behaviour will not be tolerated.

ALAC Chief Executive Officer Dr Mike MacAvoy says New Zealand Cricket is to be commended acknowledging an issue with drunkenness at one-day matches.

“However such comments imply that drunkenness and bad behaviour will be tolerated in other areas of the ground,’ he says.

“New Zealand has a drinking culture that tolerates drunkenness and moves such as this simply reinforce this culture. What does it say about our society that we need to create a special zone for families and children to feel safe at a public event?

“However, I don’t see that parents and children will necessarily have a quieter time or feel safer when other areas of the stadium are allowed to indulge in loutish behaviour fueled by alcohol. Instead of fencing in families and children why not just enforce the law and kick drunks out.”

Stadiums, which serve alcohol, must comply with the Sale of Liquor Act. Under the Act, the licensee or manager can be fined up to $10,000 for the sale or supply of alcohol to an intoxicated person or allowing a person to become intoxicated while staff face fines of up to $2000.

“Surely this is enough of an incentive for the license holder and indeed the staff to ensure they abide by the law.”

Dr MacAvoy also asks what behaviour will be tolerated in the party zone. “I would suggest that dedicated security hosts would be better employed patrolling these areas as such zones inevitably turn into ‘get drunk and to hell with the game zones.’

“I would suggest that the producers of the alcohol products, New Zealand cricket and the game’s hosts get together and determine what is acceptable behaviour and how they will enforce it.”

ENDS

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