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Stemming the Tide of Alcohol

Regulating alcohol by licensing its supply has long been a principal recourse employed by governments to control the availability of alcohol in our community. It is, as a consequence, important to understand how regulatory systems operate—their strengths and weaknesses—and the influences on them.

This is a neglected area of study and Stemming the tide of alcohol: liquor licensing and the public interest, serves to connect researchers in Australia who are undertaking studies on alcohol regulation and people working across various sectors to develop, implement and enforce these policies and laws. It provides the most up-to-date evidence on effective regulatory approaches to liquor licensing.

The context for producing this book is the increasing disquiet in many Australian communities about the rising levels of harm and the reduced community amenity caused by the ready availability of alcohol. The book will assist those charged with managing responses to this concern and help them to better negotiate this important area of government regulation.

The book reveals the ongoing tension between public and private interests. This tension is plainly evident when disputes erupt over the operation of a licensed venue and community members are frustrated by their inability to secure effective controls on these operations. The need for greater transparency and community engagement in licensing matters is essential for the maintenance of confidence in the system.

There is a clear sense that ‘all is not lost’ and it is possible to move away from the precipice caused by economic libertarianism, putting public interest at the centre of alcohol control and regulation. It may have taken some time, but inevitably and indubitably the community is slowly winning back its right to decide where to draw the line on too much alcohol.

The book makes it clear that achievement of the public interest requires good evidence supported by an expansion of data collection and the proper evaluation of policy options. The evidence base in some areas is now strong; for example, there is strong evidence that reductions in trading hours work, and that Alcohol Management Plans have had some major effects on reducing harms. A proposal for an alcohol-related harm index is one example of using improved data in a creative way. Although the harm minimisation objective is embedded in most liquor licensing legislation, to date it has not been implemented very effectively to protect communities from alcohol-related harms.

Several key examples are outlined in the book to challenge this ineffectiveness, such as the situation in Western Australia—of placing the burden of proof on a licence applicant to show that a liquor licence is in the public interest, rather than expecting objectors to provide evidence of associated harms—is a development that could be expanded to other jurisdictions.

In the recent period of sustained growth in the number of licences, most of the community conflicts discussed in this book have been about the issuing of new licences. In many parts of Australia we now have a system with a superabundance of licences, but very inadequate enforcement of the conditions for a licence to continue. In implementing the harm minimisation objectives of liquor licensing, we can expect licensing systems and community advocacy to give much greater attention to needs for controls and conditions on existing licences. To carry out this task in the public interest, detailed and accurate data on harmful incidents and their precursors is a crucial need.

For people engaging with liquor licensing systems, whether community members, advocacy organisations, local governments or police, this book demonstrates that community action can work. Although there are many barriers to engaging with liquor licensing processes, there are significant examples of communities overcoming these barriers to successfully object to new liquor licences or changes in trade of existing liquor licences. Communities should be energised by this and should use this information to enable them to have a greater say in decision-making processes.

For decision-makers this book demonstrates that there is a clear agenda for action to reduce alcohol-related harms. When confronted with crisis situations, decision-makers are often called upon to develop policy solutions quickly to address the levels of community concern. This book provides information on how these situations can be avoided and on policy responses that can address these concerns.

Copies of the book, Stemming the Tide of Alcohol: Liquor licencing and the public interest can be purchased here.

Michael Thorn

Michael was was Chief Executive of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) from January 2011 until November 2019

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