It's not my fault, I was drunk...

Did anyone see the 4 Corners episode called Punch Drunk on Monday? It examined the effects of just one of the 70 000 incidents of alcohol-related violence that are estimated to occur in Australia every year.

18 year old Sam Ford was out with his girlfriend one night in Coolangatta when he was attacked by a drunken stranger in the street and suffered a brain injury that has left him with profound disabilities. The program also explored the increased workload of these violent episodes on  police, paramedics and hospitals, and estimated that alcohol related violence costs the community $187 million each year

Paul Nicolaou, the CEO of the Australian Hotels Association (NSW) disagreed with the findings of studies that suggest
the increase in violence is related to excessive alcohol consumption, saying that drugs were the problem, not alcohol.

I’ve been a paramedic for over 17 years and found myself laughing at this statement. I’ve seen for myself the pain and trauma that comes from too much alcohol, and I’ve suffered along with my colleagues as we wrestled with aggressive drunks, patched up bloodied faces and broken noses, and pulled girls from pools of their own vomit. I’ve also treated police officers injured in drunken brawls outside nightclubs and witnessed the disruption an unruly drunk can cause in an emergency department when staff should be dealing with other, critically ill patients.

Recent media reports also suggest that the practice of mixing vodka and energy drinks leads to the “wide awake drunk,” someone who is intoxicated but full of energy and adrenaline. Not a combination that suggests someone willing to back down in a confrontation.

Various campaigns, including “One Punch Can Kill” and “Stop! Is it worth $550?” have tried to address the effects of alcohol-related violence but I wonder do these have much effect on people after a night of heavy drinking when inhibitions are lowered? They certainly didn’t stop Sam Ford’s attacker.

Is it time for governments to intervene with stronger licensing laws? Trials in Newcastle, NSW led to a 37 percent decrease in alcohol-related violence. All venues in the Newcastle CBD were required to close at 3am, with lockouts enforced from 1.30am and shots banned from 10pm onwards. Assaults fell from an average of 33 per month to 22 per month. Assaults in a neighbouring suburb without the restrictions remained about the same. While possibly unpopular with drinkers, are these measures an appropriate way of dealing with the problem?

Australians enjoy a drink; can we change our drinking habits to help ourselves?