Ice blamed for increase in pub and club assaults in South Australia

INCREASED drug use is fuelling assaults on patron and staff in Adelaide’s pubs and clubs, the Australian Hotels Association SA says.

HOTELIERS are increasingly banning patrons from pubs and clubs for assaults on other revellers or staff.

Statistics from the licensing arm of Consumer Business Services show that about 10 patrons a month are being barred, for six months or more, from Adelaide establishments.

But it is an increase in assaults that is keeping hotel staff on their toes.

Australian Hotels Association SA general manager Ian Horne has told the Sunday Mail that patrons combining drink and drugs, particularly ice, are making the job more challenging.

Figures show 128 South Australians had been given six-month bans from pub and clubs by hoteliers.

Most barring orders stemmed from city incidents. Picture: iStock

The orders followed more than 180 incidents, including 70 instances of disorderly conduct.

The number of patrons barred for assaults on staff almost doubled — from 21 instances in 2015/16 to 39 last financial year.

The number of assaults grew from four to 18 during that period.

Mr Horne said the capacity for venues to bar badly behaving patrons is essential in enabling management and staff to provide safe environments.

“There is increasing anecdotal evidence that drugs generally, and ice (crystal methamphetamine) in particular, are increasingly contributing to more extreme behavioural outcomes with or without any contributing effects of alcohol,” Mr Horne said.

“This creates increased pressure on staff and security to manage such people.

“What is of concern is their apparent increasing acceptance by some as part of a ‘normal’ night out.”

The vast majority of six-month barring orders have been issued in Adelaide’s entertainment precinct (36) followed by Salisbury (10).

“The statistics are quite modest in size when we estimate many tens of thousands of patrons go out to a variety of hospitality venues over any week in the year,” Mr Horne said.

“The higher recorded barrings for the CBD reflect that a capital-city entertainment precinct is an attraction for the entire metropolitan area and as such will attract a disproportionate level of behavioural issues.

“This would be the case in any Australian city with a popular entertainment precinct.”

Under South Australian law, hoteliers are able to issue bans of up to six months to misbehaving patrons.

Only barring orders for six months are collated and made public each year in the CBS annual report.

Police, which can also issue barring orders, have issued an average of 140 barring orders, of up to six months, each month for the past two years.

The numbers are on track to match last year’s total of 1679.

Since the start of the year police instigated barring orders peaked in January (198) and Adelaide’s “Mad March” (158).