Doctors and researchers call for tougher liquor laws in South Australia

SOUTH Australia needs tougher laws on supplying minors with alcohol at house parties and should charge pubs and clubs licence fees based on how late they stay open, a coalition of health groups says.

SOUTH Australia needs tougher laws on the supply of alcohol to minors at house parties and should charge pubs and clubs licence fees based on how late they stay open, a coalition of health groups says.

In a submission to a State Government review of liquor licensing laws, the coalition of doctors and researchers also suggests introducing unit pricing for alcohol and imposing “saturation zones” to limit the number of outlets selling booze in a geographical area.

SA is the only state or territory without controls on giving alcohol to minors on private premises.

Western Australia was the state to address the issue most recently, introducing laws last year which make it an offence to supply alcohol to a juvenile without the consent of their parent or guardian. The person giving consent must not be drunk at the time.

Even with consent, the laws require “responsible supervision” of young people’s drinking.

Penalties of up to $10,000 apply.

Current SA laws forbid selling alcohol to children and teenagers in licensed venues but allow them to drink at homes or private parties without parental permission.

Liberal MP John Gardner put a Bill to the SA Parliament in mid-2011 to require parental consent but it was voted down.

MPs later considered sending the proposal to a parliamentary committee for further examination before Consumer and Business Services Minister John Rau agreed to add the issue to the terms of reference for the government’s liquor licensing review.

The coalition’s submission to the review also recommends:

CHARGING additional licences fees for pubs and clubs based on every hour they operate after midnight and occupancies greater than 80 patrons, as done in the ACT.

CHARGING a “risk loading” on licence fees for bottle shops based on the number of stores a company owns, as done in NSW.

IMPOSING “saturation zones” where there are limits on the number of licensed venues which can sell alcohol in a particular area, as done in England, Wales and California in the US.

INTRODUCING a unit price for alcohol, such as the $1-$1.50 minimum price per unit in the Canadian counties of British Columbia and Saskatchewan, to limit “harmful price discounting”.

TIGHTENING rules on the online sale of alcohol to prevent “opportunistic or accidental” supply of alcohol to minors.

CONTINUING restrictions on the sale of alcohol in supermarkets and banning so-called shopper docket liquor promotions.

COLLECTING more and better data on wholesale alcohol sales and indicators of harm, such as hospital admissions and crimes committed under the influence.