Plans for drug, alcohol testing SA bar staff ’draconian’, industry says
INDUSTRY groups representing 4500 hospitality workers are calling on the State Government to back down from a plan to drug and alcohol test staff in hotels, restaurants and bars.
INDUSTRY groups representing 4500 hospitality workers are calling on the State Government to back down from a plan to drug and alcohol test staff in hotels, restaurants and bars.
The most recent version of new liquor licensing laws, expected to come before Parliament this week, is understood to include the measure which was proposed by SA Police.
It would require staff serving or selling liquor to return a zero blood alcohol concentration reading.
The rewrite of the Liquor Licensing Act is based on a wideranging review by former judge Tim Anderson, commissioned by the Government, which also recommended the testing of hospitality staff.
The chiefs of five key industry groups have co-signed a letter to MPs arguing against the “draconian” policy, which they say will unnecessarily restrict business owners.
“The associations have seen absolutely no justification for this test and even less for setting any blood alcohol concentration whether zero, .05 or some other figure,” states the letter signed by the heads of the Australian Hotels Association SA, Late Night Venues Association SA, Clubs SA, Restaurant and Catering SA, and the SA Wine Industry Association.
“It would seem overkill to impose this type of condition on a lone publican who wants to have a quiet drink with a patron, a winemaker conducting tastings at their cellar door or a bottle shop manager sampling product as part of selecting new stock.”
AHA (SA) general manager Ian Horne also noted that SA Police does not have the ability to randomly breath test its own work force.
“Why should hospitality workers be targeted?” he said.
“It is ludicrous that the ‘wine state’ could find itself in a situation where a winemaker conducting tastings or a sales person trying to make a deal with international purchasers could not share a drink with their customers.
“This heavy handed approach would place significant burden on South Australian business without any evidence it addresses an existing problem or would benefit the community in any way.”
Consumer and Business Services Minister John Rau said the Government had not finalised its legislation, following community feedback on a draft bill.
“However, drug and alcohol testing for responsible persons was a recommendation of the review conducted by Tim Anderson QC,” he said.
Opposition liquor licensing spokeswoman Vickie Chapman said the Liberal party had not reached a formal policy position but she saw the proposed zero blood alcohol threshold as “oppressive and unnecessary”.
“If a .05 level is acceptable to drive a car then it should be acceptable here,” she said.