Coroner calls for alcohol delivery curfew, order drop-off delay after woman’s death

Following the death of a 30-year-old from alcohol poisoning, a coroner is calling for curfews for booze home delivery.

Overnight and early morning alcohol deliveries should be banned after a woman died with a blood-alcohol level at least 11 times the legal driving limit, a coroner says.

Melbourne woman Kathleen Arnold, 30, died at home in September 2023.

In a ruling released on Tuesday, Coroner Ingrid Giles recommended banning home alcohol deliveries between 10pm and 10am, plus a two hour gap between making an order and drop off.

“The circumstances in which Kathleen died, tragically illustrate the consequences of Victorians being able to have alcohol delivered to them swiftly, easily, and late at night,” the Coroner said in her ruling.

“Access to alcohol via delivery platforms undermined the tireless efforts of Kathleen’s mother and the clinical team who supported her.”

Several retailers and third parties deliver alcohol in the Australian capital cities. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

“I believe this is an area where relatively straightforward reform has the potential to significantly reduce the burden of harms associated with alcohol accessed via delivery provider platforms,” the Coroner said.

The Coroner found in the months before Ms Arnold’s death, two restaurants supplied her more alcohol than the venue was legally allowed to, and one retailer supplied alcohol outside its licenced hours.

Coroner Giles recommends an alcohol delivery curfew from 10pm to 10am via changes to the Liquor Control Reform Act.

The same law should be amended to create a two hour window between placing an order and the delivery being dispatched, Coroner Giles recommends. Plus, the state government should develop a new Alcohol Action Plan; “after the state’s Alcohol Action Plan 2008–2013 expired, there did not appear to be any follow-up action plan”, the Coroner said.

A Victorian Coroner is calling for a ban on alcohol deliveries between 10pm and 10am. Picture: NewsWire / Dylan Robinson

State Mental Health Minister Ingrid Stitt has been approached for comment.

Ms Arnold’s mother found her daughter’s body in bed in the northeast suburb of Heidelberg. Testing put the 30-year-old’s blood alcohol level at least 11 times the legal limit to drive, but testing suggesting the level of alcohol may have been higher at her time of death.

Three weeks earlier, Ms Arnold was taken to hospital with a blood alcohol reading of 0.474 – seven times the legal driving limit.

At hospital, Ms Arnold declined help from a drug and alcohol clinician.

Ms Arnold was sober about four days before she died, her mother told the coroner.

“Kathleen had a complex history of mental health issues and substance misuse since she was an early teen and as an adult she presented to Victorian hospitals approximately 50 times for treatment of conditions including alcohol and drug use, eating disorder, depression, suicidal ideation, complex post-traumatic stress disorder, fibromyalgia and liver cirrhosis,” the coroner said.

“She was also engaged with multiple alcohol and drug services, and was able to reduce her drinking for periods of time, but could not maintain her sobriety.”

“During the coronial investigation, Kathleen’s mother indicated her daughter’s efforts to maintain sobriety had been impacted by easy access to alcohol through food and alcohol delivery platforms.”

Across six months before her death, Ms Arnold made 213 food delivery orders.

Of these, 98 contained alcohol for a total of 319 alcohol products, mainly wine, vodka and cider.

The coroner noted at least 100 deaths reported to the court each year were caused by the chronic effects of alcohol use, but “alcohol is a factor in a myriad of other deaths”.

Originally published as Coroner calls for alcohol delivery curfew, order drop-off delay after woman’s death