Licensees who sell or supply liquor are required to conduct their business responsibly, and will be held accountable for their actions. The Responsible Service of Alcohol was introduced in 1992 through the Liquor Act. This legislation was introduced for the protection of licensees, staff and patrons. “The Government is committed to working with licensees to safeguard patrons, the public and hospitality workers from alcohol related harm at licensed venue,” (QHA Review, school resource, page 14). A Responsible Service of Alcohol Certificate is needed for any person wanting a job serving or selling alcoholic beverages within Australia. The primary aim of the Legislation and regulation in Queensland is harm minimisation. It ensures alcohol is sold by responsible people in a responsible manner to minimise and/or avoid its possible harmful effects (RSA-Course-Notes-March-2013).
A beverage attendant has many legal responsibilities when it comes to the service of alcohol. As a beverage attendant, if you are serving alcohol at any point in the job, you are required by law to have a Responsible Service of Alcohol Certificate. These laws are contained in the Queensland Liquor Act (1992). The three key regulations of the Liquor Act are,
The holder of a license must behave responsibly in the service, supply and promotion of liquor.
The holder must not engage in a practise or promotion that encourages …show more content…
Lock out laws have recently been introduced and will come into effect in 2017 in QLD. Lock out laws were introduced as a response to the ‘one-punch’ deaths. This new law hopes to prevent people from entering a bar or club after 1 am. Lock out laws work by reducing the movement between pubs/clubs, which will result in a decrease of assaults. “It’s classic alcohol control theory - restrict availability and you'll reduce consumption,” said Mr Thorn (Pamela Frost, School Resource, Newsmail 21/07/16). However these new laws are creating problems in the Hospitality Industry. With bars and clubs not selling drinks after certain hours, businesses aren’t generating as much income. Lock out laws prevent patrons from entering or re-entering a bar/club after 1:30 am and from buying drinks after 3 am. In the Kings Cross precinct in NSW, there has been a 45.1% reduction in assaults since the lockout laws were introduced in january 2014 (appendix 4). These new laws, although receiving praise from emergency workers, have received a lot of criticism from musicians, young adults, businesses and their staff. These new laws have been hurting the trade and have resulted in the closure of some businesses. As lockout laws have not yet come into effect in Queensland, we need to review them and find a way to prevent the assaults, without affecting the hospitality