Q. Do you support or oppose the following measures in relation to alcohol?

Measures with most support were more education about responsible drinking (87%), banning alcohol sponsorship of sport (59%), increasing the legal age for consumption of alcohol (57%) and banning alcohol advertising (54%).

Q. Would you support or oppose taking the following measures to address alcohol-related violence?

There was strong majority support for each measure listed – except for higher taxes on alcohol (55% oppose).

Strongest support was shown for harsher mandatory sentencing (87%) and lockouts on licensed premises (76%).

Those aged 55+ were the strongest supporters of each measure listed.

For those aged 18-34, while there was strong support for mandatory sentencing (84%), there was less support for earlier closing time for bottle shops (49% support/40% oppose) and earlier closing time for pubs and licensed clubs (51% support/41% oppose).

A quick update on something I pointed out three weeks ago — union workers know a lot more about how to stop alcohol-fuelled violence than most politicians because they are on the front lines.

Two years ago– TWO YEARS AGO — a coalition of unions representing doctors, nurses, paramedics and police officers demanded that politicians act to stop alcohol-fuelled violence. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand why: those front-line workers have to deal with the violence and it’s an occupational hazard. Union workers have to transport injured people to hospitals, stitch up the wounds, and restore order in the streets.

So, today’s news vindicates the campaign being run by the Last Drinks campaign:

PUB lockouts that ban patrons entering licensed premises after a late night deadline but allow those already inside to keep drinking could be the answer to curbing drunken violence in Kings Cross, Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione believes.

Save lives. Sign the petition.

— Jonathan Tasini
@jonathantasini