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 Every weekend there are media reports of alcohol related violence on our streets.

I sent in this e-mail to the The Daily Telegraph

 

 

 

The article below gives  examples of what goes on on the steets

 

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/premier-barry-ofarrell-plays-the-blame-game-when-it-comes-to-pub-and-club-violence-in-nsw/story-e6frg6n6-1226784506

 

PARENTS, friends, and the community at large are to blame for alcohol-fuelled violence, according to the NSW Government.

Premier Barry O'Farrell said yesterday that changing Australia's drinking culture "has to start in the home," and the government and police had already done their part to crack down on booze-fuelled violence.

"Police and government agencies are doing their bit and the hotel industry, by and large, is responsibly getting on with their task," Mr O'Farrell said.

"It's about time the community stepped up as well - because a lot of this misuse and abuse of alcohol is happening in homes. It's happening in backyard barbecues, and where are the family or friends saying to those individuals: this is unacceptable?"

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The Last Drinks coalition, a group of emergency workers campaigning against alcohol fuelled violence said Mr O'Farrell's comments were offensive.

Last Drinks spokesman, NSW Nurses Association general secretary Brett Holmes said: "To suggest that the government is doing all it can is frankly offensive to hard working emergency service workers and the victims of alcohol-fuelled violence."

Mr O'Farrell does not support a wider rollout of Newcastle-style liquor laws, that impose earlier closing times and lockouts, in pubs and clubs across the Sydney CBD.

The NSW Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing is able to force lockouts for "high risk" venues in the state - those with more than 19 recorded violent incidents a year.

 

 

But Opposition Leader John Robertson said Mr O'Farrell was refusing to accept government responsibility for changing drinking culture.

"Barry O'Farrell is handballing this issue back on to the community and back on parents.

The Premier has control of the police, the liquor licensing system and the transport network yet he blames the community and parents for alcohol violence," Mr Robertson said.

"The culture of excessive drinking and violence won't just change itself. The community needs leadership from the Government, not a Premier playing the blame game to distract from his own failings."

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said the public needs to stop the love affair with booze, to reduce the number of alcohol-fuelled assaults in the city.

"I'm saddened, I'm annoyed, and sometimes I think we're almost at the point where people need to start falling out of love with alcohol," Commissioner Scipione said.

"The time has come for everyone to realise we are all responsible. The police will never arrest our way out of this problem."

Parents Council of NSW city vice president Jacqui Van de Velde said excessive drinking was a problem for the whole of the community, but some parents need help to figure out how to instil a better relationship with alcohol in their children.

"Some parents are genuinely in the dark about the social lives of their children," Ms Van de Velde said.

Operation Unite, a taskforce aimed at reducing alcohol related violence in Australia and New Zealand, saw 540 people arrested in NSW over the weekend.

One man, whose head was stomped on while he waited at a bus stop in Bondi is continuing to fight for his life.

Michael McEwen, 23, remains in St Vincent's Hospital in an induced coma, after suffering shocking head injuries.

Police said Mr McEwen, an arts student at the University of Sydney, was waiting at a Campbell Pde bus stop, about 1.45am on Saturday, when he was punched in the head by another man, who then proceeded to stomp on his head.

FROM YESTERDAY:

TWO NIGHTS OF LIVING HELL ON STREETS ACROSS NSW Taylor Auerbach

A PERSON was arrested every three minutes across the state during a two-night blitz on booze-fuelled violence.

Senior NSW detectives said they were angered by the staggering numbers, while Prime Minister Tony Abbott described the issue as "urgent" and Premier Barry O'Farrell insisted the problem was a national one.

 

But alcohol policy groups said the responsibility was the state government's and yesterday called for a summit on the issue of booze and violence.

 

SMALL MEASURES A GIANT LEAP AWAY FROM BOOZE-FUELLED VIOLENCE

 

STATE OPPOSITION SAYS NSW GOVERNMENT MUST ACT ON VIOLENCE

 

 

In a frightening glimpse of the summer ahead, 540 people were nabbed on the state's streets over the weekend, with police making more than 20 arrests per hour as part of Operation Unite - aimed at reducing alcohol-related crime across Australia and NZ.

The weekend confirmed NSW as the Australasian capital of boozy violence, contributing the same number of arrests to the blitz as the combined totals of Queensland (395), Victoria (76), South Australia (46) and Auckland (27).

 

 

Sydney man Michael McEwen, 23, remains in an induced coma following a booze-fuelled bashing near Bondi Beach on Friday night

Elsewhere, violent incidents were regular and a number of police officers at separate youth parties were pelted with rocks and beer bottles. More than 280 people were arrested­ just on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

 

 

 

In shocking scenes during the early hours of Sunday, a man in his early 30s was bashed and allegedly stomped in a fight with another man outside a Darling Harbour nightclub. He was found unconscious and bleeding by paramedics. The scenes were so disturbing, one distressed bystander had to be treated for an asthma attack.

In other incidents yesterday, police arrested six men after a scuffle outside a hotel in Oxford St, a man was treated for injuries following an incident in Pitts Rd, a pizza delivery driver was treated after an assault in Balmain, and, in Martin Place, a barman was struck in the head with a bar stool after four men got into a fight

"I've said before there is an unacceptable drinking culture in Australia - not just in NSW," Mr O'Farrell said.

 

 

 

"People need to be taking more personal responsibility when loading up on booze during a night out and those resorting to violence can expect to feel the full force of the law.''

 

Detective Superintendent Gavin Dengate described the violence as "unacceptable''.

 

"Yes it is concerning … it's un­acceptable the amount of people doing things that they wouldn't necessarily do if they weren't intoxicated," he said.

"The biggest headache for us is assaults with a lot of people involved. It's to do with that mob mentality. That isn't just at parties, it's on the streets. We've got to start with the kids - it's about educating them that excessive alcohol not only damages your insides but can do a lot of harm to people around you."

Mr Abbott said he would work with Mr O'Farrell to take urgent action on crime.

"We are working co-operatively but urgently with the state government to tackle crime."

 

 

HEALTH GROUPS DEMANDING O'FARRELL-LED SUMMIT Taylor Auerbach

A COALITION of health groups has called for a summit on alcohol-fuelled violence.

"We are calling on the NSW government to work harder at strengthening alcohol policy, given the scientific evidence that this can lead to significant improvements in public health and safety," said professor Mike Daube of the National Alliance for Action on Alcohol (NAAA).

According to a report released yesterday by the NAAA - a coalition of health groups, universities and community centres across the country - the NSW government boasts the worst alcohol policies of all Australian states.

NSW received a score of zero for "a whole-of-government strategic plan for the prevention and reduction of alcohol-related harm" and half a star for "treatment and early intervention".

Brian Vandenberg, executive officer at the NAAA, said local communities deserved a bigger say in alcohol policy.

"If we do have a summit it should be focused on acting and implementing recommendations rather than talk," he said.

"Communities and local councils need to have a say.''

 

 

 

BUS STOP BASHING VICTIM STILL IN COMA Neil Keene

A YOUNG man who was attacked and stomped on at a Bondi bus stop remains in a critical condition in hospital.

Hospital staff said Michael McEwen, who suffered serious injuries during an attack on Campbell Pde about 1.45am on Saturday, remained in an induced coma last night.

 

Police said Mr McEwen, from Turramurra, was kicked and punched in the face before having his head stomped on.

 

He was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital and placed in an induced coma. None of his attackers have been identified.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas said he did not think "much is going through anyone's head who would knock another human being down and then stomp on their head with their boots."

The attack came just hours after the start of Operation Unite, the nationwide blitz on alcohol-fuelled violence.

In other violent incidents, at the nearby Royal Hotel on Saturday afternoon, a man was knocked out by his mate after sharing a pub lunch together in an attack described as "aggressive" by senior police.

And the violence was not restricted to the metropolitan area. In Albion Park, near Wollongong, a woman celebrating her 21st birthday suffered facial injuries after a man allegedly punched her in the mouth, while a 28-year-old man at the same venue nearly lost his ear following an alleged glassing.

In Doyalson, a woman was knocked unconscious at a 21st birthday party yesterday.

 

 

DIAGNOSIS DRUNK AND BADLY DAMAGED Dr Geordian Fulde

KING hit, sadly, is now a medical term.

When tanked up on alcohol there seems to be a lack of Christmas goodwill to others.

A big weekend for going out and drinking a lot - it easily slides into trouble and pain.

The triage nurses - the ones you see first when you arrive in emergency bleeding or having lost consciousness from a fight - now use "king hit" as a description.

Sunday morning we saw several. How sad is that? Especially after all the media attention on Saturday.

Typically after many hours of drinking and being a young man, sometimes fights occur.

A 21-year-old brought in by ambulance at 4.22am; usual picture - swollen face, bleeding nose, blood and saliva coming from inside his mouth.

After several minutes of unconsciousness, now confused and not making sense - a major brain injury.

A broken knuckle on his right hand - the boxer's fracture. We saw several like him.

The ladies mostly got quite intoxicated and fell.

They fall forward on to their face receiving cuts, abrasions and often wrist injuries.

But when falling backwards on concrete, loss of consciousness and a badly bleeding scalp with a head injury is collected.

At 2.40am, within 10 minutes, three young women came to emergency.

The first, a 24-year-old drunk woman, fell forwards. The cuts and abrasions got her a consultation with the plastic surgeons later in the morning.

The next, a 23-year-old, was quite drunk and brought in by friends as she would not talk or respond to anyone.

Then a 28-year-old who had lost control was laughing, crying, not making any sense.

Remember, we have to try to find out how we can help a patient - what is the problem, what happened?

It's all a bit tough when lots of alcohol is consumed.

There are always quite a few patients waiting for care.

 

 

CLUB STAFF WARNED TROUBLE WAS BREWING BEFORE MAN ASSAULTED

Mark Morri

POLICE allege staff at a western Sydney club ignored warnings that someone was going to be assaulted and then did nothing to help after the man was knocked unconscious.

Details of the attack and the alleged lack of action by the staff will be released today by the Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing.

A 67-year-old man was at the Windsor Leagues Club with his wife and daughter when he was attacked by a 44-year-old man on September 1 at about 6.30pm. His head hit a brick wall following the attack and he fell to the ground unconscious.

Police allege that, just before the assault took place, an employee was told trouble was brewing and someone was "going to get knocked out'' but the club took no action to try to stop the incident.

According to the police report supplied to OLGR, the man's daughter saw the attack and asked for help from the staff and security who were watching but they ignored them.

The victim was taken to hospital in a serious condition with injuries including a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain and facial lacerations.

The man was unconscious for more than 10 minutes and first aid was given by customers at the scene.

Windsor Leagues Club has incurred a ''strike'' under the state government's three strikes scheme and has been fined $1100 for permitting violent or quarrelsome behaviour following assault.

Club spokesman Chris Carl said he believed that the breach and fine were harsh.

"The two men had history and alcohol wasn't the reason for what happened,'' he said. "We rang an ambulance and offered assistance.''

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