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F&B Magazine “Good news” start to 2007 The “good news” start to 2007 for the hospitality industry is largely about no news. The Christmas period was a very quiet one for the media and inevitably they latch onto anything they can get and the results of over-indulgence are easy targets. 2007 started very well with relatively few liquor related issues hitting the front pages of the daily newspapers or television news. The industry’s low profile is certainly helpful as we look forward to some sort of review of the Sale of Liquor Act in 2007 as a result of the age of purchase bill being defeated late last year. It is important that the industry does what it can to ensure they do act responsibly and hope high profile liquor incidents are kept to a minimum. The challenge for the industry and advocacy on the industry’s position is severely handicapped by the fact that only 30% of alcohol consumed is now consumed on licensed premises in a controlled environment. Regrettably all alcohol incidents seem to be blamed on the on-premise sector, in the first instance, when the reality is that with 70% of alcohol being consumed away from licensed premises, there is no control and accountability can only rest with the individual. As we approach a review of the Sale of Liquor Act, the industry needs to continue to push for individuals taking responsibility for their own actions rather than relying on the controls, restrictions or applying blame to others. 2007 got off to a great start. The industry needs to continue to do its part to ensure it acts responsibly where it can to ensure that New Zealanders consume alcohol safely and no news can continue to be “good news”. Bruce H Robertson 31 January 2007 |
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