A Dunedin bar's plans to screen Fifa World Cup matches later this year could be derailed by concerns the venue could attract early-morning drinkers "like moths to the flame". Octagon bar owner Grant Ellis has applied for a special licence that would allow his premises - the ground-floor Ratbags (which actually makes really good pizza) and/or Innocent Bystanders above it - to remain open for matches kicking off at 4am and 7am New Zealand time (1pm and 4pm the previous afternoon in much of Brazil). The aim is to cater for up to 80 "avid football fans" per game throughout the tournament, which begins on June 13 and ends on July 14. However, Mr Ellis' application has been opposed by Dunedin police and Southern District Health Board medical officer of health Dr Keith Reid, who said it would effectively allow 24-hour trading in the Octagon, increasing the availability of alcohol for up to 25 days during the tournament, including 11 "high risk" Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, when there will be more people in the Octagon. This increase in availability of alcohol - particularly during the early morning hours - has the potential to fuel alcohol-related harm in a sensitive area at a time which is prone to such incidents.
This begs very important questions about whether such a move is in keeping with regulatory requirements to minimise alcohol-related harm, and whether watching soccer on TV in a bar constitutes an event. It's not likely the request will be approved, but if it is, Ratbags and/or Innocent Bystanders would be the only bar allowed to sell alcohol after 4am, when all the neighbouring bars are closed. People who just seek to continue drinking will be attracted like moths to a flame when they see the venue is open, and it'll be a matter of time before they start a fight and somebody gets seriously hurt or even killed at the hands of a group of bellends who are only there to drink after 4am.
No comments:
Post a Comment