Easy answer to prevent it? much has been tried, but I'm coming to the conclusion that the old 10pm closure of venues is the only answer. Grew up in Melbourne, couldn't get a drink anywhere after 10 - had to go home and party. Now, everyone can continue to get smashed till the wee hours, then go on rampage.
It's a horrible thing to happen to the victim their family and their friends. I wish all of those affected the best, and continued awareness by all to try and reduce this happening EVERY WEEKEND!
The six o'clock swill (curfew) was tried out in the '50s and '60s and simply led to patrons ordering multiple drinks and consuming (binging) as much as they could in the last half hour before closing. They then needed to make their way home with a BAC well above what it would have been had they been drinking at a steady rate. They also arrive home in a heightened state of inebriation and proceeded to take it out on the wife and kids.
Ahhh, the good old days when what goes on behind closed doors, stays behind closed doors.
My solution would be to increase the negative advertising surrounding alcohol consumption to the same extent as has been done with tobacco. Change the perception across the country that excessive alcohol consumption has the same level of stigma and social 'pariah-ism' as cigarette smoking. It will probably take 30 plus years of sustained negative advertising as it did with smoking.
Dr Bill Griggs of the RAH had the right idea many years ago when he did a series of TV ads showing the autopsy results of excessive long term alcohol consumption. Sadly the ad was pulled due to complaints for being too graphic; yet they are the norm now for anti cigarette smoking ads.
