United Kingdom: Tourist hotspot of Broome to introduce draconian drinking restrictions to prevent epidemic of alcohol-related problems
By Brett Lackey For Daily Mail Australia
February 14, 2019
A popular tourist hotspot in Western Australia has introduced drinking restrictions in an attempt to curb alcohol related problems.
Broome, in the state’s picturesque Kimberley region, is visited by tens of thousands of sightseers each year, who arrive to experience the unique landscape and laid-back atmosphere.
On Wednesday, the community agreed on the Broome Liquor Accord, a coalition of retailers, residents, and local officials, who have decided to limit the amount of takeaway alcohol that can be purchased in the town.
The 12-month trial, which begins in July, will limit alcohol purchases to two bottles of wine and a carton of beer, or one bottle of spirits per person each day.
A monitoring system will also scan the identification of those purchasing alcohol to stop customers buying booze from different venues to bypass the restrictions.
Although designed to reduce alcohol related problems entrenched in the local community, the restrictions will also apply to tourists visiting the area.
Broome Shire president Harold Tracey is a strong supporter of the restrictions, saying that Broome needed to catch up to other towns in the region that had already implemented restrictions.
‘It’s devastating; it’s heartbreaking to see families and individuals absolutely destroyed by alcohol,’ he told the ABC.
The accord follows the release of findings by Western Australia coroner Ros Fogliani into the suicides of 13 young indigenous people.
‘Excessive alcohol use in households in the Kimberley communities has a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of children and young people,’ she wrote.
She added that alcohol was a ‘major causal factor in disruptive behaviours, crime, domestic violence, broken families, children not attending school, and neurological impairment.’
Andrew Amor, who runs Broome’s drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre, said the move was overdue considering the restrictions in other communities in the region.
‘People do travel great distances to purchase alcohol and especially to those areas where there are no restrictions,’ he told the ABC.
Coles and Woolworths, who run the Liquorland and BWS outlets, are both on board to support the accord.