Peace of mind or police in mind? cases of best practice in responsible service of alcohol in New South Wales registered clubs

An evaluation of the NSW Liquor Industry Strategic Plan on Alcohol and Anti-Social Behaviour in late 1994 indicated that, while liquor industry members were aware of their legal obligations in responsible service of alcohol, there was limited understanding and use of responsible liquor serving practices (Nicoll 1994). This paper attempts to bridge this gap by documenting three case examples from the NSW registered clubs industry on how responsible liquor serving practices have been effectively achieved. The paper identifies the legal responsibilities of club management in responsible service of alcohol, documents current best practice for responsible liquor service and identifies the implications of responsible liquor service strategies for various aspects of club operations and management. The experience of the three clubs selected by the Club Managers' Association of Australia as examples of best practice in responsible liquor service indicates that the flow-on effects from their strategies have been largely beneficial, increasing patron enjoyment, attracting additional markets, boosting trade in other departments and protecting management and staff from legal liabilities. Managers who have not yet adopted responsible liquor serving strategies are reminded that good ethics means good business and that this is necessary to ensure the future growth of the club industry.