Alcohol intoxication is an issue to be taken seriously.
Part of your responsibilities as a worker in the hospitality industry is recognising when patrons have had one too many drinks. This is a key skill you will learn in any good RSA course.
Sometimes it can be easy. If they are singing karaoke along to the subtitles on the late-night news, they’re probably well on their way to being intoxicated. Other times, it might not be so obvious.
This is a guide on the signs that someone may be intoxicated.
What is Intoxication?
Intoxication is a condition of having diminished physical or mental control by the effects of drugs or alcohol.
Why should you care?
As part of responsible service of alcohol, it is prohibited to sell or supply alcohol to intoxicated people. This is part of Licensee’s obligations to serve alcohol responsibly, along with preventing intoxication from occurring on their premises.
There are severe penalties if a venue or a licensee are discovered to have been ignoring this rule.
Liquor & Gaming NSW have created Intoxication Guidelines to help licensees identify whether or not a person is intoxicated. Licensees are obligated to follow the guidelines primarily for these three reasons:
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to minimise the harm that is associated with the misuse and abuse of liquor;
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to encourage responsible attributes and practices towards the promotion, sale, supply, service, and consumption of alcohol;
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and to ensure that the sale, supply, and consumption of liquor contributes to, and does not detract from, the amenity of community life.
Business Queensland also have a section on their website about unduly intoxicated patrons.
Signs of Intoxication
There are four main signs that indicate intoxication:
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Speech
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Balance
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Coordination
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Behaviour
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Aggressive
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Annoying/pestering others
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Argumentative
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Bad tempered
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Belligerent
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Confused
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Difficulty paying attention
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Disorderly
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Drowsiness or sleeping at a bar/table
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Exuberant
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Inappropriate sexual advances
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Loss of inhibition
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Loud/boisterous
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Not understanding normal conversation
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Offensive, including the use of offensive language
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Overly friendly
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Physically violent
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Rude
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Vomiting
If you notice any of these symptoms in a person there could be causes other than intoxication and we recommend talking to the patron about possible causes for their intoxication.
Before and during a conversation with a potentially intoxicated patron try to make observations to help draw your conclusions. Potential things you could observe are:
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Does the person smell of alcohol?
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How long has the person been drinking?
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When did the person enter the premises?
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Was the person affected by alcohol when they arrived?
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What type of alcohol has been consumed?
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How much alcohol have you seen the person drink?
There may be conditions that result in a person displaying signs of intoxication without having consumed any alcohol. This is why talking to the patron or their friends is so important before drawing a conclusion.
If you'd like to learn more, our RSA courses will cover this in detail.
