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Sydney nightlife
Sydney moves to curb alcohol-related violence
source: IHT
SYDNEY: In an effort to stem a wave of alcohol-related violence on Sydney's streets, the authorities will no longer issue 24-hour liquor licenses, and 50 pubs and clubs will be forced to serve drinks in plastic glasses.
New liquor licenses will only allow an upper limit of 18 hours trading. Fifty pubs and clubs in Sydney and around New South Wales will be forced to "lockout" new patrons after 2 a.m., use plastic cups after midnight, restrict drinks bought after midnight and close alcohol service 30 minutes before closing time.
Sixteen pubs in Sydney's central business district and eastern suburbs are affected, including tourist havens like the Orient Hotel in the Rocks, Scruffy Murphy's on George Street and the Coogee Bay and Bondi hotels.
Sydney has seen a spate of "glassings" in recent weeks, where drinkers, male and female, have been smashed in the face with a beer glass, and street brawls which have left police officers injured.
The authorities say a culture of binge drinking by young men and women is behind the rise in violence.
Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, which includes Sydney, recorded 21,000 incidents of alcohol-related violence in the past year, with the rate of violent incidents rising 7 percent annually.
Prime minister, Nathan Rees:"We're serious about tackling alcohol-related violence and will do whatever it takes to make our streets safer. There's nothing more gutless than sticking a glass in someone's face,"
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