After doing the east coast...... working security.... and now having tons of mates from germany that has really relax drinking laws I've got some interesting things i've noticed.
Travelling WA - noticed any mining related town seems to have banned shots, full strength liquor and anything mixed with energy drinks after 10, apparently the miners are brought into a alcohol culture so as soon as getting out they all get smashed, and the mining companies have heavy influence so if they say they dont like how something is it gets changed.
A lot of towns I went to over there have skyhigh liquor prices I remember near collie at a BWS they wanted $22.95 for a 4pack of canadian club.
People still got trashed on high priced booze, even low strength stuff.
On the east coast - just about every city and town I went to I saw fights and violence. Most of it was due to the lock out policies. Someone goes out for a good time, gets there at 11 parties, runs outside for a smoke, then doesnt get let in at 1, or tries to hop clubs.... and gets locked out.... they arent happy and just hang around starting trouble.
3am in port macquirie is preatty freaky all the clubs seem to have kicked everyone out and the streets are flooded with people agitated because they still want to party, they cant get a drink... and I saw a ton of fights, with heaps of cops around who didnt wanna do anything most of them stood around and watched. Saw this all over the east coast anywhere with a lockout and that rum was popular.
Rum - seems to make ########s fight? i dont know how I dont know why..... any place that people got drunk on rum.... the same people who are chilled drinking 10 jagerbombs or tons of beer or vodka... you get them out clubbing on half a bottle of rum.... they just seem to want to start fights.
All my international mates, especially ones i've been backpacking with.... are shattered when they find out you cant enjoy a cold one on a street, or in a park and you explain our liquor laws where you can pretty much only drink in 'zones' and they then see our violence here and are mystified.
My ex from germany was first to tell me how in bavaria you can have a drink wherever you want, can start drinking beer and wine at 15... and spirits at 18..... they have a drinking culture where everyone accepts you go through that phase of 18-24 where you just want to party and they dont make a big deal out of it..... fights are rare, alcohol is cheap, a bottle of jager is about $15 there. Cheap vodka can be bought from the commissary for the equivalent of $7.
All of the countries that have tighter liquor laws seem to have worse violence.... more alcoholism problems
In canada apparantly the government controls all liquor sales which I was surprised about..... they monitor everything and fix prices
