Norwich bars welcome voluntary breathalyser scheme

Around 30 late-night venues in the city have been using breathalysers since the end of November as part of a month-long trial, after the Norfolk Police scheme was tested at two venues in a bid to raise awareness of issues around pre-loading and binge drinking.

Posters reading ‘Are you trollied? #DeepBreath’ have also been displayed in venues taking part, explaining that customers may be required to take a breath test.

Alcohol limit​

No alcohol limit has been set at which to refuse entry; Norwich police said it expects bars and clubs to be responsible and set their own limits.

The scheme, which is currently voluntary but may become a condition of entry in 2014, has been well-received by the trade.

'Positive'​

John McCourt, assistant manager at Essence, located on Prince of Wales Road in the heart of the city’s nightlife, said it is “definitely a positive thing” for the industry.

“If people drink less before they come out then hopefully they’ll spend more in our venues and there will be less trouble in the streets as well,” he said.

“If someone’s too drunk then we breathalyse them, take a reading and give it to the police. People have been fairly happy to give it a go.”

Extra measure​

Jack Wrigley, licensee of Lola Lo bar, also welcomed the scheme.

“We’re fully behind it,” he said. “You can’t help certain people turning up to the nightclub but it’s a good tool to have as an extra measure. The more things you’ve got at your disposal on the front door, the better.”

However, the general manager at Wonderland night club said although he has been using breathalysers he is “indifferent” to the scheme, while another licensee who wishes to remain anonymous questioned whether the police had a “hidden agenda”.

Supporting the trade​

Norwich Constabulary, which provided the breath tests, said it hopes the exercise will encourage clubbers to think about the amount of alcohol they drink before heading on a night out and support the trade in dealing with drunks.

Inspector Ed Brown, from the Constabulary’s licensing team, said: "These kits allow door staff to better gauge how much alcohol someone has had and in turn help them refuse entry to someone who is too drunk. This gives additional protection to venues who might otherwise be concerned at the prospect of inadvertently selling alcohol to somebody who is already drunk which is obviously an offence.

"All too often we deal with people who are so drunk they cannot think straight and can barely walk. They lose all sense of responsibility which clearly makes them vulnerable and that’s where the risk increases of someone becoming a victim of crime, being injured or involved in violence and disorder.

"It’s more about supporting venues and assisting door staff in turning people away who may not always appear drunk on the surface.”

Evaluation​

Norwich Police will evaluate responses and records from the venues after the trial finishes at the end of December to consider whether to implement the scheme permanently.