Licensed premises within the North Shore District Agency area will be required to have developed a written host responsibility policy. This policy should be made available to all staff and displayed in some form for both patrons and staff i.e. a reduced version, often seen as a ‘House Policy’.
You will need to address the following seven points in your development of the policy.
(1) Minors
- How will you ensure that all of your staff are aware of the designation of your premise? This will determine ‘who’ is allowed on and to drink at your premise.
TIP: in your policy include the designation and what this means in terms of who is allowed on the premise
- How will you ensure that all your staff are trained on their responsibilities under the SOL Act in relation to minors?
- What instructions will you give staff to ensure that they know how to identify and proactively deal with minors?
- What strategies will you have in place to deal with minors. Are all staff fully aware of what forms of identification to request from potentially underage minors entering your premise? Who will ask them to leave?
TIP: in your policy outline how you will ensure all staff are trained and will receive clear instructions on their responsibilities under the SOL Act in regards to minors. Also outline your strategies for dealing with minors.
- Do you have appropriate signage displayed at every point of service re not serving minors?
TIP: include your commitment to always displaying such signage in your policy
Crown Public Health has a range of signage available free of charge, phone (09) 379 9480 for more information.
(2) Intoxication
Staff must be trained in their responsibilities under the SOL Act to prevent intoxication on licensed premises. Staff require clear instructions re identifying and proactively dealing with potentially intoxicated persons. Staff’s ability to identify signs at the onset as opposed to the escalation of intoxication is integral to meeting the requirements of s.166 and s.167 of the Act, prohibiting intoxication on licensed premises.
- How will you ensure that all your staff are trained on their responsibilities under the SOL Act in relation to intoxicated patrons?
- What instructions will you give to staff to ensure that they know how to identify and proactively deal with potentially intoxicated persons?
- What strategies will you have in place to deal with potentially intoxicated persons? i.e will you offer free softdrinks, tea, coffee to potentially intoxicated patrons. How will you slow them down? Which staff have the authority to ask patrons to leave? What is the line of authority?
TIP: in your policy outline how you will ensure that all staff are trained and will receive clear instructions on their responsibilities under the SOL Act with regard to potentially intoxicated patrons. Also outline your strategies for dealing with potentially intoxicated patrons.
- Do you have appropriate signage displayed at every point of service re not serving intoxicated patrons?
TIP: include your commitment to always displaying such signage in your policy.
(3) Food
A condition of your licence is that food must be available, and promoted by means of clear and well-positioned signs, at all times when the premise is authorised to be open for the sale of liquor. The range and style of food must be similar in style and nature to that shown on the menu accompanying the licence application, or a range of snack foods in the nature of pies, sandwiches, filled rolls, pizzas and the like. A range is considered to be a minimum of four food options.
- Is your signage promoting this food clear and well positioned?
- How will you ensure that staff are aware of the food options (menu) available at all times?
- Do you have a minimum of four food options available at off-peak times?
TIP: in your policy include your systems for ensuring that all staff are aware of the food options at all times.
(4) Non-Alcoholic Beverages
A condition of your licence requires that a reasonable range of non-alcoholic refreshments are available at all times when the premises are open for the sale of liquor.
- Do you offer a range of non-alcoholic refreshments to patrons at all times?
- Do you have a commitment to offer free water to patrons at all times?
- How are these non-alcoholic alternatives promoted? Are they promoted by signage, featured in the beverage menu, or both?
(5) Low-Alcohol Beverages
As of 1 April 2000, a condition of your licence requires that low-alcohol refreshments are available at all times when the premises are open for the sale of liquor.
- Do you offer low-alcohol refreshments to patrons at all times?
- How are these non-alcoholic alternatives promoted? Are they promoted by signage, featured in the beverage menu, or both?
TIP: in your policy include a description of the low-alcohol refreshment you will have available e.g. beer and that it will be available and promoted at every bar/point of service by way of signage, or as a feature in the beverage menu.
(6) Safe Transport Options
As of 1 April 2000, a condition of your licence is that the licensee provides assistance with or information about alternative forms of transport from the licensed premises for both staff and patrons.
- What strategies do you have in place to ensure that both staff and patrons get home safely from your premise e.g. actively promote hire a driver type scheme, make a telephone readily available to arrange sober transport (taxi or private), a courtesy van, or operate a designated driver scheme?
- How do you promote these alternative forms of transport to the public?
- How do you ensure all staff are aware of these strategies?
(7) Liquor promotions
Section 154A of the Act provides for a fine not exceeding $5,000 for a licensee or manager who does anything in the promotion of the business conducted on the premises, or in the promotion of any event or activity held/conducted on the premises, that is intended or likely to encourage persons on the premise to consume alcohol to an excessive extent.
A protocol on this subject is outlined below, which has been collated by the Hospitality Association, the Police, Alcohol Liquor Advisory Council and some others. It clearly lists acceptable and unacceptable practices.
- What commitment do you give to adhering to the protocol, and section 154A?
- What steps will you, as Licensee, take to ensure that all staff adhere to the protocol, and your commitment?
Protocol - liquor promotions
| Promotions which offer alcohol in non-standard measures and/or by virtue of their descriptive titles, such as “laybacks” - “shooters” - “slammers” - “test tubes” - “blasters”, and their method of consumption, encourages irresponsible drinking habits and are likely to result in rapid intoxication. |
The traditional “happy hour” during or immediately following normal daytime working hours. |
| Promotions or drink cards which provide a multiple of free drinks extreme discounts or discounts of limited duration on a given day or night and which have the capacity to be readily stockpiled by patrons or transferred to other patrons. In other words the promotion or drink card must not, by design or potential create an incentive for patrons to consume liquor more rapidly than they otherwise might. |
A complimentary standard drink upon arrival. |
| Any labelling or titling of promotions that may encourage patrons to consume liquor irresponsibly and excessively. |
Promotions involving low alcohol beer where it is clear from the advertising and promotional material that it is a low alcohol beer promotion. |
| The refusal to serve single measures of spirits on request or provide reasonably priced non-alcoholic drinks. |
The advertising of a consistent price of a particular type or brand of liquor across the entire trading hours or a premises on a given day or night, providing the price is not so low that it will, in itself, encourage the excessive consumption of alcohol and intoxication. |
| Any promotion that encourages a patron to consume liquor excessively - “all you can drink offers” - “free drinks for women” - “two for one” - and to consume it in an unreasonable time period. |
Promotion of particular brands of liquor that provide incentives to purchase that brand by virtue of a consistent discounted price, offer of a prize etc. but does not provide any particular incentive to consume that product more rapidly than a patron’s normal drinking habit. |
| Any promotion that compromises patron safety or puts them at risk of harm. |
Competitions with prizes of food, meal deals or other prizes consistent with Host Responsibility
Promotions involving food, meal and drink combos and other offers that reflect Host Responsibility. |
