Regulating Drinkers: Functions and Effects of Street Liquor Bans

Over the past ten years laws prohibiting public drinking have proliferated across urban centres in Australia. Despite this proliferation there have been few evaluations of their impact or effectiveness. This project attempted to address the following the research questions:

1. What is the impetus for public drinking bans in urban areas, and who is responsible for decisions around implementation and enforcement of these bans?
2. How do public drinking bans affect the way that alcohol is consumed in urban areas? For example, at licensed venues, in parks or in homes?
3. Who is impacted (both positively and negatively) by public drinking bans? How are these impacts weighed against one another?
4. What harms are public drinking bans intended to reduce and what is the evidence of their effectiveness in reducing such harms?
5. Should public drinking bans continue to be supported by local and state governments?

Data collection involved a comprehensive literature review of public drinking ban evaluations and interviews with 18 local council officers and 6 police officers in Melbourne.