How to be Responsible Hosts
“Some people go out just to make trouble. Most of them are boys between 18 and 22, but now some girls are doing the same thing”. Merete
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No excessive serving –less drunkenness and violence
Nobody likes to say no to their customers, but sometimes we have to. We work in a service industry, but our actions are ruled by on the one hand letting our guests party and on the other the Alcohol Act. The law puts strict limits on what we can do. Everybody in the business has experienced that this can provoke conflict. Responsible Hosts aims to prevent alcohol being served to customers who already have had enough, to eliminate serving to those who are under-aged and to get rid of violence in licensed premises. Alcohol and conflicts are closely related. Very often episodes of violence are triggered by trivial incidents. This booklet provides some useful advice for everyone who works in establishments who want to call themselves Responsible Hosts. Learn them and practice them!
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“Our job is all about you having a great time in a safe environment! The more fun you have, the better we feel we’ve done our job! Nobody likes to say no, and bartenders want you to have a good time in a friendly atmosphere. But at the same time we have to follow the regulations, and we have to think about our other guests.” Leif Helge
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And the law says...
When a customer starts arguing with you it is often appropriate to point out that you are not being difficult, but are just following the laws and regulations. It is very helpful to have some of these at hand. Stated below is an extract from the provisions of the Alcohol Act which can be relevant when explaining the guests about the regulations relating to the serving of alcohol. § 1-2 Alcoholic beverages shall be served in a manner that limits the side effects of alcohol and that does not conflict with social considerations and the national policy on alcohol. The licensee and person in charge shall ensure that alcoholic beverages are served strictly according to the Alcohol Act. Clearly intoxicated persons shall not be admitted into licensed premises. Alcoholic liquor shall not be served to persons under 20 years of age. Other alcoholic beverages, including those containing 0.7% to 2.5% alcohol, shall not be served to persons under 18 years of age. Alcoholic liquor shall only be served in 2cl or 4cl portions. Cocktails are exempt from this regulation.
§ 1-3
§ 1-5 § 1-6
§ 1-9
§ 1-10 Alcoholic beverages shall not be served to persons who are clearly intoxicated. Alcoholic beverages shall not be served in such a way as to cause a person to become clearly intoxicated. § 1-11 When one or more persons at a table are clearly intoxicated, nobody at that table shall be served alcoholic beverages until those who are clearly intoxicated have left the table. § 1-12 In licensed premises, steps shall be taken to ensure that persons who are under age (as defined in 1-6 above) do not consume alcoholic beverages which have been served to other persons. § 1-13 Customers are not permitted to consume alcoholic beverages which they have brought with them, and shall not take away from the licensed premises alcoholic beverages which they have purchased on the said licensed premises.
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“Get lively, have fun! But how many drinks to get there?” – Merete
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When enough is enough
What is “clearly intoxicated”? We think we know it when we see it. Nevertheless, a few facts may help. Reactions in the body at different blood /alcohol levels (BAL):
0,2 %o Your eyes have difficulty in adjusting to changes of light. 0,5 %o Your ability to understand certain situations and simultaneously perform precise movements begins to weaken. Your visual angle narrows. 0,8 %o Reduced ability to coordinate movements and increased time of reaction. 1,0 %o Reduced ability to concentrate and pay attention. Tiredness and problems with balance and movement. 1,5 %o Uncontrolled movement and slurred speech. 2,0 %o Symptoms of alcohol poisoning and lack of self control. 3,0 %o Lack of bladder control and danger of unconsciousness. 4,0 %o Unconsciousness and danger of death.
The effect of alcohol varies with sex, age and weight. If a woman weighs the same as a man, and drinks the same amount of alcohol, the woman’s alcohol level will be higher. If a woman who weighs 60 kg, drinks the same amount (one unit) as a man who weighs 100 kg, the woman’s blood/alcohol level (0.36 o/oo) will be twice as high as the man’s (0.18 o/oo). One alcohol unit is 12-15 gram alcohol, i.e. one bottle of beer (33 l), one glass of wine (12 cl) or one glass of liquor (4 cl). Formula to calculate the BAL Number of units x 12 g 68% of weight 0.15 x number og hours since first intake appr. = alcohol level
EXAMPLE Man, 75 kg, six-pack of beer or a bottle of wine, two hours: 6 x 12 68% of 75 – 0.15 x 2 = 72 51 – 0.3 = 1.1‰ 7
“The worst time is at the approach of closing time. Some men are desperate to take a girl home. They seem to think that anything goes. I wish the staff would do something about the drunk and aggressive men who can’t take no for an answer. Several friends of mine have been followed outside by men who wouldn’t give up. They were actually afraid to go home…” Nina
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Quarrels and fights
Having fun is not always fun. A night out can be rough, especially on busy nights like Fridays and Saturdays. In typical “pick up” bars, the atmosphere always is more tense than in other places. However, in all bars, clubs and restaurants there are some factors which can make people edgy and lead to aggressive behavior.
v Overcrowding v Heat and noise v Loud music v Alcohol v The wish to “save face”. This occurs often in “pick-up” situations, but also in other conflicts.
Stress increases the level of conflict A high level of stress makes it difficult to foresee and avoid conflicts. Noise, loud music, tension and alcohol do not contribute to reduce the conflict level. – But you can!
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“According to the law all guests must leave the premises within 30 minutes after closing time. However, at this time the DJ or band have really got the atmosphere swinging and everyone is having a great time. It is not easy to make people leave without somebody getting angry.” Dirk
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Conflicts can be solved
Your behavior affects the behavior of the guests. If you stay calm, cool and collected, it will calm down your customer. If you are loud and aggressive, he will respond in the same way. Be friendly and stick to your point, and an angry guest will be encouraged to calm down. A quarrelsome guest should be given a chance to back down without losing face in front of friends or others who may be watching. Here is some advice when dealing with difficult customers:
v Before you try to solve the problem, make sure you know all the facts. Nothing can be more provoking than being accused of something that you have not done. v to sort things out in a calm manner. Speak softly. Try If the guest is sitting, bend down so that you are on the same level. v the customer’s name if you know it. Make it a Use friendly private chat. v Sometimes a friendly pat on the shoulder can help quiet an angry customer. v Stick to the point and keep your voice calm. If you raise your voice, it will attract spectators, which will only make the situation worse. v Talk about what happened and avoid being personal. Don´t use abusive words or phrases that sound like accusations or criticism, e.g. “you ’re drunk”. v Keep friendly eye contact. – Don’t try to out-stare the person! v Show that you are listening. A nod, a smile, and an attentive look will go a long way. v staff should know and agree upon how to handle The difficult situations. It is important to be consistent.
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Cooperating with the police
Cooperation with the police is particularly important, especially when a situation gets out of hand. It also has a preventive effect. We are on the same side The police would like to have closer contact with licensed establishments. Dialogue is the key to better cooperation.
v The police would like to drop in for a chat on quiet nights, and will give higher priority to making contact with bars and other licensed premises.
The police ask you to:
v Contact them whenever you feel the need. v any questions you may have. Ask v Invite them to drop in and have a chat so that you can become better acquainted.
If violence or difficult situations occur on your premises you must:
v Inform the police. Bringing charges immediately should be regarded as part of your job. Well-founded charges prevent cases from being dropped and states clearly the limits at your work place. v to get reliable witnesses. Try v Come to the police station to give a statement. Questioning of the injured parties e.g. door men, is important in all prosecutions.
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Security routines make cooperation easier
Be prepared!
v you think there may be trouble, contact the chief If security officer in advance for advice. v all shifts have experienced staff, who are responsible On for contacting the police and receiving them when they arrive (not necessarily the same person). v Make sure you have good routines for who does what when a situation occurs. Important tasks are: v To contact the police v To assist the police on their arrival v To handle the situation v To cordon off the scene of violence and ensure the safety of other guests.
When there is trouble, the police need to know:
v there or has there been any physical violence? Is v the fighting still going on, or is it over? Is v the incident inside or outside the premises? Is v weapons involved. If so, what kind? Are v anyone injured? If so, how many? Is v How many people are involved in the fight? v Have you been able to subdue the people involved? What can you tell us about them?
Before the police arrive, you should:
v Cordon off the scene of violence and ensure the safety of other guests. v Note names and phone numbers of witnesses. Lack of witnesses is the main reason why many cases are dropped. v long as there is no risk, secure weapons involved in As the incident.
If you would like advice on how to establish security routines for handling of difficult situations, you are welcome to contact the police.
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This is about being good hosts, stopping the serving of alcohol at the right time and taking good care of both guests and staff.
Licensed premises which carry the label “Ansvarlig vertskap” promise to:
v Give leaders and employees information
about Responsible Hosts
v Participate in the training courses v Show responsibility by following the
Alcohol Act and other laws and regulations in the community
v Be Responsible Hosts by:
v checking v not
the age of younger guests
serving intoxicated customers
v preventing
and stopping alcohol related conflicts and violence
Utgiver: Sosial- og helsedirektoratet, avd. rusmidler
Bestilling: E-mail trykksak@shdir.no
FOTO: BENT SYNNEVÅG
Trykk: .Grafisk Trykk AS nov. 2004/2000 eks.
Responsible Hosts is a cooperation between: Licensed premises, Local communities, Directorate for Health and Social Affairs, The Hospitality Association (RBL), The Hotel and Restaurant Workers’ Union (HRAF), and the police.