Bars show drunks the door with red cards

Patrons who leave with good grace after being given a red card can redeem it later for a free drink.

It doesn't take a Zinedine Zidane-style headbutt to get shown the red card in some New Zealand bars - just have one drink too many.

Bars have started using a system of yellow and red cards to curb excessive drinking. People who may be heading for trouble get shown a yellow card, and a red card means you're out.

Hospitality Association chief executive Bruce Robertson said he knew of about a dozen bars in Auckland and Wellington using the system.

A yellow card would mean no alcohol would be served to the recipient for a nominated period of time.

"If you have some water and coffee and so on then maybe you might be able to have another one in a little while.

"If you're giving them the red card you're saying, 'I'm sorry, you are too affected by alcohol for us to serve you any more or have you on the premises. I'm afraid you're going to have to go'."

Mr Robertson said those who left with good grace were entitled to come back another time and present their red card for a free drink.

"It wouldn't work in all bars but [in] some bars that have perhaps got a sporting focus that may be appropriate."

He said the system appeared to be working well and although people could treat the card system as a game, bar staff were trained to guard against that.

"There's always that potential - 'I'm going for a reddie tonight'."

Alcohol Advisory Council chief executive Mike MacAvoy said his organisation was aware of the scheme and was keeping an interested eye on its progress.

Dr MacAvoy said many people did not realise it was illegal to serve drunks or people "heading that way".

"Lots of bars and restaurants report that it's notoriously difficult to tell someone they can't be served, and particularly difficult for younger bar staff.

"They say they hate serving people who are drunk, and dealing with obnoxious, loud or messy customers, so if this systems works then we applaud it".

Jason Deane, managing director of Trinity Group, which has several bars in the lower North Island using the system, said the reaction had been positive, lightening the mood in what could otherwise be a difficult situation.

Among the bars using the cards are the Occidental and Cambridge Hotel in Wellington, the Clive Hotel in Hawke's Bay and Murphy's Law in Palmerston North.

Although a free drink was on offer to red card recipients, it wasn't being abused, Mr Deane said. "Not a lot of people go out purposely to get drunk to get thrown out of bars."

The cards weren't generally being redeemed - people were too embarrassed and kept them as a souvenir, or lost them.

Mr Deane felt the system would be more effective if more bars used it so patrons knew what the cards meant without explanation.

Bars faced a $10,000 fine and loss of licence for serving drunk people, so the card system was a useful tool.

CARD SYSTEM

* Yellow: No alcohol served for a specified period of time.

* Red: Patron is asked to leave the premises.

- NZPA