Have compulsory training on serving alcohol responsibly

The new initiative to promote responsible drinking is commendable (New alliance to promote responsible drinking; April 17).

In Australia's state of Victoria, where I used to live and work in Melbourne city, it is compulsory for all alcohol licensees - pub operators and so on - and their staff to have a Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certificate.

The RSA training covers subjects including blood alcohol content (BAC), BAC legal limits, the varying degrees of cognitive impairment affecting the body when BAC legal limits are breached, and how to intervene when someone is intoxicated.

The Singapore authorities could explore making RSA certification, or something similar, compulsory here, too.

To further spread the message of responsible drinking, such training and certification could also be offered by community clubs to anyone who is interested in being an ambassador for responsible drinking.

With Singapore growing in stature as an international gastronomic hub, it is important that our responsible service of alcohol standards grow in tandem as well.

Woon Wee Min

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 26, 2017, with the headline Have compulsory training on serving alcohol responsibly. Subscribe