Alcohol Crackdown at Physio and Med Flat Crawls

Alcohol Crackdown at Physio and Med Flat Crawls

“What’s the fucking point now?” - Everyone

The Physiotherapy and Medical Students’ Associations can no longer provide alcohol at their Flat Crawl events in accordance with stringent new University policy.

In the past student-organised Flat Crawls have provided alcohol, but this year Students Associations had to ask attendees to bring their own.

According to one attendant of the Physio Flat Crawl on March 9th, instead of a keg, Physio students brought either wine or scrumpy that was then mixed together in large buckets. The price of the Med Flat Crawl on March 23rd dropped from $20 to $7 as alcohol was no longer provided.

Proctor Dave Scott said that events that sell alcohol or supply alcohol as part of the event need a Special Liquor Licence that costs $60 and can be applied for through the Dunedin City Council. The application takes 20 working days.

According to a second-year Physio student, the PSA were surprised about the liquor licence requirement as it has not been enforced by the University in the past.

A member of the PSA Executive confirmed they had to take extra precautions and safety measures with the event, but needed permission from a staff member before they could give further comment. Critic reached out to the OUMSA Executive but they were unwilling to comment.

A third-year Medical student Critic talked to suspected that the tightening of alcohol rules at Flat Crawls coincided with the drunken behaviour at Otago and Auckland Law Camps coming under national media scrutiny.

However, Associate Dean Undergraduate Studies at the School of Physiotherapy Dr Gisela Sole said that tighter safety measures have been in place since 2017. The PSA “has had to prepare extensive Risk Assessment and Management (RAM) forms to the School’s Health & Safety Committee prior to social events that included alcohol”. Further, as of 2018 the Proctor’s and Vice Chancellor’s offices have required “all students of the University to prepare a detailed event registration.”

A spokeswoman for the University also denied that Law Camp lead to the lack of kegs for Health Professional students. She said the rules around alcohol for the Med and Physio crawls pre-date the media stories on the law camps.

“In fact, a special licence was required when this past law camp, now cancelled, was being organised.” Dr Sole said, “current media coverage of social events, camps and alcohol” simply highlights “the importance of sensible planning.”

Proctor Dave Scott said that the events “needed to comply with the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012” otherwise there was a risk “organisers could be prosecuted for an offence.” “I have been ensuring event planners are aware of their obligations and requirements. I do not make the laws, I am merely trying to prevent students from being prosecuted.”

Two third-year medical students told Critic that students usually brought their own alcohol to flat crawls anyway. They were “pretty sure they hadn’t had anything from the keg in 2017 as it went so fast.”

This article first appeared in Issue 4, 2018.
Posted 10:04pm Thursday 15th March 2018 by Esme Hall.