THE HEALTH POLICY TRIANGLE AND THE SYDNEY “LOCKOUT” CASE.

THE HEALTH POLICY TRIANGLE AND THE SYDNEY “LOCKOUT” CASE

THE HEALTH POLICY TRIANGLE AND THE SYDNEY ESSAY.

Instructions: Context, content(‘evidence’), actors(or ‘stakeholders’) and processes(decision making structures) are key to understanding and influencing public health policy. Use the policy triangle application to explain how these elements interacted in the ‘lock-out’ case study (provide references as necessary).

Solution.

THE HEALTH POLICY TRIANGLE AND THE SYDNEY “LOCKOUT” CASE

            The policy triangle brings together three different aspects of a policy that makes the policy viable or unrealistic. The policy triangle consists of the content of the policy, the context of the policy, and, the processes that are involved in the policy. The actors of the policy take the inside part of the health policy triangle since they are involved in all the major parts of the policy triangle. (1) Without the actors, there will be no processes, content, and context. The following paper will look at the different ways that the policy triangle has been used in the Sydney ‘lockout’ and ‘last drink case in the Sydney CBD. For a policy to work, it is vital that the three main points of the triangle policy interact. The interaction alone is not enough and as such, there must be the integration of the main points of the policy triangle to make the policy as effective as possible. (1, 2)

            The content of the health policy triangle relates to the substance that is contained in a particular policy. (3) It is the main argument or the main objective of a policy. In the ‘lockout’ case, the main content is centered on the lockout laws that were introduced with the aim of reducing crime that is related to alcohol drinking, injuries caused by late night alcohol drinking and,  curb the violence incidents that are caused by alcohol drinking. (4) As such, the policy was introduced with the main aim being to save lives and stop the major assaults that were caused by late night drinking. (5) However, in the ‘lockout’ case has two opposing sides. Some view it as not being beneficial while others see it as a solution to the major crime occurrences that were experienced in the city but now are in a downturn. (6)  Another form of content of the case is how beneficial is the case to the given stakeholders and how effective the policy is to all the players. The measure of how effective is contained in the context part, but the general impact is more of a content analysis of the policy. Another topic that is under detail in the ‘lockout’ is the submission that was written my Mr. Barrie and the impact that the article had on the whole lockout issue. The submission brings in new measures and new evidence in a bid to counter the notion that the lockout laws will be beneficial to the general population. (7) It points out the fact that only a few people will get to benefit from the lockout laws.

            The main policy problem that the lockout policy faces is the ability to be able to bring together all the opposing parties to have a significant agreement. (8) The lockout laws are said to have been effective in the early days of their introduction since back then the crime problem was had to handle, and it was enormous. However, the main argument against the policy is the fact that it is seen to be favoring the large businesses such as casinos while impacting the small businesses negatively. Another problem that the policy faces is the fact that, it is affecting other aspects of life in a bid to save lives and maintain order. The policy has had both the negative and positive evidence. Those who oppose the policy cite the fact that the night-time economy is affected and as such, its contribution to the improvement of Sydney’s economy is hampered. (9) They support the argument by the fact that the limit in time limits the sales, which in turn limits the revenue. (6) Barrie refers to it as the unduly damaging of the balance sheets. On the same note, there are objections to evidence provided by the supports of the law. However, those in support of the law give out evidence that is hard to oppose. One such evidence is the fact that the number of assaults at night in the city have reduced considerably. (10) This position is heightened by the introduction of lockout laws combined with early closing times for the nightclubs. Another evidence produced by the supporters is the number of health risks and injuries that are received due to violence caused by late night drinking has reduced. In fact, although disapproved by Barrie, earlier research had suggested the number of deaths caused by injuries had also reduced. (9)

            There are a different actors in the ‘lockout’ policy case. First, the parliament. For the law to be passed, it has to go through parliament where it receives backing, and it is later introduced into the city. (11) On the same note, there are those who support the idea and before its initialization, they called upon the government to put measures that will ensure that the late night assaults and violence are reduced. Other stakeholders that are affected by the policy are business people in the entertainment industry. They are those who run large businesses that are said to be impacted positively while there are those that are said to be affected negatively since their businesses are relatively smaller. (12) On the same note, there are those who oppose the policy since they feel it influences the city in a wrong way.         

            The process in the policy will start from the time when the policy was introduced as a bill in the parliament. It was later made into law and supported by the government in place. (13, 9) The policy was then introduced into the different nightclubs in the city to try to save and protect lives that were believed to be in danger due to the violence acts that were as a result of late night drinking. In an aim to satisfy the various stakeholders, the law in itself did not lock out the nightclubs for the entire night, but thought it wise to curb the number of hours. (14) The lockout case can be said to be a systematic process since it has future goals but it started with ensuring that the number of crimes and assaults is reduced considerably. (15)

References

  1. Buse K, Mays N, Walt G. The Health Policy Framework: Context, Process, And Actors – Chapter 1, In Making Health Policy (2nd Ed). [Internet]Open University Press, 2012 [Cited 2016 September 9th] Available From:   Http://Opac.Library.Usyd.Edu.Au:80/Record=B4345798~S4
  2. Buse K, Mays N, Walt G. Power And The Policy Process – Chapter 2, In Making Health Policy (2nd Ed).[Internet] Open University Press, 2012 [Cited 2016 September 9th] Available From Http://Opac.Library.Usyd.Edu.Au:80/Record=B4345798~S4
  3. Althaus C, Bridgman P, Davis G, Allen, Unwin. A Policy Cycle – Chapter 3, In The Australian Policy Handbook (5th Ed) [Internet], 2013 [Cited 2016 September 9th] Available From: Http://Opac.Library.Usyd.Edu.Au:80/Record=B4459187~S4
  4. Chikritzhs T, Gilmore W, Rechichi V, Allsop S. SUBMISSION TO THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF THE IMPACT OF LIQUOR LAW REFORMS IN NSW.
  5. Weatherburn D. What Does Research Tell Us About The Impact Of Recent Liquor License Restrictions On Violence In New South Wales? Current Issues in Criminal Justice. 2016 Jun; 28(1):97.
  6. Menendez P, Weatherburn D, Kypri K, Fitzgerald J. Lockouts And Last Drinks: The Impact Of The January 2014 Liquor Licence Reforms On Assaults In NSW, Australia. BOCSAR NSW Crime and Justice Bulletins. 2015:12.
  7. Kypri K. Evidence Of Harm From Late Night Alcohol Sales Continues To Strengthen. Addiction. 2015 Jun 1; 110(6):965-6.
  8. Kypri K, Mcelduff P, Miller P. Restrictions In Pub Closing Times And Lockouts In Newcastle, Australia Five Years On. Drug and Alcohol Review. 2014 May 1; 33(3):323-6.
  9. Quilter J. Sydney’s Lockout Laws: Cutting Crime or Civil Liberties? Current Issues in Criminal Justice. 2016 Jun; 28(1):93.
  10. Fulde GW, Smith M, Forster SL. Presentations With An Alcohol-Related Serious Injury To A Major Sydney Trauma Hospital After 2014 Changes To Liquor Laws. Medical Journal of Australia. 2015 Nov 2; 203(9):366.
  11. Conigrave K. Last Drinks Laws: A Health Perspective. Current Issues in Criminal Justice. 2016 Jun; 28(1):111.
  12. Dinh MM, Wu J, Ivers R. Has There Been A Shift In Alcohol‐Related Violence To Neighboring Inner City ‘Lockout Law’ exclusion Areas In Sydney?. Emergency Medicine Australasia. 2016 Jan 1.
  13. Race K. The Sexuality of the Night: Violence and Transformation. Current Issues in Criminal Justice. 2016 Jun; 28(1):105.
  14. Liu T, Ferris J, Higginson A, Lynham A. Systematic Review Of Australian Policing Interventions To Reduce Alcohol-Related Violence—A Maxillofacial Perspective. Addictive Behaviors Reports. 2016 Dec 31; 4:1-2.
  15. Shakeshaft A, Farrell M. Re: Liquor Law Review for the NSW Government’s Justice Department.