A Dunedin City Council licensing inspector is considering turning down licence applications for bar staff who are ''blissfully unaware'' of the amount of liquor being supplied to customers.
''It's just continually disappointing for me when I have had someone who has worked in the hospitality industry for the past three years and they come in and can't tell me the serving size for wine where they work,'' council licensing inspector Tony Mole says.
''I find that extraordinary.''
His disappointment has led him to threaten to turn down manager's certificates for those who are unsure of how much alcohol they pour for customers.
''I always ask them what is the serving size for wine in your premises and the answer nine times out of 10 is 'we do it to the line on the glass' and I say 'how much is that?' and they have no idea,'' Mr Mole said.
''They are blissfully unaware.''
Hospitality Association of New Zealand Otago branch president and Speight's Ale House owner Mark Scully conceded most bar staff ''wouldn't have a clue'' how many standard drinks were in many of the options served by restaurants and bars.
''The problem I have is I don't know how to teach my staff because I don't know how many standard drinks are in a 150ml glass of 14% chardonnay,'' he said.
It would be more helpful for authorities to educate bar owners and managers, and provide a written guide on standard drink numbers for different options, he said.
''If they can get us the information, then I don't think it's unreasonable for us to distribute it to our members and our staff.''
Bar staff were also nervous about providing advice to customers because they could become liable for it.
''Perhaps it's give advice and a disclaimer,'' he said.
''We don't want to start pretending we are experts, because we aren't.''
Mr Mole said the need for bar staff to be aware of the number of standard drinks they were serving was even more important under the new drink-driving regime which began on Monday.
Customers assumed a glass of wine would be one standard drink, but in many restaurants and bars in the city it was closer to 1.6 standard drinks, he said.
''I think there's potential for people to be misled.''
Someone who drank two glasses of wine and then drove could be over the new breath-alcohol limit of 250mcg.
The first person nabbed in Otago under the new regime recorded a breath-alcohol level of 287mcg in Queenstown early on Wednesday.
The 41-year-old woman was stopped in Hallenstein St and received a $200 fine and 50 demerit points.
