Thumbs-up for grog register

A local bottle shop manager has hailed the roll-out of the Pilbara banned drinkers’ register as a success after the first week of trade under the new regulations. The register, launched last Tuesday, alerts liquor store staff of problem drinkers at the point of sale via an ID scan. Speaking to Pilbara News last week, Karratha Bottlemart store manager Tim Prout said the community had been supportive of the BDR. “So far people have responded well — they understand why we have to do it,” he said. Mr Prout, pictured, said he had seen a BDR had worked well in the Northern Territory when he lived there and was hopeful it would help in the Pilbara. “I do see a lot of violence and family feuds, so hopefully it all works out in the long run,” he said. Mr Prout said he didn’t expect too many issues with the takeaway alcohol management system in the coming weeks. “It’s all working so far — I’ve tried multiple different IDs and they worked,” he said. “You just scan it and in a minute it comes up with a result.” The TAMS has been rolled out to 39 venues across the Pilbara by WA-based company Scantek.