The University of Otago has hit back at an allegation it is not doing enough to keep students safe at a bar it runs.
At a liquor licence hearing this week Students for Sensible Drug Policy Dunedin (SSDP) doubled-down on their objections the university failed to provide sufficient information about the management of its on-campus premises.
The group raised concerns in particular about the popular student venue U-Bar, which it said had high risk for accidental opioid overdose.
"SSDP Dunedin believes that licences of on-licensed premises have traditionally sought to side-step issues of substance use and intoxication on their premises," president Jai Whelan said.
He called for the university to be required to hold the drug Naloxone, which is used to treat opioid overdoses, at all its licensed premises.
University student services director Claire Gallop said it was unaware of incidents of opiate overdoses occurring in connection with any of its licensed premises.
"Harm prevention is incredibly important to student services, as it is to the university."
"We need evidence that this is a real and imminent harm," Ms Gallop said.
Despite SSDP initiating correspondence with the university about the opiate issue in June of 2022, she said she had not been made directly aware of it.
She said student services and the university were happy to discuss the issue further but did not find the evidence compelling enough to act upon.
"It’s certainly not something that a requirement for the licence should rest upon."
When asked about the issue of students arriving at the venue in a preloaded state, Ms Gallop said students had indicated to her they largely took initiative in supporting their peers.
"Students want to be responsible for themselves and for their friends."
She said U-Bar had a successful history of operation.
"Behavioural issues don’t occur out of U-Bar. They occur, if at all, at other places that are not connected to university licensed premises."
Mr Whelan said the SSDP did not necessarily oppose the university renewing its licence subject to being satisfied with the objections outlined.
"I myself and the SSDP are pleased that the university is keen to co-operate on these issues.
"We don’t oppose the applicant holding a liquor licence if appropriate information is given with regard to the conditions given."
He said the objections stemmed from a lack of clarity about how the one licence would cover all five venues.
University union general manager Stephen Baughan said the university’s liquor license had been authorised to provide alcohol at its five sub-premises under one application for a considerable amount of time.
He said "very few issues with poor behaviour or excessive consumption have ever been encountered" at the other venues and he did not think a condition about drug overdoses should be applied to U-Bar.
"I do not consider that U-Bar should be required, by condition, to provide a place of safety for intoxicated persons or to hold and expect staff to administer Naloxone as part of first aid response."
The committee planned to reconvene on May 25.
