Research in several countries has identified high alcohol consumption at late night drinking venues to be a major source of public health and safety problems. It is suggested that as the physical availability of alcohol has increased in a deregulated global economy, prevention efforts have tended to focus on serving and promotional practices of operators and their staff e.g. via server training programs, civil liability cases and police enforcement of laws regarding serving the intoxicated and underage. Literature on the relative effectiveness of these various strategies suggests prevention efforts are concentrated on those strategies which are politically safe and with the least evidence of effectiveness. To begin to reverse this situation it is recommended that legislative environments are required which empower communities and their enforcement agencies to take effective action against alcohol. A clear statement of the over-riding social purpose of liquor laws is an essential starting point. The ability of monitor and publicise levels of harm may facilitate and maintain both preventive concern and action.