With all this talk about ‘glass versus plastic’, it was interesting to read a report in The Chronicle (Toowoomba) that a local bar made the switch to tempered glass last year, and not one of their patrons has even noticed the change.

The Chronicle interviewed Bar 839 general manager Richard Bowley who said his hotel switched to tempered glass in July last year and not one of his customers had complained, let alone noticed.

Tempered glass is a product that was introduced to reduce the chance of serious injury in glassing incidents. The glass shatters when it is smashed, similar to a windscreen, as opposed to a glass that will break into shards.

Mr Bowley said the glasses were about 30 per cent more expensive, but he had no hesitation in making the switch to the safer alternative. “We’re a suburban family hotel. We’re not a night club venue,” he said. “But the safety of our patrons is foremost in our minds and of the utmost importance.”

Tomba’s Niteclub licensee Trevor Watts said his venue only served drinks in tempered glass or polycarbonate plastic. But he said it was treating a symptom of the glassing problem, not the cause. “There are very, very few offences. But assaults with glass should be a much more serious offence with harsher punishments.”

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