The Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, has justified the state’s new public drunkenness laws, arguing that decriminalising public intoxication will not place an additional burden on police officers, despite union concerns. The new legislation, which takes effect on November 7, allows for drunk individuals to receive medical attention instead of being arrested or issued infringement notices. The changes also apply to intoxicated individuals on bicycles, as well as those who are behaving riotously or disorderly in public. Critics, including Wayne Gatt, the head of the Police Association of Victoria, claim that the new laws will leave officers with insufficient powers and impact public safety. Gatt also expressed concerns about the varying levels of support available to intoxicated individuals in different regions of the state. These concerns have been countered by Andrews, who said that police intervention would still be available if a drunk individual posed a threat to themselves or others. The Victorian government is currently calling for tenders for health-led services to deal with public drunkenness, with a view to establishing ten dedicated Aboriginal services across regional and outer-suburban locations. The changes bring Victoria in line with the rest of Australia’s approach to public intoxication.