Alcohol a factor in three of four domestic assaults

In a five-year period, a shocking three out of four verified domestic assaults in the Pilbara involved alcohol, dwarfing the State average and justifying liquor restrictions according to police.

In the five years from 2009 to 2013, 74.9 per cent of all verified domestic assault offences in the Pilbara were alcohol-related compared with 48 per cent across WA.

For the same period, in 54.4 per cent of non-domestic assault offences alcohol was flagged as a contributing factor while only 37.9 per cent Statewide.

The 2015 WA Drug and Alcohol Office Alcohol and Other Drug Indicators Report - Pilbara Health Region outlines the same number of people in the Pilbara died from alcohol-related disease as suicide from 2007 to 2011.

South Hedland Police Station officer-in-charge Senior Sergeant Dean Snashall said the figures were not surprising but confirmed again that alcohol consumption was the leading factor in jobs police attended.

He said in addition to restrictions on takeaway alcohol, South Hedland police were regularly attending 29 liquor restricted houses, seizing and destroying alcohol.

"The issue of alcohol consumption can be mitigated through a strong alcohol accord and a desire for local businesses to help reduce harm," he said.

"But more importantly there needs to be an acknowledgment from the community that there is a serious problem with alcohol.

"My initial experiences with the liquor accord is there is an appetite to do what it takes to help with harm minimisation strategies."

The latest alcohol restrictions for the Pilbara came into effect in October 2012 and vary across the shires.

In the City of Karratha, Shire of Ashburton and Town of Port Hedland most bottle shops are restricted to trading between 11am and 8pm, Monday to Saturday.

No takeaway alcohol is sold on Sunday in Hedland but it is available from hotels, taverns and clubs in Karratha.

Bottles 750ml or larger, wine in casks larger than two litres and fortified wines in vessels larger than one litre were banned.

Karratha-based Pilbara Liquor Enforcement Unit Senior Constable Dean Lyon said getting rid of the 750ml bottles meant they were no longer used as weapons in alcohol-influenced antisocial behaviour.

He echoed Sen. Sgt Snashall's comments that community sentiment needed to change.

He said community organisations seemed to feel their events would only be supported if alcohol was provided.

"The appetite for liquor in this community is quite strong, everyone seems to think for an event to be supported they need to sell liquor which is quite surprising," he said.

In the eight years from 2006 to 2013, alcohol was a factor in 73 of the region's road crashes in which the driver or rider needed hospitalisation, compared with 147 where alcohol was not involved or a reading not taken.