Given the choice, most people want to go to a friendly bar.

This simple realisation is the basis of a programme being run by the Council for Alcohol and Drug Abuse (CADA).

CADA chairman Anthony Santucci said Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS) emphasises the need for establishments to be places where customers feel safe and happy, which in turn makes economic sense for owners.

Venues that allow people to become drunk may find an increase in violence and tension and a corresponding fall in sales, he said.

?The Fairmont Hamilton Princess does not like the idea of having people drunk on their premises,? he said. ? No one wants to go to a bar where everyone is drunk. They prefer camaraderie and TIPS works to accommodate that task.?

Mr. Santucci?s organisation recently trained 40 Fairmont Hamilton Princess employees who are connected with serving liquor and alcohol.

The group, which included managers, bartenders, and wait staff, spent a day undergoing TIPS.

The programme is aimed at those who sell alcohol and what they can do to prevent drunkenness.

Mr. Santucci said the approach moves away from simply blaming the drunk for becoming so and makes the matter a ?collective responsibility?.

?At some point you have to make a conscious decision that you know that I?ve had too much to drink,? he said.

He said the approach is in keeping with the Bermudian tradition of cooperating to help each other out.

?In much the same way that we used to build our houses years ago,? he said, ? where one person would bring the block another do the masonry and yet another the roof and so on. And when they were finished that house, they would move on and help the next person. That community spirit has been the backbone of this country.?

The actual training stresses the importance of checking for ID. Mr. Santucci said that while at first this may sound annoying for those who are clearly of age, it sets ?an atmosphere of discipline?.

?It says to patrons ?We care about you? and it sends a message to under-aged drinkers that they will be carded,? he said. ?It also sends a message to adults out with under-aged friends that the minors will be carded.?

The training also teaches beverage handlers to recognise the amount of alcohol individual patrons are consuming. It recommends slowing down the service to those who are imbibing too fast or too much.

Servers are also taught to be aware of the drinking habits of their regular patrons. In the case of the one that always gets drunk but refuses to give up his keys, TIPS teaches to secure his keys at the beginning of the evening.

?It creates an atmosphere where you can consume alcohol in a responsible environment and ultimately enjoy the experience,? Mr. Santucci said of the TIPS programme.

Emmanuel Perot, food and beverage director at Fairmont Hamilton Princess, said the training session ?went very well.?

?The idea was for us to be more responsible in our bars, then people will drive home safely.

?Luckily for us in Bermuda we do not have the challenges of North America. Only ten people die here on the roads each year. But that is ten too many and if we can save a life by not pushing people to drink and helping them know their limits, then of course we do it,? he said.

To date only the staff at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess has received the training.

?Ideally we would like to have all bar servers trained in all hotels and clubs. And members clubs which cover the gamut from Rangers to Mid Ocean,? Mr. Santucci said.

And there is evidence that the clubs will take advantage of the free offer from CADA. Mr. Santucci revealed that manager Michelle Smith of St. George?s Cricket Club and Steven Gilbert of Southampton Rangers recently contacted the organisation and expressed interest.

?I am very pleased about that,? he said.