Queensland's new drinking laws are about to take effect. From this weekend, there will be no shots served after midnight and no alcoholic beverages served after 2am – although venues may apply for a 3am extension. Lockout laws will follow in February, with no entry to venues after 1am. Many will celebrate these changes. But the public deserves to be informed of the reality: lockout laws represent awful public policy and are not the solution to alcohol-related violence.

On the night of January 3, 18-year-old Cole Miller was knocked unconscious in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley. He would die in hospital in the early hours of the following morning. Cole's death was a horrific tragedy that is all too familiar: a young man's hopes and dreams extinguished in a second by a pointless act of violence. In the aftermath of the attack there were renewed calls for the implementation of lockout laws to prevent similar attacks in the future. The government was quick to respond, and Queensland's nightlife industry is set for some big changes.

Unfortunately there is very little evidence that lockout laws work. A 2014 Australian Institute of Criminology study concluded that lockout laws have mixed or uncertain results. In Melbourne, their implementation in 2008 led to an increase in assaults between midnight and 4am, and the legislation was ditched three months later.

Instead of lockouts, Victoria introduced a number of expert-recommended policy measures. The Liquor Licensing Board was given increased resources and power to shut down problem areas. Incentives were offered for venues that took responsible service of alcohol seriously. Public transport received a boost in funding, allowing more late-night services in nightlife hotspots. Police increased their presence on the streets and public safety officers were posted at busy train stations. At the time, many claimed that these 'soft' tactics didn't go far enough. But what followed was a drastic reduction in violence. And now Melbourne boasts a thriving nightlife scene on par with any international city.