Some 'expert' makes an outlandish statement and the media are all over it. Sensationalism 'R' Us.
This is not going to happen. It doesn't have the proverbial snowball's.
Yes, there is and always has been a problem in Australia with unruly drunken morons. But the problem in this country is not what is in people's drinks. It's what they have (or don't have) between their ears. Unfortunately the English-speaking world seems particularly afflicted by an idiot yob subculture. An abnormally large percentage of our population has it hard wired into their brains that if you have a couple of drinks it gives you a license to act like an idiot. Go to any community event in Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal etc etc and there will be beer and/or wine and/or spirits drunk in considerable quantities. But violence? Antisocial behaviour? Highly unlikely. Now imagine Oktoberfest in Australia or the UK. It would be a bloodbath.
I have been to many festivals in Europe which were awash with beer. Not spirits or wine but beer stand after beer stand, metres apart and have yet to witness any violence.
The closest it came to violence was an incident where I was talking to the organisers at 2 am. and someone tackled another guy. The guy on the bottom yelled, "yes I have your wallet." and promptly handed it over to the tackler who let the ''crim" go and said, "Don't you ever go and do that again." Not a punch or kick was exchanged.
The organisers turned to me and said, " We are very sorry that you had to see that. We assure you it is rare but now you will go back to Australia with a negative view of our festival."
Cheers