Sophie Southworth turned 18 in 2010, two years after lockouts began in Newcastle's pubs and clubs.
The 29-year-old is one of a generation of young people who have never known anything other than 1am or 1.30am lockouts, along with limits on buying cocktails and shots after 10pm.
That is about to change on July 1 when the NSW government launches a 12-month trial of relaxed late-night trading restrictions in up to 24 pubs and nightclubs in the CBD and Hamilton.
Ms Southworth, a dispensary technician at Lingard Private Hospital, grew up in Cessnock and travelled to Newcastle regularly for nights out before moving to Cooks Hill seven years ago.
She said the relaxed rules would likely invigorate the city's nightlife, but it remained to be seen if this would lead to more violence.
"There's lots of places to go, lots of bars, but things close at 12, and there's not really anywhere to go unless you're young and want to go to King Street [Hotel] or Finnegan's," she said.
"If there's lots of trouble, they can always put the rules in place again."
Lockouts forced patrons to "rush to get into the venue you want to go to before a certain time".
"If your friends are somewhere else and you're trying to rush, you can easily get locked out and not be able to have a good night with them," she said.
She said buying shots and cocktails after 10pm would be "cool", though she was doubtful of claims from politicians and the hotel industry that Australia's drinking culture has changed for the better since rising rates of violence led to lockouts in Newcastle in 2008.
Asked if she thought young drinkers were more responsible than in previous generations: Ms Southworth said: "Probably not."
But she said removing lockouts could help alleviate frustrations on the streets.
"I always thought that if people get locked out of a venue and they're not ready to go home, that would leave them angry and out on the street and in a mood to fight. At King Street Macca's, I've seen a few blues there."
But she said it was not difficult to avoid trouble.
"You just have to be sensible about it."
"If you see trouble or drunk people, you kind of steer away from them. You're not going to go up to them and give any smart comments or anything."
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