EDITORIAL
The 2003 Licensing Act
The 2003 Licensing Act: an act of stupidity?
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Steve Goodacre
Medical Care Research Unit, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; S.Goodacre@sheffield.ac.uk
As the 2003 Licensing Act comes into effect, what will the impact of the extending drinking hours be on UK emergency departments?
Accepted 24 August 2005
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
The 2003 Licensing Act will be coming into effect shortly in England and Wales. This removes restrictions on the sale of alcohol from bars and pubs, extending drinking time beyond 11pm. The Government hopes that this will lead to the English taking a more relaxed approach to drinking, and reduce the incidence of drunkenness, assaults, and anti-social behaviour often seen after 11pm closing. Senior police officers and judges are sceptical and have warned of increasing alcohol-related crime and violence.
What are the implications for emergency departments? Will people sip wine at late-night cafes while the emergency departments lie empty, or will an orgy of drunken violence engulf the country, with its’ victims overwhelming hospitals? Data from Scotland suggest that there will be no immediate dramatic impact from altering licensing hours,1 but underlying trends are more concerning. Alcohol is currently responsible for a substantial number of emergency
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