The study analysed data from St Thomas’ hospitalin central London across two months, before and after the licensing act was introduced. St Thomas’ has one of the largest emergency care departments in the UK.

The study showed that in March 2005 there were more than 2,700 overnight visits to emergency care and 3 per cent – 70 of them – were alcohol- related. But in March 2006 this had risen to 3,100 overnight visits of which 8 per cent, or 250, were alcohol-related.

“The increase in alcohol related problems we have recorded is the opposite of the effect the legislation was designed to produce,” said Dr Alastair Newton, consultant at the emergency department of Guy’s and St Thomas’ and one of the authors of the report.

“Our data suggest that the new legislation has also failed to achieve its intended improvement in public safety and reduction in alcohol-related crime and disorder,” he added.

The study showed the number of visits as a result of assault associated with excess drinking doubled and the number of associated hospital admissions almost trebled over the period.

Everyone over the age of 16 who attended the accident and emergency department between 9pm and 9am and who had been drinking was included in the audit.

The overhaul of the drinking laws in England and Wales in 2005 extended the hours pubs were allowed to remain open and enabled some establishments to serve alcohol round the clock.

Critics of the system have voiced concerns that the liberalisation of drinking hours will only fuel the country’s binge drinking and anti-social behaviour problems

The study’s authors called for longer term assessments to help police and health workers deal with the effects of alcohol.

From:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/26c9f30a-3590-11dc-bb16-0000779fd2ac.html