Research Claims The New 24-hour Drinking Law ‘Trebles’ A&E Visits
A new study conducted at St Thomas’ Hospital in London compared overnight visits to A&E before the 24-hour drinking law was introduced, and after. Results showed that the new law may have trebled alcohol-related admissions in inner city areas. Critics believe this cannot be applied to the whole of England and Wales, however the researchers claim their study was representative of inner city areas across the country.
The researchers did accept that one of the reasons for this increase could be due to the increased awareness among A&E doctors about alcohol related problems. A spokesman for Alcohol Concern said “It was always unlikely that a change in opening hours alone was going to move us to a continental style of drinking”.
November 19th, 2007 at 8:32 pm
The 24 hour drinking was I thought, consided to be a way of helping avoid injuries through excessive drinking because drinkers would not feel the need to drink up quickly at closing time as they would have done in the past and therefore become intoxicated. Maybe, as the evidence suggests this was wishful thinking.