24 Hour Drinking Laws in UK Blamed for Increase in Alcohol Deaths

Among men in the UK, alcohol-related death rates have increased by 43 percent and female rates have risen by a third since 1999. Overall alcohol-related deaths rose by almost 40 percent in ten years from 5,287 in 1999 to 7,341 in 2008. Critics say the Labour party’s 24-hour drinking laws are to blame.

The introduction of 24-hour drinking under the 2003 Licensing Act has been widely criticized. According to a survey published last year by the Local Government Association, nearly one in three NHS Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) reported an increase in alcohol-related incidents since the law changed. Seven out of ten police authorities, PCTs, and councils said that 24-hour drinking has either increased or failed to change levels of alcohol-related incidents.

Last year, Chief Constable of Northumbria Constabulary Mike Craik said, “What 24-hour licensing has done is to give us more problems at three, four, and five in the morning. Every force, certainly every force with a big town center, is experiencing similar problems.”

Andy Trotter, Deputy Chief Constable of the British Transport Police, said, “The new laws may have brought an end to the 11 pm rush but the downside is that police forces now have to deploy large numbers of officers through the night—sometimes to deal with extremely violent incidents—which means fewer resources are available for normal policing during the day.”

In October, Sydney, Australia overturned 24-hour drinking laws in an attempt to curb alcohol-related violence that led to attacks on residents and police officers.