New figures show major increase in alcohol related hospital admissions in England
BMJ 2010; 341 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c4790 (Published 02 September 2010) Cite this as: BMJ 2010;341:c4790
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The significant rise in alcohol-related hospital admissions in
England between 2004 and 2009(1) is exactly what most health professionals
were expecting following the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003 in
November 2005.(2) However, the concerns regarding the extension of
licensing hours fell on deaf ears.
For some time now, Government policy has lacked consistency and clear
direction as exemplified by the above Act. In the face of international
research demonstrating the association between liberalisation of licensing
laws and increased alcohol-related problems, the extension of licensing
hours was nevertheless pursued in England and Wales. Fortunately, it is
still not too late to draw upon the experiences of other countries. In
Iceland, for example, a trial of unrestricted serving hours was abandoned
within 2 years due to the adverse consequences.(3) Should we now not
follow suit?
Given the current economic climate where dramatic cuts are being
proposed across the public sector (who bear the brunt of managing alcohol-
related harm), Government policy needs to be urgently reviewed. Indeed,
the Home Office recently concluded a consultation on 'Rebalancing the
Licensing Act' but does it go far enough?(4) We would support the BMA and
Professor Bellis in calling for a review of alcohol pricing but it is also
imperative to restrict the availability of alcohol before the NHS too
becomes intoxicated.(1,2)
Omair S Niaz - Consultant Psychiatrist, Kendray Hospital, Barnsley
S70 3RD
omair.niaz@barnsleypct.nhs.uk
Sumairah S Niaz - Final year medical student, Newcastle University
1. Susan Mayor. New figures show major increase in alcohol related
hospital admissions in England. BMJ 2010;341:c4790.
2. British Medical Association Board of Science (2008). Alcohol misuse:
tackling the UK epidemic.
3. Ragnarsdottir T, Kjartansdottir A & Davidsdottir S (2002). The
effect of extended alcohol serving-hours in Reykjavik. In: Room R (ed) The
effects of Nordic alcohol policies - what happens to drinking and harm
when alcohol controls change? Helsinki: Nordic Council for Alcohol and
Drug Research.
4. Home Office (2010). Rebalancing the Licensing Act - a consultation on
empowering individuals, families and local communities to shape and
determine local licensing.
Competing interests: No competing interests
If the Licensing reforms were so bad, why has consumption fallen so much?
Those who oppose alcohol and who also believe in simple direct
solutions to problems are often a little impervious to actual evidence.
So in the same week when the (long term) health impacts of excess
consumption were reported, the actual level of consumption in England was
also reported (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11170814). The headlines
tended to cluster around apparently simple solutions to reduce our
consumption (minimal unit pricing and restricting supply, for example).
None mentioned the optimistic fact that consumption is already falling and
quite sharply. And the fall more or less started about the time England
relaxed the licensing rules.
These facts alone refute the expectation of anti-alcohol experts
about the behaviour of people when faced with fewer government
restrictions. And they suggest that we might need to have a more
sophisticated debate about what to do next.
Competing interests: No competing interests