273: How Has the Extension of Drinking Hours in England Affected Patterns of Emergency Department Use at a Large Urban Hospital?

Abstract

In November 2005, a change in alcohol licensing legislation extended the hours in which alcohol could be consumed in pubs and nightclubs across England and Wales. Most pubs could only serve until 11:00pm at weekends and 10:30pm in the week. Nightclubs could usually serve until 2:00am. Following the relaxation of the hours, most cities in England have outlets selling alcohol well into the early hours of the morning. Drunkenness and related violence are of grave concern in British cities recently, so this change in policy was of interest to providers of emergency medical services.