The consequences of 24 hour drinking is finally being realised as the number of people visiting A&E with alcohol related problems has increased three-fold.
The study whcih was conducted by Doctor Alastair Newton at St Thomas' Hospital has highlighted that the intended calming effect the relaxed laws were intended to have on drinkers has in fact had the opposite effect.
The study monitored two one month periods in March 2005 then again twelve months later in March 2006, before and after the drinking laws were relaxed.
The study discovered that the number of patients admitted to A&E with alcohol related problems rose from 2.9% in 2005 to 8% in 2006.
There were just 80 alcohol related admissions in March 2005 compared to 250 twelve months later.
The report also said that there are roughly about 23,000 alcohol-related voilent incidences every week in the UK.
Dr Newton said: "The increase in alcohol-releated problems we have recorded is the opposite of the effect the legislation was designed to produced.
"In addition, our data suggest that, to date, the new legislation has also failed to achieve its intended improvement in public safety and reduction in alcohol-related crime and disorder, as we found a significant increase in alcohol-related assaults, injuries and alcohol-releated hospital admissions between study periods.
"In addition to violence-releated injuries, alcohol represents a major burden for UK health services in general, and in emergency departments in particular."
Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Alcohol