Addressing the harmful use of alcohol - WHO Western Pacific Region

5.
Regulating hours and
days of trading
Rationale
Consistent evidence links increases in hours or days of alcohol sales to increases in harm,
including traffic injury, street disorder and violence. Even small or local changes have
significant local harm impacts, but little effect on total sales. This indicates that later or longer
trading contributes disproportionately to heavy drinking and drunken behaviour (Babor et al.
2010).
Research in Western Australia linked higher levels of patron intoxication and high levels of
local violence to later pub trading hours. In Australia, it has been found that heavier drinkers
are more likely to take advantage of longer trading hours than are lighter or more moderate
drinkers (Chikritzhs and Stockwell 2002). A study showed that the United Kingdom’s recent
law change allowing sales up to 24 hours a day trebled night-time alcohol-related emergency
admissions to one London inner city hospital (Newton et al. 2007).
Restrictions on the days and hours of trading set either standard hours of trading for all
premises or different types of premises, or set hours as a condition of each individual licence.
Under either option, some restrictions against selling alcohol on particular religious days or
public holidays are set by legislation.
Issues to consider
There has been a trend towards allowing later hours of trading for licensed premises. Late
closing times have been opposed by communities and by health organisations, such as the
United Kingdom’s Academy of Medical Sciences (Academy of Medical Sciences 2004). Public
objections to licences or renewals for late opening premises relate to noise, intoxication levels,
public disorder, violence and fears about safety. Later closing times shift intoxicated behaviour
and its consequences to later times of night, with implications for policing.
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