NCJ Number
227791
Journal
Crime Prevention and Community Safety Volume: 11 Issue: 3 Dated: July 2009 Pages: 204-218
Date Published
July 2009
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Based on a public health perspective, this study reviews the impact on violence in night-life environments of Great Britain's Licensing Act 2003, which has provided local authorities with increased controls and flexibility in managing premises licensed to sell liquor for consumption on the premises.
Abstract
Although international evidence indicates that increases in access to alcohol can increase alcohol sales, violence, and hospital admissions, the impact of the changes in the licensing legislation in England and Wales is more complex. This is because of inconsistent findings from police-recorded incidents of violence and assault-related hospital cases. There has been no overall identifiable change in violence under the new legislation. This may be because of the increased controls provided by the Act, such as the ability to attach conditions to licensing; the combined weight of the Act alongside other ongoing initiatives; and/or because overall licensing hours have not changed significantly. A lack of national data is problematic in attempts to determine the overall effects of the new legislation. This is especially the case for health-service data and intelligence relating to youth. Although it is useful for local authorities to be able to adapt the legislation to local needs, it makes it difficult to document the impact of the Act unless the data are interpreted in relation to information on how the Licensing Act is implemented in a given area. If the actual impact of the Act is to be determined, then additional research is needed at both a national and local level in order to identify the most effective means of managing problem liquor-selling premises and reducing alcohol-related assaults. Details of effective interventions could then be shared nationally. 60 references