It has been nearly ten years since the introduction of major reforms in UK drinking laws and enough time has passed to begin assessing the effect of the changes. The year 2005 saw the introduction of the Licensing Act (2003), which liberalized opening hours significantly, potentially allowing late-night drinking in many more venues than had been possible before.

1. Alcohol
Delivery
Laws
In
The
UK
–
Assessing
The
Impact
Introduction
It
has
been
nearly
ten
years
since
the
introduction
of
major
reforms
in
UK
drinking
laws
and
enough
time
has
passed
to
begin
assessing
the
effect
of
the
changes.
The
year
2005
saw
the
introduction
of
the
Licensing
Act
(2003),
which
liberalized
opening
hours
significantly,
potentially
allowing
late-­‐night
drinking
in
many
more
venues
than
had
been
possible
before.
Fears
and
expectations
of
the
new
law
Prior
to
the
introduction
of
the
Act
by
the
Labour
government
it
was
often
quite
difficult
for
licensed
premises
to
serve
alcohol
past
eleven
o’clock
at
night
and
licence
holders
either
had
to
have
a
late-­‐night
licence
or
apply
for
a
temporary
extension
if
they
planned
serving
alcohol
past
the
eleven
o’clock
cut-­‐off
time.
The
2003
Act
relaxed
permitted
hours
substantially
with
the
result
that
licensees
could
potentially
serve
alcohol
around
the
clock
or
even
to
never
close
at
all.
At
the
time
of
its
introduction
the
Act
was
extremely
popular
with
the
public.
Surveys
by
the
British
Market
Research
Bureau
(BMRB)
showed
that
the
vast
majority
of
the
public
were
aware
of
the
changes
(90
percent)
and
approximately
two
thirds
of
adults
aged
over
18
(64
percent)
thought
pubs
and
bars
should
be
able
to
open
from
midnight
onwards.
Not
all
were
in
favour
however.
Both
the
Conservatives
and
Liberal
Democrats
opposed
the
relaxing
of
the
law
and
tried
unsuccessfully
in
parliament
to
prevent
the
introduction
of
the
law.
The
then
Shadow
Home
Secretary,
David
Davis
said
that
it
would
make
the
issue
of
binge-­‐drinking
“much,
much
worse”.
Opponents
of
changes
in
the
law
argued
that
longer
drinking
hours
would
mean
an
upsurge
in
alcohol-­‐
related
public
and
private
disorder.
Members
of
the
judiciary
criticised
the
plans
with
Judge
Charles
Harris
QC
saying
that
a
significant
proportion
of
Britons
became
“pugnacious
and
bellicose”
under
the
effects
of
alcohol.
However
the
Labour
government,
which
changed
the
law,
held
the
view
that
removing
the
23:00
cut-­‐off
time
would
remove
the
flurry
of
alcohol
consumption
that
accompanied
last
orders
amid
the
constraints
imposed
by
drinking
up
time.
This
had
led
to
the
common
sight
of
sizeable
numbers
of
pub
customers
spilling
out
onto
the
streets
at
the
same
time
with
episodes
of
violence
and
disorder
common
in
the
surrounding
areas
and
on
public
transport.
Impact
of
the
changes
When
the
act
was
implemented
in
November
2005
it
was
thought
that
as
many
as
two
thirds
of
licensed
premises
would
apply
for
extended
hours,
equating
to
around
190,000
pubs,
clubs,
hotels
and
other
premises.
This
led
to
fears
that
the
country
would
be
awash
with
alcohol
soaked
adults
and
teenagers
falling
out
of
bars.
However,
far
fewer
applications
were
actually
submitted.
According
to
the
most
recent
Home
Office
figures,
7,672
premises
in
England
and
Wales
have
24-­‐hour
licenses
out
of
a
total
number
of
33,865,
(22.9
percent).
Of
these
a
surprisingly
small
number
are
bars,
pubs
and
nightclubs;
just
918
(12
percent).
The
largest
proportion
of
24-­‐hour
licenses
are
held
by
hotels
(45
percent),
with
3,295
holding
24-­‐
hour
licenses.
Further
analysis
of
the
figures
shows
that
only
481
of
these
hotels
offer
late-­‐night
drinking
to
non-­‐guests
-­‐
the
majority
that
serve
in
the
early
hours
do
so
only
to
guests.
After
hotels,
supermarkets
and
stores
make
up
the
biggest
proportion
of
round-­‐the-­‐clock
licenses
(28
percent),
with
2,082
premises
holding
these
licenses.
The
change
in
the
licensing
laws
has
also
seen
the
growth
of
non-­‐traditional
providers,
such
as
alcohol
delivery
companies
that
take
late-­‐night
orders
online
and
deliver
to
customers’
doors.

2.
It
appears
that
many
venues
applied
for
extensions
simply
to
allow
the
opportunity
to
serve
late
without
necessarily
intending
to
utilise
this
on
a
regular
basis.
In
research
conducted
in
the
City
of
Manchester,
one
of
the
UK’s
largest
urban
centres,
average
trading
times
following
the
introduction
of
the
new
law
increased
by
just
30
to
45
minutes
on
weekdays
and
by
1
hour
and
20
minutes
at
weekends.
One
of
the
aims
of
the
change
in
drinking
laws
was
to
curb
binge
drinking.
In
this
regard
the
law
has
been
ineffective
with
little
improvement
and
in
some
areas
there
has
been
a
deterioration
in
the
situation.
Indeed,
concerns
about
the
issue
have
led
to
a
Parliamentary
investigation
into
the
issue.
Crime
prevention
minister,
Government
estimates
of
the
cost
of
alcohol-­‐related
crime
put
it
at
around
£12billion
and
some
senior
police
officers
have
criticised
the
extended
drinking
hours,
describing
it
as
a
failed
‘experiment’
that
has
caused
‘significant
problems’
between
3am
and
6am.
Humphreys,
Eisner
and
Wiebe
have
conducted
extensive
research
into
the
effects
of
the
Licensing
Act
(2003)
and
found
that
it
has
actually
made
no
difference
to
the
overall
level
of
violence.
They
examined
police
records
for
violence,
robbery
and
total
crime
for
the
City
of
Manchester
(population
464,200)
between
February
2004
and
December
2007,
assessing
the
period
immediately
before
and
after
the
introduction
of
the
law.
The

3. authors
found
that,
while
the
overall
level
of
violence
did
not
change,
there
was
evidence
that
alcohol-­‐
related
incidents
were
pushed
back
to
the
3am
-­‐
6am
period.
Figures
from
the
Home
Office
have
shown
a
rise
in
problem
areas
since
the
introduction
of
the
act.
In
March
2007,
just
over
a
year
after
the
change,
there
were
71
problem
zones
in
the
UK.
By
the
end
of
2013
these
had
increased
to
175.
The
most
common
issues
were
fighting,
littering,
drug
dealing,
pick-­‐pocketing
and
other
types
of
street
robberies.
In
London
the
effect
of
alcohol-­‐related
crime
on
public
transport
was
offset
by
the
introduction
of
a
ban
on
alcohol
on
Transport
for
London
(TfL)
services
from
June
2008.
This
covered
underground
trains,
buses,
light
railway
services
and
trams
across
the
capital
and
was
supported
by
around
87
percent
of
service
users.
It
is
estimated
that
the
ban
cut
assaults
on
Tube
staff
by
15
percent.
Councils,
who
took
over
responsibility
for
licensing
with
the
changes
in
the
law,
were
given
the
power
to
refuse
licenses
in
areas
affected
by
persistently
high
rates
of
alcohol-­‐related
crime
and
disorder.
The
Cumulative
Impact
Policies
(CIP)
target
license
holders
by
empowering
councils
to
restrict
the
number
of
licensed
premises
in
particular
areas.
Additionally,
councils
have
also
had
the
option
for
the
last
year
to
charge
bars
and
clubs
operating
extended
hours
an
Early
Morning
Restriction
Order
(EMRO)
or
Late
Night
Levy
of
up
to
£4,440
per
year.
To
date
however,
no
councils
have
chosen
to
apply
this
measure.
In
recent
years
much
of
the
government’s
strategy
in
relation
to
alcohol
has
been
focused
on
introducing
minimum
pricing
per
unit
of
alcohol,
rather
than
on
reversing
the
licensing
laws,
so
it
appears
likely
the
changes
are
here
to
stay.
Sources:
www.alcohol-­‐delivery.co
www.bbc.co.uk
ww.cam.ac.uk
www.gov.uk
www.ias.org.uk
www.marketresearchworld.net
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
www.wikipedia.org