A new study has found that there’s no denying limiting trading hours of licensed venues reduces the levels of violence.
As PerthNow reports, the study conducted by Melbourne’s LaTrobe University looked at 21 global studies, including seven done in Australia, examining the impact opening hours of licensed venues have on alcohol-related violence.
“Increasing trading hours tends to result in higher rates of harm, while restricting trading hours tends to reduce harm,” the report concluded.
Studies from Norway, the US and Canada all showed that laws on trading hours have helped reduce assaults. A study also found that assaults had been reduced by 37 per cent in Newcastle between 10pm and 6am after laws were introduced.
Interestingly, it noted that there was little reduction of violence between 1am and 3am with the real results seen after 3am.
“Trading hour restrictions was the key policy, not the lockout,” reads the report.
In Sydney where the laws mandate a 1.30am lockout and a 2.30am cease of service, it found that the number of assaults had been reduced by 26 to 32 per cent, however, it was unable to say if this was due to the lockouts or the closing hours of licensed venues.
“There were no studies of the Sydney restrictions that assess the times of night at which assaults have fallen,” the report noted.
The report still concluded, however, that, “the evidence of effectiveness is strong enough to consider restrictions on late-trading hours for bars and pubs as a key approach to reducing late-night violence in Australia.”
This study comes after a review into the NSW lockout laws suggested that they be loosened slightly moving lockouts back to 2am and last drinks to 3am.
Following the review, activist group Keep Sydney Open announced an anti-lockout laws rally which will happen next weekend.
