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Fewer drunks presenting to hospital since alcohol crackdown

Fewer drunks presenting to hospital since alcohol crackdown

A drop in the number of alcohol-related presentations to the Royal Adelaide Hospital is further proof the late-night alcohol crackdown is working, the South Australian Government says.

It said the number of alcohol related presentations at the RAH between midnight and 6.59am during October and December had dropped from 152 in 2012, down to 108 in 2013.


Attorney General John Rau said the drop is further evidence of the effectiveness of the crackdown on alcohol related harm.

"Violent behaviour is not the only reason why people wind up in the emergency department after a night of drinking - the excessive consumption of alcohol is also a key factor," Mr Rau said.

"We already know that there has been a 25 percent reduction in violence and other bad behaviour in the city since the introduction of the late night crackdown, now we are observing a positive turnaround in the number of drunks winding up in the emergency department.”

Among the reforms are restrictions on serving shots and the controversial 3am lockout.

"We are well ahead of other states when it comes to tackling this issue - the rest, including
New South Wales - are playing catch-up to South Australia,” Mr Rau said.