Evaluating the impact of flexible alcohol trading hours on violence: an interrupted time series analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

On November 24(th) 2005, the Government of England and Wales removed regulatory restrictions on the times at which licensed premises could sell alcohol. This study tests availability theory by treating the implementation of Licensing Act (2003) as a natural experiment in alcohol policy.

Methods

An interrupted time series design was employed to estimate the Act's immediate and delayed impact on violence in the City of Manchester (Population 464,200). We collected police recorded rates of violence, robbery, and total crime between the 1st of February 2004 and the 31st of December 2007. Events were aggregated by week, yielding a total of 204 observations (95 pre-, and 109 post-intervention). Secondary analysis examined changes in daily patterns of violence. Pre- and

SUBMITTER: Humphreys DK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3574094 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature