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LIQUOR LICENSING AND PUBLIC DISORDER: REVIEW OF LITERATURE ON THE IMPACT OF LICENSING AND OTHER CONTROLS / AUDIT OF LOCAL INITIATIVES
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. The Nicholson Committee is currently carrying out a review of liquor licensing in Scotland. During the period of its operation, the Committee has a remit to:
"review all aspects of liquor licensing law and practice in Scotland, with particular reference to the implications for health and public disorder; to recommend changes in the public interest and to report accordingly".
2. As part of that process, the Committee is gathering evidence to inform its work. This research was commissioned in order to inform the work of a particular sub-group which is considering issues relating to alcohol-related crime and disorder. The research had two purposes:
- To review existing literature relating to initiatives which undertake to tackle alcohol-related crime and disorder.
- To carry out an audit of existing initiatives in Scotland which aim to tackle alcohol-related disorder.
3. The findings presented in the report in relation to each of these objectives focus upon efforts to control the availability of alcohol or the context in which alcohol is consumed, rather than upon efforts to reduce the underlying causes of alcohol misuse.
4. The literature review was carried out through library searches of relevant journals and publications, and through the use of recent publications which were developed in Scotland in order to inform the Plan for Action on Alcohol Problems 1. Specific material was also provided by some of the key contacts during the research (e.g. The Portman Group and the Scottish Beer and Pubs Association (SBPA), formerly the Brewers' and Licensed Retailers' Association).
5. The audit of initiatives in Scotland was carried out by circulating a pro forma to organisations at a national and local level, which were identified as likely to be involved in relevant initiatives. Information about the nature of the work taking place was sought, as was information about the impact of the work. A descriptive account of the findings is provided in this report.
6. The report is in a number of chapters. Chapter 1 outlines the background and the overall context of the work. Further details of the methodology are provided, and some of the literature relating to the links between alcohol and crime / disorder is explored. While it is not suggested that alcohol directly causes crime and disorder, it is recognised that there is a complex relationship between these issues, which many initiatives have sought to address.
7. Chapter 2 presents the findings of the literature review, and Chapter 3 the results of the audit of initiatives in Scotland. In each case, the discussion focuses upon three broad types of work which are seen to be most relevant:
- Initiatives to control the availability of alcohol through licensing (including, for example, the imposition of conditions upon licenses, work to address opening hours or other aspects of the sale of alcohol)
- Regulation of aspects of consumption, initiatives to tackle specific groups or crimes and the enforcement of existing law (including, for example, drinking in certain locations, under age drinking, drink driving, etc) 2
- Regulation of the environment / context of alcohol consumption (including, for example, staff training and registration, use of toughened glass and design changes.)
8. It is recognised that there is some overlap between these categories, but this overall framework provided the basis for more detailed consideration of the range of work which was identified, and the main purpose was to ensure that a descriptive account of relevant work could be provided.
9. Chapter 4 then draws together the implications of all of the findings. The report does not draw definitive conclusions in relation to these issues, as it is suggested that this will be carried out by the Nicholson Committee when the findings are considered at the next stage of the process. Instead, a number of the issues raised are summarised, pointing forward briefly to their implications for future work.
10. In terms of key findings, the report notes that there have been a range of studies of the effectiveness of measures to regulate and control alcohol sales and consumption. The evidence is not, however, always clear, with a need for some caution in applying the results directly to Scotland. The literature review does, nonetheless, provide an indication of measures which can be seen to have an impact upon crime and disorder, and the report suggests that this, taken alongside the findings from work undertaken in Scotland, can provide useful evidence to inform the work of the Committee.
11. In terms of the general restriction of alcohol consumption, it is suggested that there is evidence to support the idea that longer hours of alcohol sales may be linked to increased problems with alcohol-related crime and disorder, although the evidence from the UK and Scotland is mixed on this issue. Studies have also suggested that staggered closing times (and curfews) may have an impact on disorder, although it is stressed that local circumstances must be taken into account in developing such work. In Scotland, examples were found in the audit of measures to tackle the general availability of alcohol through the imposition of conditions upon extension of opening hours and the provision of local guidelines about permitted extensions. A small number of examples of the use of curfews were also highlighted.
12. There is also some evidence that the age at which young people can buy and consume alcohol on licensed premises has an impact upon juvenile crime. It has been suggested that lowering the legal drinking age can raise the levels of male juvenile crime, and raising the age can, for example, reduce alcohol-related car crashes and fatalities. Some studies also suggest, however, that lowering the age at which people can buy and drink alcohol on licensed premises can reduce the likelihood of young people drinking in unsafe and unsupervised locations.
13. There is evidence of a link between the number of outlets in an area and the levels of alcohol-related problems, and there is data to suggest that limitation of numbers may have an impact on alleviating problems. There is also some evidence that different types of outlet may experience different levels and types of alcohol-related crime / disorder. Some areas also noted that they considered outlet density when new licenses were granted.
14. In terms of issues which are outwith the remit of the legislation in Scotland, the report also notes that there is currently a lack of evidence regarding the impact of alcohol advertising on alcohol-related harm. There is, however, perceived to be a link between alcohol price and consumption, but little direct evidence (with the exception of one study) of the impact of this upon alcohol-related crime and disorder.
15. The second category related to initiatives to address the consumption of alcohol by particular groups and in particular locations, and the research found evidence of success of a number of measures. The findings from the literature review suggested, for example, that high profile policing and enforcement of the law relating to under age drinking can be linked to a reduction in the number of crimes and arrests (although there is mixed evidence of the impact of test purchasing 3). In terms of initiatives in Scotland, young people were identified frequently in the audit as a target group, and there were many examples of the operation of local proof of age schemes.
16. High profile policing around some licensed premises has also been associated with a reduction in arrests and crime rates, and it has been suggested that the enforcement of the law relating to serving alcohol to people who are intoxicated may also impact upon crime and disorder. A number of initiatives were also reported in Scotland as targeting specific areas which were seen to be "hotspots".
17. There was also some evidence in the literature review to support the value of community enforcement programmes. It was suggested, however, that the effect of these may not be sustained in the longer term, and that there may be a need for them to be combined with more formal measures.
18. The research found considerable material relating to "Pubwatch" schemes, and these appear to have had some success in the reduction of alcohol-related disorder, sometimes being used alongside other measures (for example, the dissemination of information, the use of exclusion orders and the use of CCTV). A number of examples of Pubwatch schemes were found across Scotland. One example was found of an area in which licensees had a direct radio link to CCTV operators, and there was a general perception that there had been a reduction in crime and an increase in public safety with these schemes.
19. In terms of the regulation of the location in which people can drink alcohol, the research identified some evidence to suggest that the prohibition of drinking in public places has had some success in addressing alcohol-related crime and disorder, particularly, again, where this was combined with other measures.
20. Actions to address drink driving described in the report and identified in the literature review have also been generally found to be successful, particularly when they are enforced vigorously and have a high public profile.
21. In the third overall category, exploring initiatives which involved changing the drinking environment and the context of consumption, again there was evidence of the value of some types of work. The literature review noted that many aspects of the layout and operation of licensed premises can contribute to alcohol-related aggression. There are, for example, identifiable aspects of the design of premises which could reduce alcohol-related crime and disorder, and there were some instances of initiatives of this type in Scotland.
22. There was also evidence to suggest that the provision of training to licensees, servers and door stewards (particularly where this was backed by management, used to enforce legislation and repeated regularly), could help to prevent and deal with alcohol-related crime/disorder. This was the commonest type of initiative in this category identified in Scotland, with work taking place in many different areas to provide such training (often through "Servewise" provision 4). The difficulties, however, of securing participation in training when this is on a voluntary basis were noted.
23. There was found to be little evidence of the impact of health warning information upon alcohol-related crime and disorder, and the literature review suggested that this was considered unlikely to have a significant impact in isolation from other measures. There were few examples of the provision of such information in Scotland. There were also few examples of the control of inappropriate promotions (although the evidence suggested that such promotions can contribute to alcohol-related disorder, and organisations such as the Scottish Beer and Pubs Association (SBPA) encourage good practice in relation to the control of these, with a good practice guide being developed).
24. Finally, in terms of the use of specific materials in licensed premises, the research found some evidence from the literature to suggest that the use of toughened glass can have an impact on the number of "glassing" attacks and facial injuries. Again, there was also evidence of such initiatives taking place in parts of Scotland, although it was noted that there is not always consistency in the standard of the materials used.
25. The implications of the findings presented in this report will require to be considered in terms of the ways in which future legislation can promote the types of work which have the clearest impact upon alcohol-related crime and disorder. The research identified a need for the evaluation of those initiatives which are undertaken, as there was found to be a general lack of such information. While this report provides information to inform the current work of the Nicholson Committee, the development and use of clear measures of the impact of initiatives upon alcohol related crime and disorder will assist in future planning in the longer term.
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