Some of the proposed reforms to Northern Ireland’s licensing reform are sensible but alcohol abuse is still a problem and a risk

Now Stormont has moved ahead with proposals, that allow extra time to serve alcohol on Fridays and Saturday nights until 2am most weekends, followed by an hour’s ‘drinking up’ time until 3am.

Previously the latest licences served only until 1am and drinking up time was 30 minutes, until 1.30am.

There are compelling arguments to be made in favour of this liberalisation, and also reasons to be concerned.

The arguments in favour of liberalisation are that serving until 2am, and only at the weekend, is a modest arrangement compared to many other countries in Europe, which allow much later opening.

Increasing the drinking up time allows customers to become more sober before they are turned out on to the streets. This is a sensible measure, providing that premises are monitored to ensure that they do stop serving at 2am.

Also, late licences should not be granted to bars or nightclubs located in residential areas, unless they have an impeccable record on controlling noise and anti social behaviour.

The liberalisation of opening hours around Easter was always likely to be introduced at some point. Sadly, Easter is not as widely observed as it once was, and society cannot force such observance to return. It might well return of its own accord, however, in the coming years.

The hospitality industry deserves some slack now, having been brought to the brink of ruin by lockdown.

The main argument against liberalisation is the risk of alcohol misuse. That too is a wider cultural issue. Binge drinking is common in Britain in a way that it is not in Mediterranean societies.

Minimum unit pricing, campaigns on drinking responsibly and high taxation on alcohol, some of the proceeds of which are spent on helping treat addiction, all have a key role to play in constraining that damaging drinking culture.

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Alistair Bushe

Editor