Drunken injuries down by half in some parts of the NT after pubs close their doors for the first time

THE number of people drunkenly injuring themselves or others has plunged by more than half in some parts of the Territory since the forced closure of licenced venues on March 23

The number of people drunkenly injuring themselves or others plunged by more than half in some parts of the Territory after the government called last drinks in March

THE number of people drunkenly injuring themselves or others has plunged by more than half in some parts of the Territory since the forced closure of licenced venues on March 23.

Health Department data obtained by the NT News reveals the number of alcohol-related emergency department presentations at Gove District Hospital was down by 57 per cent in April, compared with the same time last year.

In Katherine, the fall was 50 per cent and across the board, ED presentations were down by 17 per cent throughout the NT.

The decline was more modest in Darwin, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek but hospitals in each still recorded falls of more than 10 per cent.

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A Health Department spokesman said the figures reflected “significant decreases in alcohol-related presentations at our EDs” since the pub doors closed.

“It is reasonable to assume this has occurred with ongoing alcohol reforms plus the lack of access to pubs and clubs due to COVID-19 safety restrictions,” he said.

Association of Alcohol and other Drug Agencies NT executive officer, Peter Burnheim, said the data “suggests fewer people are being impacted by alcohol-fuelled harm due to the restriction of movement and social activity across the NT in response to COVID-19”.

“These findings — in conjunction with the overall reduction in harms we have seen as a result of the implementation of the (government’s) alcohol reform measures — demonstrate that the populace of the NT don’t need to accept the previous levels of harm related to alcohol historically seen,” he said.

“Our members are frontline health service providers and we urge the NT Government to continue to focus on and develop policy to ensure that these gains on reducing injury and harm are not lost.”

Mr Burnheim said the crisis represented an “opportunity and a platform to make further progress on addressing the Territory’s endemic issues around alcohol”.

“I hope we can maintain this new-world focus on our community’s health at the forefront of policy making,” he said.

But Mr Burnheim stopped short of calling for the NT’s 3am lockout laws to be brought forward to an earlier cut-off time post-pandemic.

“Implementation or changes to such laws must be carefully considered to ensure they strike the balance of improving health and safety without unnecessarily curtailing the rights of businesses to operate effectively and of individuals to make personal choices as to their own activities,” he said.

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The Health Department spokesman said risky drinking could lead to a variety of health problems, including injury, disease and death.

“We encourage Territorians to drink in moderation at all times, and especially with bars and clubs reopening (on) Friday,” he said.