European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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The Licensing Act (2003) was implemented in England and Wales at midnight on 23 November 2005. Two studies have tried to assess the impact of the new legislation on emergency department attendances in London and South Yorkshire. Both studies reported a small increase in alcohol-related attendances to the emergency department after the new legislation. This study aimed to assess whether the Licensing Act (2003) has had a significant impact on the number and demography of assaults presenting to a Cambridgeshire emergency department. ⋯ The Licensing Act (2003) has been associated with minor changes in the epidemiology of assaults presenting to our emergency department. The magnitude of these changes is small, implying that they are practically unimportant. The Licensing Act has failed to reduce the burden of alcohol-related assaults presenting to our emergency department.