Alcohol reforms have been linked to a decline in hospital admissions. 

In 2018, reforms were introduced in the Northern Territory that put a minimum price per unit of alcohol and saw Police Auxiliary Liquor Inspectors stationed at some bottle shops.

Now, Alice Springs Hospital ICU Dr Paul Secombe says studies have given a vote of confidence for the alcohol reforms.

“As a health care professional we see so much harm and so much morbidity associated with alcohol misuse, that to see any reduction, for us is a good news story,” he told reporters this week.

“Walking around my intensive care and when one in four of your patients are there either directly or indirectly because of alcohol, breaks your heart.”

“We saw reductions in [those cases] almost overnight.”

A Flinders University team analysed 1,323 ICU admissions, about half of which were in the 12 months before the policies were introduced and the other half came after.

Between October 1, 2017 and September 30, 2018, acute alcohol misuse admissions accounted for 19 per cent of admissions, but that number had dropped under 12 per cent between October 1, 2018 and September 30, 2019.

“For that, someone had to arrive in hospital either intoxicated or with a positive blood level, arrive with a diagnosis due to alcohol, or exhibit alcohol withdrawal symptoms,” Dr Secombe said.

Chronic misuse of alcohol admissions dropped from 13 per cent to 9 per cent.

Trauma-related admissions like injuries sustained in a car accident, personal injuries and violence, more than halved.

Dr John Boffa, from the People's Alcohol Action Coalition, describes the the study as “proof” the reforms work.

“It is not surprising, but it is welcome,” Dr Boffa said.

“By and large, the Northern Territory now has in place a very complex and broad-ranging package of reforms on alcohol supply reduction which are having an impact.”

The experts say more benefits might be revealed by further studies of police data, admission to women's shelters, child protection data, school attendance and the number of child welfare reports.