Trading hours of on-premise liquor outlets
A rapid narrative review of the evidence on alcohol use and harms
About this review
Conducted between August and December 2025, this rapid narrative review synthesised key reviews and primary studies published over the previous 20 years examining the link between on-premise trading hours and alcohol use and related harms across Australia and comparable jurisdictions.
Key messages
- Extending on-premise trading hours is consistently associated with increased alcohol-related harms, particularly violence and injury.
- Restricting late-night trading hours reduces alcohol-related harms, with substantial and sustained reductions in assaults and other harms, particularly when restrictions form part of broader multi-component interventions.
- Impacts vary by context, with mixed evidence for road safety outcomes but a consistent overall direction of evidence for violence and injury.