For the first time, a study in England has shown that the more strongly a local government area regulates the licensing of alcohol outlets, the greater the reduction in alcohol-related harm within the population, as reflected in the number of hospital admissions.

Key points from summary and commentary:
• Local authorities can seek to mitigate the negative impact of alcohol on public health through alcohol licensing policy.
• The current study evaluated whether the intensity with which local areas enforced licensing, including whether or not they used cumulative impact zones, had an impact on alcohol-related hospital admissions.
• During the period 2009–2015 greater reductions in alcohol-related admissions were observed in areas with more intense alcohol licensing policies, suggesting these policies really can help curb alcohol-related harm.