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I don't necessarily agree with the article, I just thought it had an interesting perspective.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4236121.stm
Relaxing Reykjavik's drink laws
By Danny Shaw
BBC home affairs correspondent
Plans to allow pubs and bars in Britain to serve alcohol for longer hours has generated huge controversy about binge drinking and whether the police will be able to cope. BBC News went to Iceland to discover how they coped with relaxation of the drinking laws.
A recent survey found nearly 70% of rank and file officers in the UK are opposed to all hours licensing - they say it will create more alcohol-related disorder.
Six years ago in Iceland, similar changes were introduced in the capital Reykjavik.
I went to the city to investigate whether the changes to the licensing laws there have worked.
Sunday morning at 4 o'clock in downtown Reykjavik and the party is in full swing.
The clubs are still belting out music, the bars are full.
But everywhere you look there's someone lurching or someone staggering and beneath your feet there's the crunch of broken glass.
Late-night partying
The early hours of the weekend are the busiest time for Reykjavik's police force, as thousands of young people descend on a handful of streets containing most of the city's 140 bars, pubs and clubs.
It's been a tradition in Reykjavik that the partying doesn't start until midnight. That used to mean drinking time was squeezed into a three-hour period.
There were more admissions to the emergency ward and more of a task for the police - and drink driving rose remarkably - 80%
Asgagerdur Kjartansdottir
Bars were only allowed to serve customers until 2am; turfing everyone out an hour later.
The head of the office of the city council is Olafur Hjorleifsson.
"You had this situation where you had maybe tens of thousands, maybe almost 20,000 people in the streets at the same time and obviously that put a lot of pressure on the public transport system and that situation made it very difficult for all concerned" he said.
To ease overcrowding at taxi ranks and reduce the burden on police, in 1999 the licensing laws were relaxed and bars were able to open for as long as they wanted, with the council's permission.
The experiment was closely monitored by University of Iceland student Asgagerdur Kjartansdottir.
The results of her study, published three years later, indicated that the scheme had created more problems than it had solved.
"There were more people gathered downtown later in the night than before. So between around 6 o'clock there were more people and at that time the police were off-duty, so that caused problems," she said.
"And there were more admittances [admissions] to the emergency ward and more of a task for the police - and drink driving rose remarkably - 80%".
'More casualties'
In the emergency unit at Reykjavik's main hospital, Lanspitaliti, they are accustomed to dealing with the victims of drunken scuffles and accidents.
We do see people sometimes just totally exhausted and finished and it's much worse of course if they are on substances
Dr Kristin Sigurdardottir
But according to Dr Kristin Sigurdardottir there are more casualties now that the drinking hours stretch into the morning.
Humans, she says, are not designed to be up in the early hours when body temperature and hormone levels are low.
"We're not made to be able to stay awake - whether it's work or partying or whatever - endlessly and it kind of comes back at us, " she said.
"We do see people sometimes just totally exhausted and finished and it's much worse of course if they are on substances".
There is also evidence that since the drinking hours have lengthened more people are taking drugs, particularly stimulants like amphetamines, cocaine and ecstasy.
Between 2000 and 2003, the number of drug offences recorded by police went up by three-quarters. Could it be that drinkers are using so-called "uppers" to keep them awake through the night?
I think people need to take responsibility on themselves
Superintendent Karl Valsson
Helga Jonsdottir has two daughters of her own and two step-children. She wants to raise awareness of the social dangers associated with an all-night culture.
"It's not healthy for family life and I think that it affects [the] homework of the young people who should be learning and I also think that they should sleep during the night - that is normal for people".
Icelandic police say initially the new licensing scheme put them under strain because the rules were relaxed too far.
'Better' crowd control
The arrangements were then adjusted; selected bars can now serve alcohol until 5.30am and stay open for an hour after that.
Reykjavik Police's third in command, Superintendent Karl Valsson, says overall it has made it easier for them to control crowds because there are fewer people on the streets at one time.
It's also a matter of principle, he declares - allow people more freedom to drink when they want to.
He said: "I think people need to take responsibility on themselves - what they want to do and how they behave - and just need to answer to the justice system if they do something that is - some kind of breaking the law or interfering with the security of others".
The Icelandic police's positive response will be welcome news to officers in England and Wales.
But longer night-time drinking may have consequences for family life and society that few had foreseen.
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Disco and classical had sex while watching a sci-fi movie. Their child: trance.
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British Pubs may be open 24 horus a day!
