Birmingham is getting boozier, with the number of places serving alcohol 24 hours a day at a record high - as one person goes to hospital in the West Midlands due to alcohol every eight minutes.
There were 64,160 admissions for alcohol-related conditions in the West Midlands last year, new NHS figures show.
That works out at one admission every eight minutes in the region caused by drink.
New figures released by the Home Office show a total of 163 premises in our city as of March 2018 that are allowed to sell alcohol at any time of the day.
That is up from 154 the previous year and just 117 in 2012, when modern records began.
Experts have warned that this could be causing more harm in the areas where alcohol is sold.
Of the 163 premises with 24-hour alcohol licences, 15 of those were pubs, bars and nightclubs, 87 were supermarkets and stores and 34 were hotel bars.
The remaining 27 were other types of premises.
The number of pubs, bars and nightclubs with all-night licences is actually falling, and there were 17 in Birmingham in 2012.
The number of supermarkets, stores, hotel bars and other premises that can sell alcohol around-the-clock have all increased.
It is up to individual local authorities to decide which premises are allowed to sell alcohol, and when.
A licensing committee should consider how granting a new licence will affect crime and disorder, public safety, public nuisance, and protecting children.
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The situation in Birmingham mirrors a national trend.
There were 7,921 premises licensed to sell alcohol 24 hours a day across England and Wales.
That is up by 404 from 7,505 the previous year, and a rise of 11% from 7,147 in 2012.
Earlier this month the charity Alcohol Concern called on the government to publish a new alcohol strategy to support those in need, protect public health and help tackle alcohol-related crime and disorder.
At the time, Dr Richard Piper, Chief Executive of the charity formed by the merger of Alcohol Concern and Alcohol Research UK, said: “The need to reduce alcohol harm is urgent.
“Our liver wards are overflowing.
“Over 200,000 children in the UK live with one or more alcohol-dependent parent or carer.
“In fact, almost every member of society is affected by alcohol harm, whether through violence, lost productivity at work, and increased costs and pressure for the emergency services, courts and prisons.”
Mark Leyson, Senior Policy Officer for Alcohol Concern / Alcohol Research UK, said: “It’s the responsibility of local licensing authorities to look after the number and density of alcohol retailers in their area, as well as the times of day at which alcohol can be sold.
“This is a responsibility which should be taken seriously, as greater availability of alcohol is often associated with more alcohol harm in the areas where it’s sold. This harm goes far beyond street drinking to higher levels of alcohol-related health conditions, hospital admissions and more.”
