After a hiatus from boozy gatherings during the coronavirus lockdown, police say some people have emerged with reduced alcohol tolerance and are ending up nursing more than just a hangover.
Department of Health data shows a surge in the number of alcohol-related emergency department admissions in Western Australia over the first three weeks since licenced venues reopened under the phase four easing of restrictions on June 27.
There were 190 alcohol-related emergency department admissions across WA between June 24 and July 14 this year — a 21 per cent increase in admissions compared with the same period last year.
"It's really concerning when we're starting to see people turning up at emergency departments who may have been affected by alcohol or other drugs," said Melinda Lucas from the Alcohol and Drug Foundation.
'Ugly' scenes on the streets
It is not just hospitals feeling the pressure, with police saying it is getting "ugly" on the streets in entertainment districts with increased alcohol-related incidents in recent weeks since lockdowns eased.
Earlier this month, a man was knocked unconscious outside a Bunbury nightclub.
The one-punch attack happened in front of police officers after an altercation with another man outside Fitzgerald's Irish Bar in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Officers arrested the alleged offender and the victim was taken to hospital, but has since been released.
The nightclub was subsequently shut down for the night by police.
The scene is not isolated, with a string of serious assaults in Perth's entertainment precinct Northbridge in recent weeks.
A Perth nightclub manager died after he was allegedly violently assaulted on Saturday July 4.
Reduced tolerance to alcohol
Officer in Charge at Bunbury Police Station, Senior Sergeant Andy Carson, said everyone was excited to see rules relaxing.
"That's probably contributing to the excess alcohol consumption, and then you combine that with the reduced tolerance — it's a bit of a recipe for disaster if people aren't attune to that," he said.
"Some of the people may find that their resistance to the effects of alcohol and, dare I say, some of the other substances that some people might choose to partake in may have been reduced.
"We're seeing some increased instances of antisocial behaviours where alcohol is involved, and this is concerning us."
He said while the majority of people were well behaved, some people were causing problems.
"There are those pockets that we see, and when it starts to turn ugly it gets ugly very quickly. That's what we're starting to see."
Ms Lucas from the Alcohol and Drug Foundation said tolerance could decline after a break from drinking.
"There may be a drop in the way that their body responds to that alcohol, including by possibly an increase in toxication levels at a lower consumption," she said.
"That of course increases risk of harm, and risk of accident and injury alongside that."
