A recent Australian snapshot study published in the journals Addiction estimated 14-22 per cent of all injuries treated at emergency departments were because of another person being affected by alcohol products.

At Warrnambool Base Hospital, emergency visits due to assaults or intentional injury are seven times higher on Friday and Saturday nights compared with the rest of the week. According to Deakin University’s Last Drinks study, this coincides with the so-called ‘high-alcohol hours’ when hospital visits spike because of alcohol consumption.

As Australians ease into their long weekend, emergency staff at Warrnambool Base Hospital can expect more than two-and-a-half times as many alcohol-related visitors.

Deakin University data reveals that while January is 25 per cent busier than other months, Australia Day alone sees alcohol-related hospital visits jump 158 per cent in Warrnambool.

Warrnambool’s hospital and ambulance workers said that while no patient was ever turned away, alcohol- related issues added an avoidable burden on emergency staff and first responders.

Four in five people arriving at Warrnambool Base Hospital’s emergency department with an alcohol-related injury had their last drinks at home, a new study has found.

By comparison, only one in five had their final drinks at a pub, bar or club.