Alcohol-related violence impacts maxillofacial surgeons

Alcohol-related violence is taking a toll on Australian oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and the injured are taking up time and hospital beds that could be used to help other patients.

Anthony Lynham, BDSc, BMed, FRACDS, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon at the Royal Brisbane Hospital in Queensland, starts his week resculpting the faces of people who were injured during alcohol-fueled violence on weekends, according to an ABC Brisbane story.

Regular weekends usually result in about 60 such patients coming to the hospital on Monday. Some 75% of the assault cases he and his colleagues see are caused by alcohol related violence -- an alarming statistic with no signs of slowing. Dr. Lynham is concerned about the large number of cases that will come to the emergency department during the holiday season.

Dr. Lynham praised the 2009 National Preventative Health Strategy, compiled by the government's Preventative Health Taskforce, but says they've failed to implement any effective strategies. He believes three of the task force's recommendations would decrease alcohol-related violence: alcohol pricing, server liability, and prohibiting the sale of alcohol to people younger than 21.

Making hotels, pubs, and clubs liable for the increasing number of assaults in the U.S. has prevented violence, and Dr. Lynham thinks it would work in Australia, too. He noted that 66% of assault cases occur in or near nightclubs or hotels.