Glassware is used in 10% of all assaults, according to a UK medical research group

Glassware is used in 10% of all assaults, according to a UK medical research group

Selling beer and other drinks in plastic bottles would make pubs, clubs and public places safer, according to a UK medical research group. Professor Jonathan Shepherd, a surgeon specialising in repairing jaw and facial injuries, told PRW.com: “Every Friday and Saturday in accident and emergency departments, you can see the results of not using plastic bottles.”

Glassware is used in 10% of all assaults, according to Professor Shepherd, director of the Violent Research Group at the University of Wales College of Medicine. The rising popularity of bottled drinks means that bottles being used as weapons is now “a big problem. One way forward is to substitute glass for plastic.”

The cost to the UK taxpayer for assaults is estimated at approximately Ј2m (E3m) a year awarded in criminal injury compensation awards, Professor Shepherd said. There was also an occupational health issue for bar workers, who are at risk of cutting themselves on glass.

High-quality multi-layer impermeable plastics mean that plastic bottles can be universally used, Professor Shepherd said. The plastic bottles also have other potential advantages – they are better at keeping drinks colder for longer and are also lighter, saving transport costs.