A Waikato venue owner believes clubs and pubs aren't to blame for the high number of drunk young people clogging up the region's emergency department over the holiday period.

The head of Waikato Hospital's ED John Bonning yesterday called for bars to close earlier to reduce the level of intoxication and the chance of serious assaults. Bonning said drunk patients were taking resources away from other patients.

However Lawrenson Group CEO John Lawrenson claims people are drinking in their homes far more than in bars and clubs. And even then, most Hamilton venues were closed over the holidays and can't be accountable for ED admissions.

"Bars and nightclubs and restaurants combined account for less than twenty percent of alcohol sales in New Zealand. We're seeing it in decline," Lawrenson said.

He argues there is only one solution that actually works - pricing.

"The reality is that very few people in New Zealand who consume alcohol regularly, a large portion of the population, are ever going to want to see the price of alcohol put up."