Alcohol-related crime is costing Canberra taxpayers nearly $12 million a year, new research suggests.

The Deakin University study measured a range of factors including police and court costs, healthcare bills for victims of crime, lost output and property damage.

It found the total impact of alcohol-related crime per year was $11.7 million.

The research — including interviews with 1,600 patrons — found high levels of aggression, sexual harassment and injury around Canberra night spots, with almost half of the respondents reporting "negative encounters" around licenced venues in Civic and Braddon.

Researchers said the findings from the Drug and Alcohol Intoxication and Subsequent Harm in Night-time Entertainment Districts (DASHED) report underlined the need for liquor law reform.

About 30 per cent of those surveyed said they had experienced verbal aggression, 28 per cent reported receiving unwanted sexual attention and 17 per cent said they had experienced physical aggression.

Despite the ACT's size, the research found the rate of alcohol-related injury seen in Canberra (13 per cent) was among the highest of all sites where the data had been collected, including Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Geelong and Wollongong.

Alcohol-related hospitalisations in the ACT were also on the rise.

The study found the rate of "high alcohol hours" emergency department presentations increased from 61.5 per 10,000 people in 2010 to 70 per 10,000 in 2014.

Canberrans were also found to have taken part in risky behaviour, with 17 per cent saying they had driven under the influence of alcohol.

Changes to closing times, drink prices recommended

Lead researcher Peter Miller told 666 ABC Canberra modest changes to closing times and minimum drink prices would reduce the risk of harm to the community.

"Simply saying 'you can't pay less than your standard VB stubbie price' will have a substantial impact on levels of violence and harmful drinking and drink driving across the community as well," Mr Miller said.

"The story for Canberra is serious and obviously warrants greater attention and response."

The report also found that more than half the people surveyed reported pre-drinking to avoid the higher cost of alcohol at licenced venues.

Dr Miller said while pre-drinking remained a problem, and was being undertaken by a large number of Canberrans, the ACT was actually performing better than the rest of the country.

"However, the more you drink before you go out the more likely you are to experience violence," he said.