Alcohol Policy UK

Tackling young people's drinking pt95

Mentor UK has announced its 2008 awards scheme - aimed at recognising projects in England, Scotland and Wales that can help prevent children and young people aged 14 or under from misusing alcohol – both now and in their future lives.   Nominations are sought for projects that promote healthy attitudes and behaviours and which help children and young people to avoid the dangers of alcohol misuse.

Awards will be made in the following three categories:

• for work in schools
• for work in the community
• for projects led by young people

Details here

The first month of an alcohol test-purchasing scheme to help curb underage drinking in Strathclyde has recorded a "failure" rate of just 9%. Of 235 test purchases at licensed premises last month as part of the Can't Tell - Don't Sell campaign, only 21 were recorded as failures. The crackdown by Strathclyde Police involves deploying 16-year-olds to licensed premises, where they try to buy alcohol.  The Herald

A scheme to mark alcohol with ultra-violet labels so it can be traced back to retailers is unlikely to be effective in combating under-age drinking, says independent retailers' association NFRN. The scheme is being piloted in Fife, and local MSP Claire Baker is calling for it to be extended to cover the whole of Scotland.

But NFRN president Colin Finch said:

“Underage drinking is becoming a significant problem in the communities that NFRN members serve. As independent and local retailers, members know that underage alcohol consumption can be damaging equally to teenagers and their neighbourhoods.

"As much as the NFRN supports any regulation or legislation that might help in resolving the issue we doubt that the UV marking scheme – as currently piloted in Fife – would be effective at all.

"We have, on numerous occasions, stressed the problem of proxy buying for example, where an adult purchases alcohol and or tobacco and sells or passes these products on to underage consumers.

“Finding a product in the hands of an underage consumer does not guarantee in any way that the same person actually made the purchase. Not to mention that with today's changing lifestyle alcohol may be found in most home refrigerators – without the teenagers actually needing to purchase it.  TalkingRetail.com

Pupils at Middleton Technology School and Queen Anne’s Academy were shown the dangers of underage drinking in a powerful drama by Altru Theatre Company. The ‘fingers burnt’ performance links in with a brand new ‘Responsible Retailer’ scheme which is being piloted in Middleton. The scheme involves local retailers agreeing to challenge young people who look under the age of 21 in a bid to reduce under-age sales and anti-social behaviour. Responsible Retailers will ask for a valid form of ID from anyone who looks under 21 when purchasing alcohol, cigarettes, knives or solvents.  Rochdale online

Alcohol-related death rates continue to rise

The alcohol-related death rate in the UK continued to increase in 2006, rising from 12.9 deaths per 100,000 population in 2005 to 13.4 in 2006, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics. Rates almost doubled between 1991 and 2006 (from 6.9 per 100,000 in 1991) while the number of alcohol-related deaths more than doubled from 4,144 in 1991 to 8,758 in 2006.

Alcohol-related death rates by sex, United Kingdom, 1991-2006

The alcohol­-related death rate in the UK continued to increase in 2006, rising from 12.9 deaths per 100,000 population in 2005 to 13.4 in 2006. Rates almost doubled from 6.9 per 100,000 in 1991.

The number of alcohol-related deaths more than doubled from 4,144 in 1991 to 8,758 in 2006. In 2006 the male death rate (18.3 deaths per 100,000 population) was more than twice the rate for females (8.8 deaths per 100,000) and males accounted for two thirds of the total number of deaths. For men, the death rates in all age groups increased between 1991 and 2006. The biggest increase was for men aged 35-54. Rates in this age group more than doubled, from 13.4 to 31.1 deaths per 100,000 over the period. However the highest rates in each year were for men aged 55-74.

Male alcohol-related death rates by age group, United Kingdom, 1991-2006

Source: National Statistics
BBC News: Experts blame the rise on the price and availability of alcohol

Community Partnerships to Reduce Alcohol-related Harm Conference, 16th April, Bath

Community Partnerships to Reduce Alcohol-related Harm Conference
sponsored by AERC (Alcohol Education and Research Council)
Wednesday April 16, University of Bath

‘…local partnerships are well placed to understand how alcohol affects their local communities (and) use the current and developing delivery frameworks to reduce alcohol-related harm …’ (Safe, Sensible, Social, p.66).

This one-day event will bring together key people with an active interest in Community Partnerships to Reduce Alcohol-related Harm, and address issues related to opportunities for and barriers to successful interventions.

Speakers will include:

• the Chair of the Alcohol Education and Research Council
• Leaders of community alcohol projects in Glasgow, Cardiff, Birmingham
• Dr Willm Mistral, Professor Richard Velleman, Lorna Templeton, Dr Claudia Mastache
  • evaluators AERC UK Community Alcohol Prevention Programme
  • co-authors Local Action to Prevent Alcohol Problems: is the UK Community Alcohol Prevention Programme (UKCAPP) the best solution?  International Journal of Drug Policy.
• Dr Betsy Thom
  
  • alcohol and drugs research co-ordinating editor for Drugs: Education Prevention and Policy
  • co-author Multi-component programmes: an approach to prevent and reduce alcohol-related harm (Joseph Rowntree Foundation).
• Professor Martin Plant
  • Professor of Addiction Studies, University of the West of England
  • co-author Binge Britain: Alcohol and the National Response
• Robert Humphries
  • Chairman PASS; Honorary Secretary, All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group
• Sarah Ward
  • Alcohol Concern, HubCAPP: Hub of Commissioned Alcohol Projects and Policies.
• Panel Discussion: Alcohol Industry; National Policy; Local Action

This is an invitation only event.  Please respond to Dr Willm Mistral W.Mistral@bath.ac.uk

Alcohol Policy UK events calendar

I often get asked to advertise conferences on this site, and I also get to hear of many other events that may be of interest.  I've started a Google calendar for all events, see (and also in the side bar to the right).

You can merge info from this calendar to your own calendar if you have a googlemail account.  I will continue to promote free events with editorial in the main body of the site - please keep sending me details.

Alcohol strategy coordinator post, Southwark

Cathy Bruce is off home to take up an exciting post with ALAC, the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand.  Her Southwark job is up for grabs, but you'll need to be quick - closing date is Friday 25th January. 

Details here.

Neighbours urged to report parental alcohol misuse, Scotland

Scots are being urged to shop their neighbours to police and social workers if they suspect they are neglecting their children because of drug addiction or alcohol abuse. In a major new campaign to be launched next month, the Scottish Government will call on residents to expose any addicts or alcoholics in their area who are failing to care for their children. They want people to use a new dedicated national phoneline, linked to the authorities, who may then visit the affected families and take their children away if they are deemed to be in danger.

Ministers denied that the plan would become a "snooper's charter", insisting that, such is the scale of the crisis affecting vulnerable families, drastic measures are now necessary. The latest figures show that there are as many as 60,000 Scottish children who currently live with drug abusers. A further 100,000 are believed to be living with parents with an alcohol problem.

Politicians from all parties have warned they are being inundated with information about shocking cases of babies and children being left unwashed and unfed by parents who care only about their next fix or another drink. In a bid to emphasise the scale of the problem, ministers want to brand the new phoneline "the fourth emergency number", alongside police, fire and ambulance services.  Scotland on Sunday

Gordon Brown: cultural shift on alcohol needed

The Independent reports: As Britain recovers from an epic seasonal party spree, a radical package of measures to create a "cultural shift" away from the epidemic of binge drinking is being drawn up by Gordon Brown. Parents will be encouraged to educate their children in the dangers of drink under proposals discussed at a Downing Street summit.

Ministers are also contemplating moves to raise the tax on the most potent beers and mixers associated with binge drinking by putting duty on units of alcohol. Mr Brown is also being urged by Labour MPs to force supermarkets to raise the minimum price of drink to reduce the attraction of cheap alcohol.

The Prime Minister has taken personal charge of the battle against binge drinking amid increasing evidence of the damage it causes. At the No 10 summit in November, attended by representatives of the drinks industry, doctors, police and councils, Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, and James Purnell, the Culture Secretary, were asked to develop policies to tackle binge drinking.

Briefing notes from the meeting obtained by The Independent said:

"Although there is clearly a role for schools, it was agreed that more needs to be done to issue advice and guidance to parents on the dangers and consequences of underage and binge drinking."

The Prime Minister told the meeting:

"It is clear that the solution lies beyond a stream of individual measures. It's about creating a cultural shift, having local co-ordination, better education and enforcement and individuals taking personal responsibility."

Tackling young people's drinking pt94

• A sheriff has told a youth who admitted buying alcohol for a group of underage girls in the Borders he was "the closest you can get to going to jail".  Bryan Drum, 19, from Newstead, near Melrose, committed the offence in Galashiels on 8 September last year.  One girl, aged 14, was found later lying in the town centre being sick and was kept overnight in hospital. Drum was given 200 hours community service but Sheriff Kevin Drummond said future offenders could be jailed. Selkirk Sheriff Court was told the first offender bought a large amount of carry out alcohol costing more than £60 for three girls. BBC

• "The Government are committed to reducing substance misuse among young people, including that relating to alcohol. Educating young people about the long and short-term effects of alcohol misuse is a vital part of this."  Answer to Parliamentary question.  Read more on the Drug Education Forum

• She is the hard-drinking, hard-living poster girl around campus. But with weight problems, poor grades and a raft of sexually transmitted diseases, Boozy Betty is hardly a good role model. The stereotypical party girl was introduced at Heriot-Watt University to remind students about the downside of drinking too much. Now the National Union of Students is considering rolling her out nationwide, while Heriot-Watt is preparing a similar campaign aimed at male students. Research about alcohol warnings revealed students at the university were more concerned about acne or a beer belly, rather than liver disease or kidney failure. So Heriot-Watt's student welfare staff created Boozy Betty for a series of posters, leaflets and information cards to be distributed around campus and pubs. Evening News

• IT WAS just a normal day in a normal Scottish town. On Friday, 11 January, 2008, in Livingston, West Lothian, 15 teenagers aged between 13 and 15 were picked up by undercover police for underage drinking. One, a 13-year-old boy, was so drunk he had to be rushed to hospital.  The Scotsman

• A top police chief has called for more to be done to tackle the problem of underage drinking. Cheshire chief constable Peter Fahy, on patrol the night father-of-three Mr Newlove was kicked to death, said today that more needed to be done to prevent drunk teenagers doing "stupid things". He called for age limits on buying alcohol to be raised and price promotions on drinks banned.... He said the teenage boys who killed sales manager Mr Newlove were victims of a "strange" British culture that encouraged drinking to excess. He said that "decent people" can do "stupid things" when they are "so drunk that they're not thinking rationally. Perfectly reasonable people, as soon as they start drinking, can become aggressive and use violence, and in their groups they're much more likely to use violence" Daily Mail

100k Northern Rock to expand service user-provided services

The North East Regional Alcohol Forum (NERAF) has been awarded £101,601 by Northern Rock Foundation to develop their peer-led support services regionally over the next three years. Based in Sunderland, NERAF is developing a network of support services for problematic drinkers, their families and carers to help people turn their lives around.

NERAF's Sunderland based services include eight support groups, a women’s and carers service, training and a 1-2-1 mentoring service. The award from Northern Rock Foundation will allow NERAF to expand its services in Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle and to other areas of the North East and Cumbria.

See previous post on NERAF's Community Alcohol Misuse Project.

Managing alcohol in the NTE: tactics for December

• A joint initiative to combat town centre violent crime and the fear of crime has been hailed a success. Police, street marshals and street angels worked together in Pontefract throughout the festive period and dealt with 150 incidents, many of which were resolved without the need for robust police intervention. They provided high visibility patrols in the town centre, significantly reduced crime, making the town a safer place for visitors and for people to enjoy their night out. The initiative, backed with cash from the police, Government Office for Yorkshire and Humberside, Crime Seen and the local church, also benefited many other agencies especially the local hospitals - early intervention meant confrontational situations were diffused and people were calmed and did not resort to violent behaviour.  West Yorkshire Police

• South Yorkshire Police report a significant drop in violent crime in Rotherham district with assaults down by 15.5%.  These offences were reduced in Rotherham Town Centre by 24.6% to 55 crimes recorded for December 2007.  On an average Friday night there are around 3000 people in the Town Centre.  The night time economy was a big focus for police and partners. Initiatives included: lollipops  given out to people leaving the town’s bars and clubs; local establishments  supplied with polycarbonate glasses as part of a trial looking towards a ‘glass free’ Rotherham; and a taxi marshalling scheme.  Representatives from numerous partner agencies also took part in an ‘Alco Facts’ campaign that was given a high profile launch in the Town Centre.  This campaign encouraged people to drink responsibly while out celebrating over the festive season and forms part of the Rotherham Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy that continues into 2008.

• Tactics in Hastings: the policing of the night-time economy in the town centre was  fortified with additional officers over the festive period.  A "low-tolerance" approach to bad behaviour, which has seen a 25% reduction in public place injury assaults in 2007, was continued, along with joint work with licensees, door supervisors and other partners. Also there were enhanced levels of drink-drive and speed checks across the town to keep roads safe over the festive period.  Mid Sussex Times