Alcohol Policy UK

Know Your Limits update - pilot reports

The Know Your Limits campaign team funded by the Home Office and Department of Health has published its latest update - Stakeholder Update 8 . It summarises new pilots that have specifically targeted students, the night time economy and young men.

• In Preston, students were targeted with sensible drinking messages and encouraged to drink more water on a night out. This was in response to research that showed that 43% of 18-24 year olds in Lancashire admitted to carrying on drinking once they knew they had reached their limits
• Central Weston-Super-Mare was targeted following findings that 6 out of every 10 crimes were associated with the night time economy. The campaign therefore used bluetooth technology and giant projectors to deliver sensible drinking messages to support other activity including the Street Safe bus and street pastors
• In Wolverhampton, young men were targeted with life sized stickers of men suffering the ill effects of alcohol misuse. Stickers of men who had been beaten up or passed out were placed in A&E, bars, pubs, clubs and the Wolve's Molineux football stadium
• In Liverpool students were trained as 'Lager Lifeguards', learning how to spot the signs of intoxication and help people suffering from a range of alcohol related ill effects including injury, vomiting and unconsciousness

Two new campaigns are also in production: a units campaign due to be launched in May; and a binge drinking campaign in June, which will be supported by printed and online materials. It is also advised that local campaigns are coordinated with these, and with  forthcoming target dates including St George's Day (23rd April) and May Bank Holiday weekend (3-5th May).

To get in touch with the Know Your Limits team call 020 7403 2230 or email knowyourlimits@forster.co.uk

Cameron on alcohol policies and binge drinking

David Cameron, the Conservative party leader, has given his views on alcohol policy, binge drinking, the new licensing laws, pubs and the smoking ban in an interview with The Publican.

In the interview he gives a range of views on how current alcohol policies should be changed, including a raised duty on high strength lagers and Ready to Drink beverages (RTDs), and lower taxation on normal strength beers and ciders. The Tory leader also talks about changing the law to address the heavy discounting of alcohol in supermarkets and to get tougher on underage sales. But whilst a 'continental social drinking culture' must be sought, a significant shift in personal responsibility, including through children's upbringing, approaches to businesses, supermarkets and the media is required.

Evaluation of Lewisham's 'Don't binge and cringe' campaign

The London borough of Lewisham's Drug and Alcohol Strategy Team (DAST) have released an evaluation of their innovative approach to tackling binge drinking and its associated harms, the 'don't binge and cringe' campaign. During last year's festive season, volunteers gathered in hot spot areas and handed out goody bags and with on hand advice, a change from the usual approach of posters and beermats. Each goody bag contained:

• a condom
• an alcohol leaflet about drink driving, what is a unit, safe sex and how to plan your night to make sure you get home safe
• information about alcohol/drug related rape and where to get support
• spikeys to prevent drug-assisted rape
• a lollipop
• an overdose card advising what to do if you find someone passed out in the street

Download the don't binge and cringe evaluation

Alcohol projects get a boost with new online portal

The The Hub of Commissioned Alcohol Projects and Policies (HubCAPP) has now been launched, offering an excellent new resource for commissioners and strategic project managers across England. The new online database provides key information on a comprehensive range of alcohol projects, policies and initiatives to help disseminate best practice and share key learnings. HubCAPP has been funded by the Department of Health and will be managed by Alcohol Concern.

Don Shenker, Acting Chief Executive of Alcohol Concern says:

Alcohol professionals already have a fairly well developed library of guidance documents available to them. HubCAPP has the potential to make the development of new strategies a more dynamic and collaborative process than it has been before. We invite local partnerships to view the time spent submitting their own strategies as an investment. Not only will it help build a valuable mass of information, but it also presents a good opportunity to put some critical distance between them and the decisions they’ve taken to date.

If you have a project you would like to submit or any further questions, please contact Sarah Ward, HubCAPP manager on 0207 264 0510 or info@hubcapp.org.uk

Beacon award scheme to recognise good practice in the Night Time Economy

The Beacon award scheme that recognises excellence in local government will include a new category titled 'After Dark: Managing the night time economy' for the upcoming round ten. The scheme aims to recognise and reward innovation and excellence in local government through accreditation of Beacon status. Each year new themes are chosen by ministers to reflect key government priorities.  Councils wishing to apply for round 10 must first submit an intention to apply, followed by a full application by 11th July 2008.

The new After Dark category sets out a range of criteria which should be met for successful applications including:

• An ambitious night-time vision, strategy and action plan with clear priorities and measurable outcomes
• High level political and officer support with strong partnership buy in
• Clear coordination of regulatory services
• The inclusion of night time economy objectives within Local Area Agreements and Local Strategic partnerships
• Evidence of community engagement
• A history of proactive and innovative use of existing legislation
• Demonstration of local application of best practice
• Evidence of creative solutions to overcome particular challenges
• Genuine, flexible and effective partnerships specifically working for the night time economy
• Progress in delivering a safe and diverse night time economy
• Achievement of national or local awards relating to the night time economy

The new After Dark category reflects the continued focus of the 2007 updated national alcohol strategy Safe. Sensible. Social to develop robust approaches to improving town centres and reducing alcohol related crime and disorder.  Progress has yet yet to be demonstrated following the Review of the impact of the Licensing act 2003 which has so far  made no significant change to alcohol related crime and disorder levels across the UK. This year the alcohol strategy local implementation toolkit was launched to support local authorities in delivering cross cutting alcohol strategies, including a key theme of community safety, crime and anti-social behaviour that includes a range of recommendations on tackling alcohol problems in the night time economy.

Under 18s buying alcohol online

The Daily Mirror has reported that under 18s are easily able to order alcohol online using their own debit cards - all they are required to do is tick a box stating they are over 18. However delivery drivers do not ask for I.D. according to one young person quoted on the Mirror's site:

"It was so easy. The female delivery driver handed it over and didn't ask me for any ID."

Tesco have reportedly promised an investigation stating that delivery drivers should be asking for I.D. if in doubt.

Pregnant women now told to avoid alcohol altogether

The Government's health watchdog, The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has reignited the debate on pregnancy and alcohol by now stating women should not drink at all when pregnant. The new message, which is to be released as part of a comprehensive review of health advice for pregnant women, has received mixed responses as is not based on any new findings or research.  However the message supports the stance of a number of top clinical figures and also that of the Department of Health, who last year announced that pregnant women should not drink at all. 

NICE had previously stated that women could safely drink up to 1.5 units (equivalent to a small glass of wine) after the first three months of pregnancy when the risk of damage to the foetus was most significant.  The chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, has welcomed the change of advice, saying it should remove any doubt about what women should drink. According to Guardian's Society website, the final version of the guidelines to be issued will say:

• Pregnant women should be advised to avoid drinking alcohol in the first three months of pregnancy, because there may be an increased risk of miscarriage. Women planning to become pregnant should also stop drinking.

• Women should be advised that if they choose to drink alcohol while they are pregnant, they should drink no more than 1-2 units once or twice a week - equivalent to a small glass of wine, half a pint of 5% lager or strong cider. There is uncertainty about how much alcohol is safe to drink in pregnancy, but at this level there is no evidence of any harm to the unborn baby.

•  Women should be advised not to get drunk or binge drink (more than 7.5 units of alcohol on a single occasion) while they are pregnant because this can harm the unborn baby.

Producer wanted for the Alcohol Policy UK podcast

Podcast fans and regular APUK readers may be wondering where the Alcohol Policy UK podcast has got to.  Well, we will be relaunching it bigger and better very soon.

The shout has gone out for a new producer for the podcast, via Adam (The Podfather)  Curry's Daily Source Code.  Listen to the show here (the alcohol bit is at 29 mins 32).  Thanks Adam.

So if you can help, please get in touch.

Licensing Act review followed by further measures to address alcohol related disorder

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) recently released the Evaluation of the Impact of the Licensing Act 2003 after committing to monitoring the impact of the new framework for licensing across the country.

The report's key findings suggest that there have been no significant changes in alcohol-related disorder.  Whilst DCMS admit it may be too early to make real conclusions on the impact, it appears there has been no overall increase in alcohol related-crime and disorder and no significant rise in the number of 24 hour licenses being used.  However, the findings show that previous peak times for incidents have been displaced in favour of more incidents later into the night.

The report does claim that a number of positive issues have emerged and that the change in structures transferring licensing responsibilities from magistrates to licensing authorities has improved democratic accountability and the involvement of residents and stakeholders. Reports of significant cost savings (around £99m a year) to license holders and businesses are highlighted, and no negative impacts are registered in relation to the regulation of live music performances.

Nonetheless the report acknowledges that there may be varying degrees to which licensing authorities are using the new powers, with many still failing to address serious issues relating to problematic premises. Additionally it is reported there is no indication of diversification in the night time economy, away from a concentration of drinking venues, which is sought to achieve a change in the current drinking culture, see earlier research by the Institute of Alcohol Studies.

The review also highlights that improvements need to be made where authorities are not taking sufficent action aginst premises and further consideraton needs to be given to further simplifying certain processes for licensing authorities.

However the report emphasises the root and branch approach that the government is taking towards alcohol harm across all sections of society. The Licensing act 2003 was implemented to support the cross-cutting national alcohol strategy updated in 2007 in Safe, Sensible, Social: Next steps for the government's national alcohol strategy and highlights a number of new inititives being taken to reduce the impact of alcohol in the night time economy. These include the new Beacon Council scheme ‘After Dark’ which will support and reward innovative approaches to managing town centres being delivered by local authorities.

 

In taking forward the priorities outlined in the review, the Home Office will bring forward new legislation to further address alcohol related disorder. The new measures include a sharper ‘yellow card and red card’ system for problem premises and an increase in the fine for breaching drinking control areas (DPPOs) from £500 to £2,500. These come alongside new Alcohol Disorder Zones which under the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 give councils increased powers to restrict the number of licenses in alcohol disorder ‘hotspots’ and force premises responsible for disorder to contribute to costs incurred to the police or council.

Scottish Government announces £25 million to reduce alcohol misuse

The Scottish government has set a precedent this week in announcing £25 million for alcohol screening, prevention and treatment for the year 2008/2009. This is a doubling of the previous financial year’s spend of £10.13 million and marks a significant commitment to spend £85 million over the next three years.  Visiting a screening and interventions nurse programme based in Kilmarnock, Shona Robinson, the Minister for Public Health said:

“The record funding I am announcing today demonstrates the Scottish Government's clear commitment to address Scotland's complex relationship with alcohol.

"Far too many Scots are drinking above the recommended amounts on a regular basis - often without realising that they are doing so, and without understanding the impact it is having on their health.

"But Scottish Government action does not stop there. We are currently developing a long term strategic approach to tackling alcohol misuse. We plan to publish our proposals for action before the summer."

This may put pressure on the Department of Health, who so far have made no further commitments to increase spend on alcohol treatment and interventions since it announced an extra £15 million through the Choosing Health agenda.   However it is reported that many PCTs did not direct the allocation to delivering or improving alcohol services as the money had not been ring fenced.  An Alcohol Concern report is expected this year to show how much PCTs are spending on alcohol.

 

For the orginal report and further details visit www.scotland.gov.uk