- Deaths in road accidents, poisoning, drowning, fires, falls, as well as injuries inflicted in violent attacks, suicides and armed conflicts are the third biggest killers after heart disease and cancer. Injuries caused nine per cent of all deaths and 14 per cent of illness within western and eastern Europe, the World Health Organisation says. And alcohol is at the root of most injuries, being responsible for up to 40-60 per cent of all injuries. Life Style Extra Download the WHO report via here.
- Drinkers who commit violent crimes could be forced to undergo rehab treatment, the Home Secretary has suggested amid warnings from senior police officers about the impact of relaxing drinking laws. John Reid said he was considering whether the fast-tracking of drug addicts into detox to stop them reoffending could be extended to those who offended when drunk. The Observer
- Edinburgh: City leaders have attacked the Scottish Executive for the noise problems outside pubs caused by the smoking ban. Senior councillors are furious at being blamed for a rising tide of complaints over disruption caused by smokers loitering outside Capital licensed premises. They have accused the Executive of not considering the impact of large groups congregating outside and the growth of pavement cafe areas. The Scotsman
- Edinburgh: Around 3000 people across the city are currently receiving treatment for problems ranging from heroin addiction to alcoholism but often these people are seeing a number of different agencies without all the groups involved being aware of this. Action on Alcohol and Drugs in Edinburgh has devised a new "single shared assessment", which will see agencies use the same system for recording information about clients and then share this with each other. A trial run of the project will start next week in North Edinburgh and if successful is expected to be rolled out across the city. The Scotsman
- Swindon: A new night bus service is being rolled out this weekend with the specific aim of getting clubbers out of the town centre, reducing the potential for drink-fuelled violence and crime. The service is being run via a partnership involving bus operator Stagecoach, Swindon Council and the town's police force and will initially be trialled over a three-month period. Swindon Advertiser
- Blackpool: In just four weekends, more than 200 bottles and cans of alcohol have been taken out of under-age hands by police in a crackdown on booze-fuelled disorder. Operation Attitude used plain-clothed officers to observe the groups of youths, identify offenders and locate caches of illegally purchased alcohol that had been stashed in bushes or behind walls. That information was then relayed by radio to uniformed officers who moved in to speak with the groups, seize the alcohol and deal with the offenders. Arrests were made for causing criminal damage, public order offences and for assaults. Many more youths were dealt with by way of fixed penalty notices and given on the spot fines of between £40 and £80. Police say the strong stance is in direct response to concerns raised at local Police and Communities Together meetings about problems caused by groups of up to 50 youths. Blackpool Today
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