Alcohol Policy UK

Alcohol strategy posts, London

New alcohol strategy coordinator posts are currently being advertised for Lewisham and Camden; deadlines are 12th and 14th July respectively.  Suitably qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.  Details here:

• Lewisham
• Camden

Contact us if you would like to have a chat with one of the London coordinators already in post (currently Hammersmith & Fulham, Greenwich, Southwark, Enfield and Brent).

Alcohol related admissions on the rise and in the news

News of statistics showing a rise in alcohol-related hospital admissions was all over the media on Friday (eg this BBC story).  The figures came from a report published by the Information Centre for health and social care, whose report, Statistics on Alcohol:  England, 2006 says:

• Admissions for alcoholic liver disease have more than doubled in a decade, reaching 35,400 in 2004/5.
• Alcoholic liver disease deaths increased by 37%.
• Admissions for alcoholic poisoning increased to 21,700 from 13,600 over the same 10-year period.

Professor Ian GiImore, Consultant Physician and Gastroenterologist at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals, and who takes over as President of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) later this month, was prominent in the coverage - as in this BBC video.   

The RCP alcohol group has published a number of key reports on alcohol in recent years (on this webpage), and it seems likely we will see more of Prof Gilmore in the coming months putting pressure on the government to tackle alcohol related harm more effectively.

Southwark alcohol control area to go ahead: consultation published

Southwark council is to go ahead with a near borough-wide DPPO (designated public places order) or 'alcohol control area'.  (The wards not covered are in Dulwich: East Dulwich, College and Village).

Southwark Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) was instructed to commence a consultation as per statutory requirements in Febuary. According to legislation no order can be made until at least 28 days after publication of the notice, which meets minimal compliance. The DAAT felt it was necessary to go beyond this and conduct an in-depth review of the current alcohol issues across the borough. The Notice invited representations to the Council within 64 days.

Download the report of the consultation and recommendations here. 
More detailed findings from the consultation here.

For more information on:

• putting together a consultation that goes beyond the minimum requirements, in a short space of time
• what worked well

contact Southwark's Alcohol Strategy Coordinator, Cathy Bruce, on 020 7863 3154 or [email protected]