Alcohol Policy UK

Alcohol in the news 30/12/06

• Low-alcohol lager is set to become the drink of choice in 2007 as demand grows for a healthier pint. Sales of both non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beers have risen by 4 per cent over the past 12 months, according to research, and are expected to rise further in the new year.  Scotsman

• An expert on binge drinking has slated the decision to allow revellers to buy alcohol from bars on Princes Street at Hogmanay. Dr Jan Gill, one of Scotland's leading authorities on the subject, has rubbished claims by organisers of the Royal Bank Street Party that the move is likely to make the event safer.  Scotsman

• Men who have sex with drunken women will be at risk of being convicted of rape under new laws to be considered by ministers. The legal shake-up would mean a woman would be considered incapable of giving consent to sex if she had been drinking heavily.

Police would be asked to carry out blood and urine tests on a woman who complained of rape to find out how much alcohol is in her body. They would then used "back calculations" to work out how drunk she was at the time of the alleged attack. A "drink and sex limit" would sweep away the confusion and controversy in the courts surrounding the issue of when a man accused of rape can claim he believed a woman gave her consent to sex.  thisisLondon.co.uk

• Almost a quarter of pubs and off-licences illegally sell booze to kids, researchers have revealed. A survey of local authorities found youngsters who were deliberately sent into licensed premises were able to buy alcohol in 23 per cent of cases. The figures, compiled by the Liberal Democrats, showed 2,588 out of 11,452 under-18s got served in tests of 69 areas of England and Wales.  The Sun

• A new drug has been tested which could provide a way to stop humans craving alcohol. Developed at the Howard Florey Institute in Melbourne, the compound blocks a chemical called orexin being released. Orexin cells, located in the brain, are involved in the high or euphoric feeling experienced when a person drinks alcohol or takes illegal drugs. Tests showed that after rats were given the compound, they stopped drinking alcohol that was made available to them.  TUV News

• Police lack the powers necessary to make the government's latest festive drink drive campaign effective, according to a road safety watchdog. GEM motoring assist believes that without evidential roadside breath testing and random stop and test legislation the latest THINK! campaign, aimed at 17 to 29-year-old men, will be frustrated. It also claims the UK now has one of the lowest screening rates in Europe for drink driving offences.

David Williams, chief executive of the road safety watchdog, said: "While we fully support the Department for Transport's THINK! campaign it is difficult to understand the rationale in spending hundreds of thousands of pounds at Christmas to dissuade young men from drinking and driving and then not giving the police the means to combat the problem on our danger-filled roads." And an online poll by the watchdog revealed that 80 per cent of the public who voted believe police should be given the power to breath test randomly.  ThisisHertfordshire.co.uk

Alcohol in the news 22/12/06

• Sixteen prosecutions for selling booze to underage drinkers have been abandoned by council bosses following a landmark York case. Trading Standards chiefs decided not to pursue the owners of bars, pubs, hotels and restaurants after a district judge said they were not liable. The matter relates to a trading standards sting operation in December 2005 where venues owned by Mitchells & Butlers, the Restaurant Group and Jarvis Hotels served alcohol to an under-18. Officers dropped the action after District Judge Martin Walker said he did not believe premise licence holders were liable for the underage sale.  Following Judge Walker's comments, more than a dozen other prosecutions were dropped against premise licence holders for the same offence. York Press

• Rather than the usual glass of sherry, elderly residents in sheltered accommodation in the Kirkham area will be having a slightly different kind of tipple with their mince pies this Christmas. Thanks to alcohol seizures across the rural Fylde, hampers full of the confiscated alcohol will be donated to make Christmas for the residents just that little bit more festive.   The Citizen

• Britain's young adults spend more on alcohol than anyone else in Europe. Drinkers aged 18-24 splashed out £1,549 each on booze in 2005 compared to £910 by the French. Britain's young adults drank an average 15 litres of pure alcohol last year, the second-highest of the seven European countries included in a Datamonitor survey.  Manchester Evening News

Tackling young people's drinking pt80

• A stack of booze was seized by police after a man was arrested on suspicion of supplying alcohol to children. Officer recovered 500 cans of beer and nine bottles of vodka from a house in Thorney Close, Sunderland. The haul was made after police, taking part in a crackdown dubbed Operation Linear, stopped a group of 14 and 15-year-olds in the street. The youngsters were caught red-handed with drink. Officers then quizzed them about where the alcohol they were carrying had come from.  Sunderland Today

 

• Police in Edinburgh have seized more than 4000 litres of alcohol from youngsters in the past year. The figure was revealed as youth action teams launched a pre-Christmas clampdown to tackle youth disorder connected with underage drinking. Police teams across the Capital have been co-ordinating their activities and concentrating on areas frequented by youths. Martin Black, inspector for youth justice at Lothian and Borders Police, said: "We are seizing increasing amounts of alcohol from underage people.  Scotsman

 

• Two men have been fined £80 each after being caught buying alcohol for children during a covert operation. The pair, aged 24 and 18, were filmed by secret cameras trained on Bargain Booze, Bury Road, Breightmet, as part of a police crackdown on adults buying drink for under-18s. Police spotted the 24-year-old handing eight cans of lager to a 15-year-old girl and saw the 18-year-old male giving a one-litre bottle of Lambrini to a group of 14-year-old schoolgirls. Both were questioned by police after being caught on Friday December 15 and accepted £80 on-the-spot fines.  This is Lancashire

A small selection of test purchasing stories, including less common news about pubs being fined:

• Eight South Denbighshire licenced premises have been fined for selling alcohol to children. The news comes after the Free Press revealed under our Booze Buster Campaign last week that two pubs in Ruthin and Denbigh had been busted for selling alcohol to underage youths. North Wales Police and Denbighshire enforcement officers carried out a series of test purchases during Saturday as part of Denbighshire Community Safety Partnership’s Operation Mistletoe.  Denbighshire Free Press

 

• Three pubs have been fined in a pre-Christmas crackdown on under age drinking across Fareham borough. It follows an alcohol testing purchasing operation by police on 11 pubs. Of these, eight successfully passed with no juveniles being served, but three failed the test.  Southern Daily Echo

Managing alcohol in the night time economy: Crewe & Nantwich, Poulton, Edinburgh, Brighton

• High visibility patrols have been launched by police in a bid to keep the lid on the threat of trouble from Christmas revellers. Special patrols around the main drinking circuits in Crewe and Nantwich are being supported by extra CCTV coverage and community wardens. Police, fire, licensing and Trading Standards officers are also carrying out checks on bars, pubs and clubs. A special Christmas-time taxi rank has been set up at the Avis premises in Nantwich Road to ease pressure points elsewhere. In Nantwich, an experimental rank has been created outside the Civic Hall. icCheshire

• The electronic eye of the law is set to click into action in a Wyre town. Poulton's network of CCTV cameras is ready to roll. Signs warning "Smile – You're on Poulton CCTV" have already been put up on the approach to the town centre and the network of six state-of-the-art cameras is in place to keep watch over the streets.  Coun Graeme Cocker, Wyre's living safely portfolio holder, said: "We believe that CCTV will help to give the local community added reassurance by deterring problems and making residents feel safer when they are out and about in the town centre – especially at night. The cameras send out a clear message to people to enjoy the town's vibrant night-time economy but to act responsibly or you will get caught on camera."  Blackpool Today

• Hogmany revellers have been warned not to abuse alcohol, as the police presence will be stepped up to clamp down on drink-related crime during the four-day festivities in Edinburgh. More than 400 officers will be patrolling the streets and an extra 2,500 stewards will be deployed in the city centre to ensure the smooth running of the world-famous event.  Scotsman

• Tonight in Brighton, street performers will be amusing crowds, security guards will be roaming the streets and a church will be transformed into a field hospital. All these schemes have been launched in response to the rise of binge drinking in Brighton and Hove.  The Argus Previous posts about field hospitals; check also our podcast featuring Brighton PCT's alcohol lead Gavin Bryce.

Alcohol campaigns: South Yorks, Brighton, Devon, Dereham

• On Monday 11 December 2006 a 12-day campaign began to reduce crime in South Yorkshire, particularly street crime, burglary, vehicle crime, drugs related crime and violence in the night time economy. South Yorkshire Police are aiming to target offenders whose criminal activities ruin people's Christmas. IMPACT, is a series of highly visible, high profile operations to catch criminals and help reduce the fear of crime in our communities. The aim of South Yorkshire Police's campaign is to make a real difference in the community and protect the people of South Yorkshire's Christmas.  South Yorkshire Police  Interestingly, South Yorks Police are podcasting   (See  also the Alcohol Policy UK podcast)

• Tonight in Brighton, street performers will be amusing crowds, security guards will be roaming the streets and a church will be transformed into a field hospital. All these schemes have been launched in response to the rise of binge drinking in Brighton and Hove.  The Argus  Previous posts about field hospitals; check also our podcast featuring Brighton PCT's alcohol lead Gavin Bryce.

• Sales of alcohol to underage drinkers will again be targeted by Devon County Council trading standards officers in the run up to Christmas. The team has launched its festive campaign of test purchasing operations targeted at the illegal sale of alcohol to under-18s. The launch coincided with Safer Devon Partnership's Christmas Alcohol Campaign, which delivers the "Think Safe Drink Safe" message. Mid Devon Star

• Festive revellers have been warned they could be hit with a fine of up to £500 if they breach an alcohol ban in parts of Dereham. The town has a range of public areas where booze cannot be drunk. New signs and thousands of promotional beer mats have been produced, to mark the launch of an awareness campaign by Breckland Council, Dereham Police Safer Neighbourhood Team and other members of the town's Local Area Action Group to highlight the zones and the crackdown on anti-social behaviour.  EDP24

Managing alcohol in the night time economy: Preston bus, Ulverston street patrols, Telford pub bans, Bolton lollipops, Doncaster free soft drinks

• Plans for a 24-hour bus service in Preston are under consideration again.  City leaders are to discuss the idea of a round-the-clock bus service as a way of solving some of the city's late-night booze trouble.  Talks are already taking place between club and taxi bosses and the police about the prospect of running a late-night bus from outside Preston's biggest nightclub.  The idea of 24-hour public bus service was due to be discussed by members of Preston Council's environment review board when they met on Thursday.  Councillors will then decide if they want to take a more detailed look at the suggestion.  Sgt Andy Hobson, alcohol project manager for Preston, who is currently on secondment at the Central Lancashire PCT, said: "Our night time economy continues to expand and effective planning of transport routes can have a positive impact on reducing victims and improving visitors' perceptions of Preston."  Lancashire Evening Post  The report considered at the meeting is here.

• Ulverston police are stepping up street patrols to cut down on criminal damage in the run up to Christmas. Latest crime figures show an increase of 27 per cent in incidents of criminal damage in Ulverston. Between April and November this year 331 complaints were recorded. Police hope a night time economy Streetsafe operation, set to take place in the town tomorrow, will help deter offenders. Officers will visit pubs and clubs to get views from members of the public on alcohol related offences, starting from Ulverston Police Station at 7pm.

Streetsafe operations have run in South Lakeland over a number of years, usually during the day. This new approach will give an opportunity to raise the profile of ongoing police activity, the role of Barwatch, the work of licensing teams and crucially, highlighting what owners and managers of licensed premises can do to prevent damage to their property. As part of the Respect campaign and ongoing police work, names of those who commit anti-social offences will be referred to either the Barwatch Committee or the Anti-Social Behaviour Case Conferencing Team, with the potential to result in Anti-Social Behaviour Orders.  North West Evening Mail

• Yobs in Telford will be shown the red card and banned from pubs and clubs in a scheme to be introduced across the borough in time for Christmas, it was revealed today. The Three Strikes and You’re Out scheme could see hooligans and drunken revellers banned from licensed premises, forcing them to celebrate the festive season elsewhere. The scheme was launched in Oakengates in June and its success will now see licensing officers roll it out in every area of Telford.  Shropshire Star

• Bolton: Police have unveiled their latest weapon in the fight against anti-social behaviour . . . lollipops.  Officers hope that handing out lollies to late-night drinkers in the run-up to Christmas and the New Year will have crime licked and will curb drunken clashes at closing time.  Police and nightclub doorman will hand out more than 30,000 lollipops. It is hoped the idea will help police and security staff form a positive relationship with partygoers, pacify drunken behaviour and stop rowdiness.  The Bolton News

• Pub and clubs in Doncaster are offering free soft drinks to customers who are designated drivers over the Christmas period.  The offer is available to groups of four or more at around 40 town centre outlets, which are displaying the special Drinkaware Trust “designated driver” posters and stickers.  The driver also gets a personal “I'm Des” sticker, which identifies him or her as the party moves from pub to pub.  The scheme is a joint initiative between Doncaster's Best Bar None, Pubwatch, South Yorkshire Police and the Doncaster Free Press.  The Publican

Chrsitmas alcohol campaigns: Glasgow, Blackpool, Cambridgeshire

• A major campaign is running in Glasgow to encourage revellers to drink safely over the festive period. Clubbers and pubgoers will be bombarded by the message to "play safe" over the next few weeks, in a bid to cut drunkenness and disorder in the city centre.  Warning adverts will be shown on the big screen in Buchanan Street, and the Play Safe message will be projected in St Enoch Square and Buchanan Street.  Posters and billboards displaying the Play Safe message will be plastered across the city, as well as in licensed premises, universities and taxis.  Evening Times

• ‘Have one on us’ - that’s the offer from BSafe Blackpool this Christmas. The message from Blackpool Primary Care Trust, Blackpool Police, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Services and Blackpool Council – working in partnership under BSafe Blackpool - is a simple one: Have fun but BSafe during the festive period.  Representatives from all of these agencies will be out in force in the town centre giving out free bottles of water to remind people of the ALTN8 campaign - alternate alcoholic and soft drinks the party period.  The bottles of water are branded with one of two messages.  Concerned at the 119% rise in house fires in December last year, Lancashire Fire Rescue service are telling Blackpool residents: 'Don't be a turkey this Christmas - Don't be a drunken cook' Lancashire Constabulary

Hear more about what's going on in Blackpool in a forthcoming Alcohol Policy UK podcast

• Cambridgeshire police are warning drinkers in pubs and clubs across Peterborough about the dangers of drink-spiking.  As part of Operation Sodium – the Christmas crackdown on alcohol-related crime – they are urging party-goers to watch over drinks and keep an eye on friends when out enjoying themselves over Christmas and New Year.  Chief superintendent Paul Phillipson, who is leading the campaign, said: "Although reported incidents of drink-spiking in Cambridgeshire are low, I would urge people to watch their drinks when they are out enjoying themselves.  Evening Telegraph 

Previous posts on drink spiking here

Alcohol industry news for 15/12/06: social responsibility tactics; supermarket prices; Pernod's health warnings

• This Marketing Week article sheds some light on Diageo's efforts, and their motivation, to promote responsible drinking.  It says:

The world's alcoholic drinks companies know their business is in the spotlight. Tobacco has been beaten and the junk food industry is fighting a futile rearguard action, so many experts predict alcohol will be the next big target.  All the major players in the alcohol industry have been developing strategies to combat excessive drinking and defuse at least some of the criticism likely to be coming their way.  But [Diageo GB's Head of Social Responsibilty says] Diageo's involvement in responsible drinking initiatives is not entirely altruistic: "It is important to demonstrate that the industry can effectively self regulate."

On the Drinkaware Trust:

Industry insiders say the government is likely to allow the DrinkAware Trust to pitch for the management of government-funded anti-alcohol campaigns in the future.

Erm......the Trust is supposed to fund alcohol education, not run campaigns on behalf of the government, surely?  We'll keep an eye on this one.

• Supermarket firm Morrisons has admitted it sells alcohol at below cost price at times of the year such as Christmas but says it is “forced” to do so.  As the trade hits out at cheap supermarket alcohol for fuelling binge drinking and turning customers away from pubs, Morrisons revealed its tactics to the Competition Commission inquiry into supermarkets. It was the only one of the four supermarkets being investigated to admit it sells alcohol below cost price.  The company’s submission said: “We sell below cost only because we have to do so on certain products in order to remain competitive.  It is not something we would choose to do were we not forced into it.” Morning AdvertiserEuronext

• Pernod Ricard will extend the display of a warning to pregnant women on all bottles of wine and spirits sold by the Group to all European Union countries.  The warning symbol is already compulsory in France but not in other EU countries. It highlights the risk to pregnant women of consuming alcoholic drinks and will progressively be added to the back label of all products in the Pernod Ricard range, in a visible and clear manner, from the first half of 2007, and as label stocks are depleted.   

Alcohol campaigns: AMEC (not), Hampshire, Scarborough

• There will be no AMEC (Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign) funding from the Home Office this Christmas.  Cynics might suggest this is because the government has passed the one year anniversary of the new licensing laws relatively unscathed - any problems with alcohol-related violence and disorder in out town centres henceforth can be blamed on something else, not the Licensing Act 2003. This is London

• A Hampshire-wide campaign has been launched targeting binge-drinking and how it can end in rape or violence.  The film, radio and poster campaign, run by the Hampshire Drug Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) will promote a safer drinking message to young people aged between 13 and 20 by showing how binge drinking makes them more vulnerable.  It will also raise awareness of the consequences of committing a crime after drinking too much. 

According to statistics from the DAAT alcohol misuse is involved in around 39 per cent of rape or attempted rape cases in Hampshire. Latest statistics suggest that date rape drugs are involved in a less than two per cent and that excessive alcohol consumption is the real danger - to both men and women. A short DVD film called Did Sophie Consent? has been produced by New Forest District Council, directed and acted by students at Totton College.  The tag line to the campaign is: "Too much drink can lead to rape or sexual assault. Don't let alcohol ruin your life."  Mike Webb, from the DAAT, said he hoped to see a 15 per cent reduction in alcohol-related rape cases from the campaign.  Southern Daily Echo

• A hardline stance on binge drinking is being cemented in Scarborough with the launch of a campaign to curb alcohol-fuelled street brawls, sex attacks and criminal damage.  The resort was one of the first in the country to introduce no-alcohol zones on its streets, and the new scheme is aimed at reducing drink-related crime further.

The latest initiative is aimed at hammering home the dangers of drinking to excess in the run-up to Christmas as shocking official statistics have revealed the misery caused by alcohol abuse.  Last year, more than three-quarters of domestic violence reported to North Yorkshire Police in the Scarborough and Ryedale districts was alcohol-related.

The crackdown will incorporate high-profile poster campaigns in pubs and bars as well as doctor's surgeries and libraries. Credit card-style leaflets are also being handed out with information on the law and the impact of alcohol-related behaviour. This information will also be displayed on the inside and outside of private hire vehicles and taxis using reflective signs. Station Taxis is the first private hire company to sign up to the project, and it is hoped more organisations will pledge their support. To contact the Safer Communities Partnership ring 01723 232326 or visit www. safermoorsandcoast.org.uk for more information.  Yorkshire Post

Enfield alcohol strategy selected by Home Office as best practice

The Home Office has selected Enfield's Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy as the UK's best practice example in tackling alcohol-related crime.  The strategy will be featured by the EU Crime Prevention Network on its website, and was one of two projects that represented the UK at the EUCPN's recent annual conference in Finland.

Enfield's strategy has been successful in reducing alcohol-related violence and disorder in Enfield Town Centre, through close partnership working between police, licensing and the licensed trade.  The strategy is overseen by a multi-agency partnership board and coordinated by Ranzetta Consulting. 

The strategy has a number of components, that together address education and communication, identification and treatment, enforcement, encouraging the licensed trade to promote responsible drinking, and better data collection.

More information
Enfield Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy
Briefing paper
Contact Libby Ranzetta, the project lead
Guardian article about the strategy.