Alcohol Policy UK

Alcohol guidelines for community pharmacies released

The chief pharmaceutical officer Keith Ridge has written to PCT pharmaceutical advisors asking them to support pharmacies in promoting the Know Your Limits safe drinking campaign. A free pack for community pharmacists is also provided.

Previous posts on pharmacists doing alcohol screening and brief intervention here and here.

London: new Joint Action Group takes forward Regional Statement of Priorities for Alcohol

A Joint Action Group (JAG) met for the first time in January to discuss how to take forward London’s Regional Statement of Priorities for Alcohol. The group is made up of experts from a range of organisations, including Primary Care Trusts, London Probation, MPS, London boroughs and the voluntary sector. The Greater London Alcohol and Drugs Alliance (GLADA) will act as a Strategic Delivery Board for the JAG. The Regional Statement of Priorities was developed in response to the call for regional action within the Government’s Safe, Sensible, Social. The next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy (2007).

The priorities were drawn up by Ranzetta Consulting through workshops and structured discussions with a range of stakeholders. Its overall objectives are to:

• Reduce alcohol related harm to health, through awareness raising, early intervention and better access to treatment and support.
• Reduce alcohol related crime and disorder and anti-social behaviour through continuing to improve the management of the nighttime economy and tackling the links between drinking and offending.
• Reduce the risk of harm to children and young people as a result of their own or others’ drinking, through developing alcohol work within targeted youth support and the Every Child Matters agenda

Managing the NTE: Essex head cameras; Wrexham street pastors in

Officers across Tendring are the first in Essex Police's eastern division to be fitted with cameras that will be used in an effort to combat late night crime and anti-social behaviour. The seven cameras are being trialled on Friday and Saturday nights by neighbourhood policing teams in the district that includes towns such as Frinton and Clacton.

Chief Inspector Jon Hayter, the Tendring district commander, said:

“The seven cameras will be shared between neighbourhood policing teams in Harwich, Clacton, Walton, Frinton and Brightlingsea. These cameras will enable us to gather the best evidence that we can for alcohol-related and anti-social behaviour crimes. They will also act as a deterrent. We hope that they will be a great aide in the work we and our partners are doing to combat the problems associated with the night time economy”

 

Terry Allen, mayor of Frinton, hit the headlines after he put forward a proposal for Police Community Support Officers to be given night-vision goggles. He told the EADT he
welcomed the trial period for the head cameras, saying he hoped it would have the same success as the night vision goggles.

“I think the problem is that a lot of respect has gone and the good thing about the cameras is that they will show when people are mouthing off or causing trouble when they are being arrested.  EADT24

"Wonderful work" carried out by Wrexham's Street Pastors has been praised in the Welsh Assembly.  The town's AM, Lesley Griffiths, said the Street Pastors project is run by volunteers, with the support local churches and community groups, in partnership with North Wales Police and other statutory agencies. It is a voluntary, inter-denominational church response to urban problems. Members engage with people on the streets of Wrexham to care, listen and have dialogue during the town's nightime economy. They began their work on the streets of Wrexham on Friday 21st April, 2006. Newswales