Alcohol Policy UK

One third of accidental fire deaths in London are alcohol-related

According to London Fire Brigade statistics, alcohol is a factor in 31% of fatal accidental residential fires, and approximately 35% of all fatal fires occurring in the months of December, January and February. The study also found that more than a third of fatal dwelling fires happen on a Saturday or Sunday night.

The Brigade advised Londoners to keep the following tips in mind:

• Make sure you have a working smoke alarm
• Drinking and naked flames like candles shouldn’t mix
• The risk of accidents, especially in the kitchen, is greater after alcohol is consumed. Never leave cooking unattended.
• Make sure cigarettes are completely extinguished and never smoke in bed, many fires start when people drink, then fall asleep while smoking.
• Don't drink alcohol if setting off fireworks.
• Don’t take risks by tackling a fire. Get out, stay out and dial 999.
• Have an escape route planned so you and your family can leave your home safely in the event of a fire

The findings correlate with a 2006 study by the Arson Control Forum that found that from a sample of deaths from fire, in 47% of cases the victim was under the influence of a substance - in 33% of the cases the substance was alcohol.

However the IAS fact sheet on 'Alcohol and accidents' showed that in 2007/8 Greater Manchester Fire Service recorded 43% of fire fatalities had consumed alcohol, though noted the small sample size.

See also previous posts about campaigns and research from Strathclyde, Tayside, Hartlepool, and Merseyside.

Jobs: Commissioning Officer - Alcohol

Wiltshire council is recruiting to the unusual but welcomed position of a Commissioning Officer for alcohol.

Department: Community Services (DCS)

Salary: £23,405 - £25,940

Closing Date: 06/10/2009

Reference: DCS09/54

Hours: Permanent Full Time

Location: Trowbridge

For further details see the Wiltshire Council jobs page

For informal enquiries please contact : Eleanor Stirling, Joint Commissioning Manager for Substance Misuse on: 07780954398, or email [email protected]

Alcohol use disorders - clinical management: draft guideline consultation

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has opened consultation on 'Alcohol use disorders - clinical management'.

In order to partake in the consultation you must register as a stakeholder and submit comments by 12 November 2009.

NICE will also be releasing further guidance relating to children and young people including:

• Prevention guidance relating to alcohol-use disorders in adults and young people - publication expected March 2010
• Clinical guidelines for alcohol use disorders in adults and young people - publication expected January 2011

Autumn alcohol conferences and events 2009

A tide of alcohol conferences and events are approaching so we thought we'd summarise what's happening. You can also follow or notify us of events for the Alcohol Policy events calender.

Forthcoming events:

• Wed Nov 4  - Future proof? How does the UK become a social drinker? Alcohol Concern annual conference and AGM - Glaziers Hall, 9 Montague Close, London Bridge, London SE1 9DD
• Thu Nov 5 - 67th Alcohol Problems Research Symposium - Stonecross Manor Hotel, Cumbria LA9 5HP, details from Professor Martin Plant
• Fri Nov 13 - Youth, Alcohol & Crime (problems & effective response) - international conference - Bristol
• Tue Nov 24 & Wed 25 - Safe. Sensible. Social: Supporting Delivery 4th National Alcohol Conference - Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool (registration not yet open)

The Home Office's 40 Alcohol Enforcement Skills Development seminars are also filling up quickly.

There is also reportedly an ACPO National Licensing Conference in York on 30 September and 1st October but we don't have details as yet!

The INEBRIA 2009 brief interventions conference is also reportedly full.

Finally if you are an alcohol coordinator or strategic lead in the York & Humber region you should be aware of the AERC Alcohol Academy event in Leeds on the 11th November.

WHO releases alcohol strategy guidance for European states

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released the Handbook for action to reduce alcohol related harm. The handbook is aimed at policy makers to help them 'review, adjust or strengthen their alcohol action plans and explores ten areas for action'. WHO has also released the supporting Evidence for the effectiveness and cost–effectiveness of interventions to reduce alcohol-related harm.

The guidance identifies the 10 key areas for action on alcohol as:

1. alcohol pricing
2. the availability of alcohol
3. the marketing of alcoholic beverages
4. illegally and informally produced alcohol
5. drink–driving
6. drinking environments
7. health care interventions
8. public awareness-raising
9. community and workplace action
10. monitoring and evaluation

Note: not listed by WHO in order of efficacy

The document provides a comprehensive assessment of each of the areas for action through assessing the background, strategies, options, stakeholders and available tools for action. The handbook also draws on learning from a range of other reports and findings and examines the key factors that influence effective alcohol strategy 'infrastructures'.

The supporting review of effective alcohol interventions document provides an in depth analysis of research findings. The abstract states:

"Policies that regulate the economic and physical availability of alcohol are effective in reducing alcohol-related harm. Enforced legislative measures to reduce drinking and driving and interventions individually directed to drinkers already at risk are also effective. The evidence shows that information and education programmes do not reduce alcohol-related harm; nevertheless, they have a role in providing information, reframing alcohol-related problems and increasing attention to alcohol on the political and public agendas... Brief interventions for individual high-risk drinkers are also cost–effective, but are harder to scale up because of their associated training and manpower needs."

Alcohol and sexual risk survey and resources

The sexual health charity FPA have announced findings from a survey on alcohol use and sexual risks and produced supporting resources to raise awareness. Ipsos MORI conducted the survey on behalf of FPA, interviewing 1,002 people aged 18–30 who had past experience of both alcohol and sex. The study found:

• 70% of those who said ‘I have taken part in sexual activity with someone and then regretted it later’ thought alcohol was a factor
• 28% of all respondents said they had sex with someone they normally wouldn’t find attractive, with 73% of them giving alcohol as a factor
• 40% of those who ‘had sex with a new partner without using a condom’ said that alcohol was a factor
• Of the 9% respondents said that they have been unable to remember whether or not they had sex or exactly what type of sexual activity took place, 90% of these said that alcohol was a factor in what happened
• That there was a significant difference in the perception of their own risk taking when drinking (40%) compared with how they perceived others  level of risk taking (83%)

The FPA have released a number of supporting resources including a guidance sheet for professionals, posters and advice leaflet.

Scotland's SNP reveal stark figures on alcohol-related deaths

Figures announced by the Scottish National Party (SNP) show that of the 73 Scottish Parliament constituencies, 64 have alcohol related death rates above the UK average. The figures have prompted a number of media reports such as this one from the Telegraph, headed 'Alcohol kills up to six times more Scots than UK average'.

The SNP used the figures to reinforce the case for further measures such as minimum pricing to tackle the impact of alcohol-related harm. Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick said:

“The Scottish Government’s package of radical measures to encourage and promote responsible drinking alongside an end to alcohol at pocket money prices is a major part of ending this damaging death toll.

“These figures expose for all to see the dramatic impact alcohol has on health in Scotland.  There can be no doubt that we must take action on alcohol now before more lives are lost.

Your Evening Your City initiative reduces violence in Derby

An initiative called “Your Evening Your City” has helped to reduce drunkenness and violence significantly in Derby City centre. In six months, the initiative has cut drunkenness by 38% and violence by 56% amongst those leaving 23 premises in the City Centre (as measured by student researchers observing consumers from each of the 23 premises against fixed criteria at start and end of initiative in same time/day period and from the exact same vantage point.)

Instead of picking up the pieces, the initiative addresses the root causes of problems by “designing out” binge drinking and aggression in licensed premises and promoting a more positive bar environment.

This approach recognises that preventing binge drinking and aggression at source is much cheaper and far more effective than managing the weekly fall-out. The approach also recognises the importance of “positive” premises environments both in terms of moderating behaviour and in attracting different age and interest groups, creating a better social norm.

“Your Evening Your City” brings together a robust partnership of local government, local trade, national experts in responsible licensed premises management and best practice from North America, Europe and Australia. Crucially “Your Evening Your City” also provides these different stakeholders with a common, mutually beneficial agenda:

• To significantly reduce binge drinking, crime and related problems
• To broaden the city’s evening offer and make it more accessible to a wider range of people
• To promote growth and job creation in the evening economy, whilst reducing resource impacts on police, A&E and premises operators

To ensure these aims are met, the “Your Evening Your City” framework provides an “holistic programme” of problem prevention.

1. In each premises, environmental triggers to binge drinking and aggression are identified, then “designed out” with premises operators
2. Premises staff are given bespoke communications training to help them nip any problems in the bud and prevent their escalation
3. Premises operators and experts in responsible premises management work closely together to convert environmental changes and training into premises-specific Codes of Practice.

More information about “Your Evening Your City” is available from [email protected] or [email protected] and on the Bar Futures website.

Mandatory code could be scrapped

A Times story has announced the Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has proposed to delay several new pieces of legislation including the mandatory code. The code, which has no set implementation date, tops the list of legislation to be halted due to the recession. Mandelson has reportedly identified the code as 'anti-business' and should therefore be put on hold until 2011 (ie after the General Election). The Times claimed to have obtained a letter from the Business Secretary in which he states:

“I support the approach that where measures appear without a planned implementation date — and on the assumption they are not planned for the near future — we commit to not imposing these measures until after April 2011."

Gordon Brown had earlier this year pledged to bring in the code in order to crack down on binge drinking and irresponsible promotions. The terms of the code were recently proposed for consultation, with measures including the banning of 'irresponsible promotions' and requirements on licensees to display unit information at point of sale. Consultation on the proposals closed just last month. Alcohol Concern recently reported significant support amongst public sector and health professionals, but sections of the industry have been outspoken in their opposition to the code.

Reactions to the news have already begun to provoke support from the pub trade and objection from health organisations. Our Life, a health campaigning organisation in the North West  have have stated in a press release: "The government must stand firmly by its pledges to tackle binge drinking and alcohol harm. Such measures are hugely popular with the public."

A Home Office spokesperson said in respect of the implementation date:

“The enabling power for the code is contained in the Policing and Crime Bill currently going through Parliament. Until it has passed all its stages it is not possible to give a date when the code will come into effect.”

'New Horizons' mental health strategy consultation

A new national mental health strategy 'New Horizons: Towards a shared vision for mental health' is out for consultation until the 15th October 2009.

This Department of Health (DoH) page summarises the context and vision for the strategy. A further DoH consultation page contains links to the main document, executive summary and an online consultation form.

The consultation is significant for alcohol policy because of the impact of 'Dual Diagnosis' (combined mental health and substance misuse problems) and the mutually supportive outcomes that improving mental health and reducing alcohol harms share. The consultation is therefore a key opportunity to raise the importance of recognising and addressing alcohol issues within mainstream mental health policy.

The five key elements of the proposed mental health strategy:

 

Dual Diagnosis resources

The following resources and documents are also available for addressing Dual Diagnosis issues:

• A Dual Diagnosis toolkit for delivering services
• The 2002 DoH 'Dual Diagnosis good practice guide'
• An Alcohol Concern briefing 'Dual Diagnosis and alcohol'
• A further list of research and resources