Two evaluation reports of projects attempting to reduce sales to drunks and associated problems have been released by the Centre for Public Health (CPH).
Know the Score
An Evaluation of the South Wales Know the Score Intervention [pdf] was a pilot which aimed to increase bar staff and public awareness of the law on sales to drunk persons, and promote responsible drinking behaviours in nightlife environments.
The project was developed by South Wales Police which included: a social marketing campaign; radio broadcasts; intervention materials promoting the campaign; enhanced police enforcement; and promotion of the materials by agencies and its #drinklessenjoymore strap-line.
The project was assessed using pre and post intervention surveys with drinkers in Cardiff and Swansea town centres. The post intervention survey showed knowledge of the law against selling to drunk persons rose from 48% to 61%, and showed a reduced proportion of people who felt getting drunk was acceptable in the town centres (from 87% to 74%). A decrease in preloading drinking behaviour following the intervention was also found, reducing from 63% to 54%.
However the report says excessive alcohol consumption and drunkenness remain key features of the night‐time economy. The various recommendations include development of a long‐term plan to prevent drunkenness, to include Know the Score a key feature . Pre-loading is also identified for further attention, including at national policy level through minimum pricing. Further training for bar staff on refusing to serve intoxicated persons, as well as using 'pseudo-intoxicated' actors to test and measure rates of serving to drunks, were also recommended in the report.
'Say No to Drunks'In Liverpool, a Say No to Drunks Pilot Evaluation [pdf] was also conducted by CPH. Similarly to Wales' Know the Score project, it included a social marketing and public awareness raising campaign; bar staff training; police enforcement; but also the provision of breathalysers for door supervisors to support entry refusal.
Although only 17% of the post-intervention nightlife survey participants reported being aware of the 'Say No to Drunks' project, some similar changes were reported in:
- knowledge of it being illegal to sell alcohol to a drunk person rose (from 45.1% to 60.2%)
- the number of participants reporting pre-loading fell (from 65.4% to 53.9%)
Recommendations from the project were also similar, but findings on the use of breathalysers were mixed. Whilst door staff found them easy to use, less than half said they wished to continue using them after the pilot. The report does recommend that 'enforcement activity should be a strong feature of future work to ensure that there is a realistic expectation of prosecution for illegal alcohol sales among venue staff and managers.'
It also recommends further work to prevent drunkenness and sales to drunks, to be undertaken as part of a broader strategic approach. Policy options around permitted alcohol service hours and minimum unit pricing were also identified as 'likely to influence both overall alcohol consumption and in particular harmful drinking behaviours such as preloading.'
Sales to drunks - local solutions or national levers?
Earlier this year we reported on a growing number of areas introducing breathalysers on the door of premises. However as the CPH evaluations identify, shifting a culture of drunkeness will likely require a broader and longer term strategy. Last year a report called for review of the legislation on 'sales to drunks' as one of the most under enforced laws on the statute books. As well as a review of legislation, retailer and enforcement activities would also be needed, alongside a national campaign to raise awareness of the law among licensees, customers and bar staff.
Although a new national alcohol strategy can be expected next year, as yet there is no indication it will be taking up any such recommendations. If not, these reports suggest ad-hoc local initiatives will not be enough to bring about longer term change to low awareness and attention to the issue of sales to drunks, and its associated night life norms.
Comments