A research evaluation has been published in the journal Addiction assessing the impact of the 'Drink Less Enjoy More' project that aimed to increase adherence to the law prohibiting sales to intoxicated persons in Liverpool.
Although findings from the project have previously been reported - indicating that the combination of awareness raising, bar server training and enforcement appeared to significantly reduce sales to drunks - the evaluation may be seen as significant given addressing alcohol-related disorder appears central to national alcohol policy in England and Wales.
Currently, a second round of 'Local Alcohol Action Areas (LAAAs) are underway in 33 areas, with participating stakeholders expected to include monitoring and evaluation plans; likely to be considered important given ongoing questions over the effectiveness of various partnership approaches. A recent Guardian story reported Bedfordshire Police, one of the round 2 LAAAs, have also been utilising 'drunk' actors to test purchase local premises as per the 'Drink Less Enjoy More' intervention, though does not detail what other supporting activity may be taking place.
Indeed the recent Liverpool evaluation identifies the test purchasing element as part of a 'multi-component' approach which aimed to simultaneously increase awareness of legislation; support bar staff compliance with the law; and provide a strong deterrence to selling alcohol to drunks. The results appear impressive, with the odds of 'pseudo-intoxicated' actors being refused a sale 14 times higher post intervention, and nightlife users twice as likely to be aware of the law prohibiting sales to drunks. Sales to drunk actors, perhaps unsurprisingly, were found to be significantly more likely in venues where there appeared to be higher numbers of intoxicated patrons, whilst female bar staff were more likely to refuse sales.
National change?
The evaluation though notes that the range of partnership strategies adopted nationally appear to have done 'little to discourage or reduce the acceptability of drunkenness inherent in nightlife settings', and there has been a 'scarcity of interventions aiming to address sales of alcohol to drunk persons'. Whilst some may point out declines in consumption amongst younger people and apparent falls in alcohol-related violence, few academics would suggest such national changes are responses to local partnership approaches. The report also found that despite the positive impacts on sale refusals, the total median expected alcohol consumption of night time drinkers over the course of the full night out increased post-intervention from 16 to 20 units, concluding that drunkenness in nightlife settings is still 'culturally accepted and expected'.
The authors however suggest changing attitudes to drunkenness has the potential to be influenced by wider implementation of multi-component approaches addressing sales to drunks; indeed calls for further policy attention to the subject have previously been made by other organisations. Addressing the issue though is far from straightforward, particularly with regards to the absence of a clear legal framework for identifying intoxicated patrons and the apparent importance of ensuring enforcement activity as a key element to the multi-component approach.
An opportunity still to be taken?
With the second round of LAAAs due to run through to next year, there is unlikely to be any significant national policy change on the issue in the near future. Furthermore, the authors note 'the impact of local community-based interventions may be limited if not supported by broader prevention efforts', citing the key issue of the significant price gap between the on and off-trade. Pre-loading was identified as a particular issue, with the majority of nightlife users reporting it both before and after the project. However, the report acknowledges addressing pre-loading would not be able to be achievable by price changes alone, with other responses advised such as further diversification of the night time economy, citing changes in drink driving attitudes as resulting from a broad combination of factors.
For the time being it seems any action on seeking to address sales to drunks is only likely to be seen in pockets of the country. In 2015 a growing number of areas appeared to be introducing breathalysers on the door of premises in attempts to reduce alcohol-related problems, whilst in 2016 the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) rejuvenated a poster campaign seeking to raise awareness of the laws regarding sales to intoxicated persons. Whilst it is not clear to what extent the posters or animations were used, the latest findings appear to re-iterate the oft-repeated conclusion that effects are only likely to be seen where multi-component approaches including enforcement activities are taken.
Other questions also exist around the capacity of local areas to work proactively following ongoing cuts to police and local government, potentially a contributor to falling licensing reviews and the recent controversy over the new violent crime strategy. Even so, local level responses to alcohol-related problems may be seen as still limited in the context of national drivers such as price and availability. Any national strategy change looks set to remain on hold for some time to come, whilst the focus of attention will be on Scotland's soon to be 50 pence minimum unit pricing law.
#Morriston_NPT PCSO Bowen has been visiting licenced premises in the #Treboeth area today promoting #DrinkLessEnjoyMore #SixNations2018 ^AB pic.twitter.com/tntBDkZbKg
— SW Police Swansea (@SWPSwansea) February 13, 2018
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