At a national level alcohol related harm is estimated to cost approximately £20 billion a year as a result of drinking beyond safe limits. 5.9 million adults in the UK are thought to drink more than twice the recommended daily amount of alcohol and it is estimated that 1.8 million are chronic drinkers.
On the 5 June 2007 the Government published an updated National Alcohol Strategy named ‘Safe. Sensible. Social. The Next Steps in the National Alcohol Strategy’. The Strategy aims to address alcohol related harm and has three overarching themes:
- Community safety, crime and antisocial behaviour
- Health
- Children and young people
A local alcohol strategy
Members of the public, local businesses and local agencies have consistently identified alcohol as a key local concern and priority for action. Although Shropshire has made considerable progress in developing responses to alcohol related harm over the last few years, it is recognised that there is still a long way to go.
Effective partnership working is necessary to in order to reverse trends such as an increase in alcohol related crime, an increase in alcohol related mortality rates and higher than average regular consumption of alcohol among young people.
Key aims and objectives
The overall aim of the Alcohol Strategy is:
To work in partnership to reduce the harmful effects of alcohol experienced by individuals, families and local communities.
This will be achieved by working to:
- Reduce the incidence of alcohol-related crime and antisocial behaviour
- Reduce the risks caused by alcohol misusing offenders
- Reduce the percentage of the public who perceive drunk and rowdy behaviour to be a problem in their area
- Reduce alcohol-related hospital admissions
- Prevent further increases in levels of chronic and acute ill health caused by alcohol
- Reduce alcohol-related harm among children and young people
- Promote sensible drinking
- Improve the management and planning of the night-time economy
- Reduce alcohol related fires by increasing awareness of fire safety, delivering home fire safety surveys and increasing smoke alarm ownership.
Strategic framework
The Safer Stronger Communities Partnership will form the body with overall responsibility for the implementation of the Alcohol Strategy and supporting action plans. The Safer Stronger Shropshire Partnership will work with its sub groups and other partnerships including Shropshire Children’s Trust and the Health and Well-being Board.
Delivery and performance management
Implementation plans have been developed to support the Alcohol Strategy. Plans cover each Strategy theme: community safety, crime and antisocial behaviour; health; and children and young people. Actions are focused on achieving a number of priorities, some of which are listed:
- A review of partnership structures, commissioning arrangements and funding to support the delivery of this Strategy and supporting implementation plans.
- The development of a coordinated and cross-cutting approach to alcohol under the new Local Area Agreement with robust support and performance frameworks.
- The completion of an alcohol needs assessment for Shropshire.
- The development of joint work across adult and children’s services to target young offenders and binge drinkers who are responsible for the majority of alcohol attributable crime and hospital admissions for assault.
- The development of a feasibility study for an alcohol arrest referral scheme and use of conditional cautioning.
- Greater cohesion and development of prevention and harm reduction initiatives within primary care.
- The extension of partnership working to develop a more comprehensive response to the night-time economy agenda in Shropshire.
- Work to determine how progress made to reduce the harmful effects of alcohol misuse among young people may be continued in the long term.
- The development of a partnership approach to the communication of sensible drinking messages.
- The development of partnership working to reduce alcohol related fires through the use of home fire safety surveys and increased use of smoke alarms.
For more information about the work taking place in Shropshire to minimise the harm caused by alcohol use the contact button on this page.