Alcohol Help

Today, Sunday 29th June 2008, physicians and former patients from the UK and the rest of Europe are gathering to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Castle Craig Hospital, the UK’s largest hospital for the treatment of addictions.

The reunion will begin with a morning session on ‘Addiction Treatment: How to change the brain’ addressed by two eminent psychiatrists, Dr. Peter Geerlings, former Medical Director of The Jellinek in Amsterdam and Dr. Geert Dom, Head of Addiction, Psychiatric Centre Alexian Brothers, Belgium. After an electrifying therapeutic drumming session, the afternoon session will be introduced by the International Coordinator for Narcotics Anonymous who will speak together with six former patients about their experiences in recovery, after leaving Castle Craig.

“The annual reunion is always an inspirational occasion where hundreds of former patients return to Castle Craig to talk about their new alcohol and drug free lives”, said Peter McCann, Castle Craig Chairman. “Over the last twenty years, attendance at the reunion has grown rapidly and this year we are anticipating around 600 attendees. Substance misuse is one of the UK’s major problems and Castle Craig plays an important role in influencing public awareness that people who are addicted do recover and go on to lead abstinent and fulfilled lives.”

About Castle Craig

Located in the Borders of Scotland, Castle Craig Hospital opened in 1988 and has since helped over 7,000 patients on the road to recovery from their addictions. The treatment at Castle Craig is based on the Minnesota Model and promotes The 12 Step Programme as a way of recovery from alcohol and drug dependence. A skilled, multidisciplinary team provides medical and psychiatric care, detoxification and relapse prevention.

Castle Craig is a major contractor to the National Health Service and is recognised by the major medical insurers in the U.K. While Castle Craig is a national resource for the people of Scotland, many insurance companies from other countries also fund the treatment. www.castlecraig.co.uk

Alcohol and Drug Addiction in the UK
In the UK, the number of alcohol-related deaths more than doubled from 4,144 in 1991 to 8,758 in 20061. The Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England estimates that up to 22,000 premature deaths per year are associated in some way with alcohol misuse2. In 2004, the Government estimated that alcohol misuse costs the health service in England between £1.4 and £1.7 billion per year2. Alcohol problems cost Scotland an estimated £2.25 billion per year in NHS, social work, police, emergency services, and the wider economic and human costs3. It is estimated that in England there are up to 1.3m children affected by parental alcohol problems4 and in Scotland there are 100,000 children in Scotland are living with a problem drinking parents.

Castle Craig Hospital

The link between Father’s Day and alcohol is inescapable. At this time of year, greetings card shelves groan with cards depicting foaming pints of ale and robust glasses of red wine, pushing the message that drinking is both a manly pursuit and an essential part of Father’s Day celebrations.

It’s a great time of year for drinks manufacturers, too. In the run-up to Father’s Day, some £14 million is spent on spirit brands in the UK, with whisky the number one alcoholic gift for men over the age of 35, according to figures from industry giant Diageo.

But is an alcohol-fuelled Father’s Day really beneficial for family life? Sue Allchurch, director of the Linwood Group, thinks not: "When you’ve seen first-hand the damage an alcoholic father does to himself and his family, then this link between alcohol and Father’s Day takes on a more disturbing dimension," she says.

"The families of alcoholic fathers frequently experience disruption of household routine, economic hardship and emotional and physical abuse as a result of the father’s drink problem - these are hardly things to celebrate or to hold up as part of responsible fatherly behaviour," she says, adding that children of alcoholics are more likely to grow up to develop drinking problems of their own.

Unfortunately, the influence of societal norms means that even dads with the best intentions to protect, support and care for their families can run into trouble with alcohol.

A recent study by Alcohol Concern found that male problem drinking is largely fuelled by Western cultural values. "In societies where most people drink, it is especially difficult for men to be abstainers because it is an image linked to being weak," said Frank Soodeen of Alcohol Concern. "Alcohol has economic and symbolic value. It functions as a symbol of earning power and social exchange and is significant as an expression of gender identity and position within society, peer groups and families."

The same pressures can make it difficult for fathers who drink too much to admit to their families that they have a problem with alcohol, or even to themselves, says Allchurch. But families can do much to help, she says, and a key first step is to stop colluding in a father’s drinking and to stop excusing and covering up for it.

Father’s Day may be a good time to start, she suggests. "Avoid buying alcohol as a gift or even an alcohol-themed card. A strong family that takes positive action and supports the drinker can go a long way to getting them into recovery and show their true appreciation for him as a father."

Linwood Manor

Over two-thirds of Britons believe that life would be less enjoyable without alcohol. In a recent survey of clients and their families conducted by Linwood Group, 70 per cent felt that alcohol was vital to socialising, relaxing, celebrating — or simply getting a good night’s sleep.

Significantly, most believed this wasn’t a problem, even those whose family members are problem drinkers.

So are we turning a blind eye to the risk of alcoholism and its effects? Linwood Group research director Sue Allchurch thinks so. "Drinking has become so commonplace in our society that even those who are not physically addicted are mentally dependent on alcohol and horrified by the thought of not drinking," she says.

In fact, she says, problem drinking is far more widespread than official statistics suggest: "If the definition of a problem drinker is taken as someone who drinks to alter their mood on a regular basis, our research suggests that most people can be classified as problem drinkers."

"Anyone who drinks daily is a problem drinker, even if they just have one or two drinks a day, because they are dependent on a mind-altering substance. These people don’t necessarily go over the limit and they build up a tolerance which means they feel perfectly OK and can avoid acknowledging what’s really going on with their mental and physical health."

Allchurch believes that using alcohol as a social crutch over a long period of time is the main cause behind the recent increase that she has seen in older alcoholics seeking treatment. "We’re getting more middle-aged, middle-class, professional people who have crossed over into alcohol dependency in their forties and older," she says.

Alcohol, it seems, is our nation’s socially acceptable legal drug of choice. But it’s worth bearing in mind that people who don’t drink at a social event can be confident that they won’t do or say anything inappropriate, feel much better than their boozy counterparts the next day, and perhaps most importantly, can remember what a good time they had.

So why not consider going alcohol-free at your next social engagement? It could give you some valuable insight into the effects of alcohol on you, your friends and your family - and if you find the prospect of a sober evening impossible, maybe it’s time to take a harder look at your relationship with alcohol.

Linwood Manor

In response to the government’s pledge to provide additional money for areas with the highest rates of alcohol-related hospital admissions, Don Shenker, Chief Executive of Alcohol Concern says:

"Unskilled men are between 10 and 20 times more likely to die from alcohol-related causes than those with a professional background. The Department of Health’s decision to place alcohol at the heart of its new drive against health inequalities is therefore the right one to have taken, and we support any measures that bring down the number of hospital admissions caused by alcohol misuse.

We are also encouraged by the Secretary of State’s timely support for alcohol treatment. The new national support team he announced today must persuade PCTs to invest more in structured treatment if it is to succeed. However, Whitehall also needs to ensure that there is further money available where needed to allow trusts to narrow the gap between the large number of people who need alcohol treatment and the limited number of spaces on treatment programmes. Otherwise local areas will be unable to meet worthy targets to improve everyone’s health."

Alcohol Concern

Police, local authorities and Government Ministers met today ( 5 June 2008 ) to discuss stepping up the use of powers designed to clamp down on those who sell alcohol irresponsibly.

Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker and Licensing Minister Gerry Sutcliffe called the meeting of senior police and local authority representatives to explore how existing powers can be used more effectively to control problem premises. They also shared knowledge about effective measures for tackling problem behaviour at pubs, bars and retail outlets.

High on today’s agenda was a discussion about the use of a new yellow and red card system. A yellow card will put the problem premises on immediate probation together with tough and uncompromising sanctions; a red card will mean the immediate loss of the licence. One of the aims of the summit is to discuss how this approach can be put into practice.

Vernon Coaker said:

"I am grateful for the ongoing support of our police and local authority partners in clamping down on the minority of problem premises. By working together we have already achieved a great deal - in the last national campaign fewer than 15 per cent of premises repeatedly sold alcohol to children, down from nearly 50 per cent three years ago.

"Today’s meeting is about sharing evidence of what works well already, alongside understanding how new powers will help us to go even further."

Gerry Sutcliffe said:

"Most licensees take their responsibilities seriously, but we need to be sure that those who don’t are quickly dealt with. There is a range of powers available that are being used effectively in many areas, but there is not a consistent picture across the country. We want to hear from police and local authorities about what has worked well in their area, and what problems prevent existing powers and resources being targeted effectively."

Ministers also encouraged police and Trading Standards officers to make full use of local knowledge to identify and target premises that are known to be selling alcohol to children or are a source of disorder, and make full use of the powers in the Licensing Act to deal with them.

These powers include the ability to review a licence as soon as problems occur, increased fines for breaches of the law, and the ability to apply a range of conditions on licence holders.

In order to ensure a more consistent and effective use of licensing powers and other interventions across England and Wales, the key points identified at the summit will be used to inform a series of regional workshops in the coming months. Local enforcement and licensing practitioners will be invited to attend the workshops to familiarise themselves with all the tools and powers available to tackle problem premises and alcohol-related crime and disorder.

An evaluation of the Licensing Act in March found that authorities are not always using the considerable powers granted by the Act to tackle problems, and that there is a need to rebalance action towards enforcement and to crack down on irresponsible behaviour.

Today also saw Alcohol Disorder Zone (ADZ) legislation come into force. ADZs will provide local authorities and the police with a measure of last resort for tackling high levels of alcohol-related nuisance or disorder in parts of town and city centres.

Department for Culture, Media And Sport

Ryan Hopwood, 25, who lives in Torbay, lost his driving licence after being caught drink-driving last year.

"I arranged a night out with my friends in Torquay and decided to drive because I didn’t really plan to drink.

"However, I did end up drinking alcohol but instead of getting a taxi home to Paignton I thought I would be OK to drive home after about an hour.

"I got about a mile down the road when the police stopped me near the Princess Theatre. I was breathalysed, taken to the police station and had to take a blood test as well."

As a result of the incident, Ryan was banned from driving for 12 months, reduced to nine months after he agreed to take the driving re-education course at the Devon Driver Training Centre. He was also fined £250.

"I also had to pay £120 for the course, my car insurance premium went up and I had the additional cost of getting taxis to work and back everyday.

"It was harder to go out with my mates in the evenings so I spent a lot of nights in watching TV. I just had to look at the car parked in the drive knowing I couldn’t use it - that was a very effective punishment for me.

"The course run by the drivers’ centre was very effective in making me realise how stupid drink-driving is. It taught me about working out units of alcohol and how easily drinking affects your driving.

"My advice is to just leave the car keys at home - don’t risk it. It is not just the inconvenience of losing your licence it is the hidden financial costs. More importantly, you are putting your own life and those of others at risk as well."

Department for Transport

A comprehensive plan to stop young people drinking in public; help them make the right decisions about alcohol; and provide clear information to parents and young people about the risks of early drinking was announced by Ed Balls, Jacqui Smith and Alan Johnson in the Government’s Youth Alcohol Action Plan.

The Action Plan sets out what the Government will do to address drinking by young people in three main ways:

* Working with police and the courts to stop it, making it clear that unsupervised drinking by young people under-18 in public places is unacceptable;

* Recognising that drinking by young people in the home is clearly the responsibility of parents and families, but providing clearer health information for parents and young people about how consumption of alcohol can affect children and young people. The Action Plan announces that the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson will produce clear guidelines for families;

* Working with the alcohol industry to continue the good progress made to reduce the sale of alcohol to under-18s but also in marketing and promoting alcohol in a more responsible way.

While the proportion of young people who drink regularly has fallen, the consumption of alcohol by those who do drink has risen sharply. And the ways in which young people are drinking have changed. The Youth Alcohol Action Plan promises a powerful package of action to tackle this:

* New laws to stop young people drinking in public places, including a new offence to tackle persistent possession of alcohol;

* New authoritative guidelines from the Chief Medical Officer about young people, alcohol and health;

* Establishing a new partnership with parents by providing them with clear information they need to guide their children towards low risk drinking; and

* Supporting and encouraging young people themselves through publicity campaigns and education in schools to make the right decisions about alcohol.

There is a rising trend.of young people drinking unsupervised in public places. This puts them and their communities at greater risk, so tough new measures will be introduced to give thepolice powers to tackle young people who harm themselves and their communities by persistently drinking unsupervised in public places. This includes the use of Acceptable Behaviour Contracts and Parenting Orders. To address the most serious and persistent cases of public drinking by young people, we will put in place tough new measures to address this, including legislating to make it an offence for under-18s to persistently possess alcohol in public places.

The Government wants to give parents and young people the information they need to make informed choices. The Chief Medical Officer will develop a new set of ‘guidelines’ on young people and alcohol. He will work with experts, parents and young people themselves to consider the age at which children and young people can start to drink alcohol, how much it is sensible for young people to drink; and how far young people’s drinking of alcohol should be supervised by parents.

Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, said:

"Tougher enforcement powers are needed to tackle under-age binge drinking but enforcement measures alone are not the solution. We need a culture change about drinking with everyone from parents, the alcohol industry and young people all taking more responsibility.

"We need to fundamentally influence young people’s behaviour and attitudes towards alcohol. This will involve talking to young people themselves but, crucially, parents tell us they want better, clearer information as they bring up their children."

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:

"If you can’t buy alcohol you shouldn’t be able to drink it in public either. Underage drinking erodes the safety and well being of communities as well as damaging young people’s health. It’s not right and I am determined to put a stop to it.

"Alongside new measures to help police to take action against one-off offenders and put them back on the right track, I will introduce brand new legislation which is designed to tackle under-18s who won’t change their ways. All of us, Government, the police, alcohol retailers, community workers and parents - particularly parents - have a responsibility to face this challenge head on. Now we have the powers in place, it’s time to use them to their full effect."

Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson, said:

"Young people drink, we know that. And instead of turning a blind eye or preaching at them, we must equip them and their parents with the information they need to stay healthy.

"Excess drinking caused an increasing number of people to be admitted to hospital last year. We want to ensure that the young people of today do not become patients of tomorrow because they have drunk too much alcohol."

Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical Officer, said:

"Fewer young people now drink, but those who do are drinking more - and they are probably unaware of the damage they are doing to their health. So it’s essential that young people and their parents have clear, medical guidance.

"I will be working with an expert panel, as well as with parents and children, to develop clear information for children, and their parents, about the effects of alcohol."

Anne Longfield OBE, Chief Executive of 4Children said:

"We welcome the Youth Alcohol Action Plan which is an important first step in tackling growing concerns around the level of young people’s drinking and the negative impact this can have on their health, well being and the communities in which they live. It is particularly encouraging to see an emphasis being placed on helping parents to discuss drinking alcohol with their children as many may feel uncomfortable and unsure of how to engage their children in talking about the issue.

"Providing young people with the information and guidance they need to make responsible decisions about drinking alcohol is vital, particularly given the peer pressure that many face. Working with young people and their families in this way will be an important part of the journey towards reversing the health and social problems which have resulted from our prevalent drinking culture."

Don Shenker, Chief Executive of Alcohol Concern, said:

"Alcohol Concern has consistently campaigned for the government to take stronger action to reduce the considerable levels of teenage alcohol misuse and its associated harms. We’re therefore delighted to support the launch of this new action plan which promises a series of improved interventions. Given the widespread ease with which young people obtain and misuse alcohol, the scale of the challenge is considerable. However the plan represents an excellent start. Parents play a critical role in raising sensible drinkers and they should benefit from the clearer advice on how to raise these issues with their children that is promised under these proposals. Furthermore, it is right that we spotlight the role that improved industry standards could play in driving positive change."

Department for Children, Schools and Families

Responding to the publication of the government’s Youth Alcohol Action Plan
today, Addaction Director of Operations Richard McKendrick said:

"With this plan the government has acknowledged that the UK’s drinking
problem - particularly that of young people - has spiraled out of control.

"While this coordinated approach from government is a positive step forward,
this plan is essentially a raft of measures which risks bringing even more
young people into a criminal justice system already creaking under its own
weight. The UK is already criminalizing more young people than virtually any
other country in Europe to no positive effect.

"The strategy misses all the easy targets. There are no plans for the
thousands of young people - many still just a primary school - coming into
A&E who could be offered information and support to prevent them going on to
put themselves at further risk.

"The police, who come into contact with more young people at risk than any
other agency, should be encouraged to work with local partners to engage
young people, rather than just removing them from sight to be forced into
more isolated or dangerous places.

He continued:

"Parents are responsible for supporting their children, but where they can’t
or won’t support young people there has to be intensive support available
for them and their children - the few areas mentioned in the plan simply
aren’t enough.

"Done well and early enough, intensive support for families can turn lives
around, prevent anti-social behaviour and save valuable money, time and
resources for society. This must be a priority as we work over the long-term
to support young people and parents affected by alcohol misuse."

Addaction

Responding to plans laid out today by the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to reduce underage alcohol misuse, Don Shenker, Chief Executive of Alcohol Concern said:

"Alcohol Concern has consistently campaigned for the government to take stronger action to reduce the considerable levels of teenage alcohol misuse and its associated harms. This plan represents an excellent start. Parents should benefit from the plans to provide clearer advice on how to raise these issues with their children. We are also delighted to see that alcohol arrest referral pilots are to be extended to the under-18s.

Nevertheless, changing behaviour among the young towards alcohol is a long term project, requiring contributions from parents, government, the drinks industry, and youth providers. We will continue therefore to urge industry and the government to work towards reducing the cultural impact that alcohol advertising and promotion has on British children. We also hope that the central government departments will co-operate to look at how local agencies can be resourced sufficiently to deliver on this vital agenda."

Alcohol Concern

A new report from Britain’s biggest drug and alcohol treatment charity has found that one in five vulnerable young people starts drinking before they are ten years old. The snapshot survey carried out last month of young people treated for drug and alcohol problems by Addaction also found that young people drinking heavily were more likely than other underage drinkers to drink out–of-doors, with almost two thirds drinking outside on high streets, parks or on estates, rather than at home or in pubs and clubs.

Coming ahead of the government’s Youth Alcohol Action Plan, the report Parklife: Alcohol and young people at risk finds the current police-led approach to dealing with the problem by confiscating alcohol and issuing fines results only in short-term gains and often forces young people to drink in more isolated or dangerous places, increasing the risks they face.

Young people drinking unsupervised in public are more likely to be victims of unprotected sex, alcohol-related violence or to be admitted to hospital and are at increased risk of long-term health problems related to alcohol use, yet they are more likely to come into contact with the police than any form of community support. Richard McKendrick, Operations Director for Addaction, says:

“There are a number of young people, some still at primary school, who are drinking well over the recommended limit for adults, most often outside in public places, putting their safety and health at risk.

“Our experience is the police realize they can’t tackle these problems on their own. Dealing with these problems places a huge demand on police time and resources; especially with the recent Home Office announcement of further enforcement on anti-social behaviour.

“We need a more assertive approach that sees partnership working between police and local agencies to reach out to young people, keep them safe and provide them and their families with support as well as other activities for them to take part in”.

The report recommends the forthcoming Youth Alcohol Action Plan should target young people drinking in public places and provide support alongside enforcement, with police working together with voluntary or statutory agencies at local drinking hotspots to provide information, support or specialist treatment where needed and link young people in to local sports or arts-based activities.

In areas where Addaction has adopted this approach, often in co-operation with local police, there has been a reduction in criminal damage and violent crime as well as an increase in the number of young people in specialist treatment and in contact with local agencies.

Other key findings:

• Typically, young people surveyed drank twice a week (30 per cent) with almost one fifth (19 per cent) drinking either daily or every other day. One in four of these were as young as between 10 and 14 years old

• Nine in ten young people still find it easy to get hold of alcohol, despite recent crackdowns on underage sales. Young people most frequently obtained alcohol by getting someone older to buy alcohol for them.

• Vodka was the most commonly consumed drink, with over half of young people (52.6 per cent) drinking vodka overall. This may be explained by the high number of young people who, when asked why they drank, said they were drinking ‘to get drunk’ (51 per cent)*.

Addaction