Alcohol Help

Defense Department officials are assessing ways to better prepare servicemembers, particularly members of the reserve and National Guard, for the stresses of combat so they’re better able to avoid alcohol-related problems when they return home, defense officials said today.

The goal, officials said, is to beef up existing strategies to address alcohol issues before and during deployments to mitigate post-deployment drinking problems.

The effort follows release of a Defense Department study that evaluated alcohol use before and after combat deployments. The study, conducted at the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego and published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, revealed that a troubling number of the troops began abusing alcohol after returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The study included self-reported responses from almost 50,000 participants from the active and reserve components.

Reserve and National Guard members reported higher incidents of alcohol abuse than their active-duty counterparts, even if they were not exposed to combat.

Of responders, 4.8 percent of active-duty members and 7.1 percent of reserve-component members reported the onset of alcohol-related problems after deployment. Six percent of active-duty members and 8.8 percent of reservists and Guardsmen reported that they had begun heavy weekly drinking. In addition, 26.6 percent of active-duty members and 25.6 percent in the reserve components reported post-deployment binge drinking.

The study also showed that younger servicemembers were the most likely to show continued or new problems with alcohol after deployment.

Dr. Michael Kilpatrick, the Military Health System’s deputy director for force health protection and readiness programs, said the findings appear to show servicemembers are using alcohol to self-medicate in response to psychological or physical issues experienced during their deployment.

New information provided in the study will help the Defense Department do a better job of education and referral for treatment when alcohol issues are identified on post-deployment health assessments, he said.

“We can also refocus family support and education programs to discuss alcohol misuse and to educate all on resources available in the military, in the [Department of Veterans Affairs] and in the civilian community,” Kilpatrick said.

Within the National Guard, for example, officials are exploring new and better ways to address alcohol-related issues before and after their members deploy, said Emanuel Pacheco, National Guard Bureau spokesman.

The National Guard is in the process of placing a director of psychological health in all 54 states and territories, Pachecho reported. This official, a mental health counselor licensed to practice independently, will help Guard members with a variety of readjustment and reintegration concerns, he explained.

Pacheco called the new position another way the National Guard is helping to meet the needs of its members.

“The National Guard is constantly seeking better ways to maintain and improve the behavioral health and general well-being of its warriors through synergistic programs including chaplain support, family support, employment assistance, advocacy, counseling and training, and this new position is another way of meeting those needs,” he said. “We recognize the unique needs of our citizen-soldiers and -airmen and are constantly looking for innovative ways that we can better meet those needs.”

The “That Guy” campaign is one of the most recent DoD initiatives to increase awareness of the negative effects of excessive drinking. Launched in December 2006, the campaign targets the 18-to-24-year-old population with a warning not to become “that guy” whose overdrinking causes him to become a danger, an embarrassment and the butt of ridicule.

The services are promoting the campaign widely to promote responsible alcohol use and encourage members experiencing alcohol-related problems to seek help.

American Forces Press Service

Despair can be a terrible and destructive emotion. When a person is in the grip of alcohol addiction, it’s easy for them to label themselves a ‘hopeless case’. So rather than reaching out for help, they’re more likely instead to reach for another drink.

But research shows that people who enter alcohol rehab programmes have a very good chance of beating their addiction long term. Just ask Karen Fletcher - a little over a year ago, she was so drink-dependent that she’d run her once-successful business into the ground and her house was about to be repossesed.

"I was having regular blackouts and terrifying my family and friends by going missing for days at a time. I knew I was at rock-bottom and needed help," she says. So in July 2007, she used the last of her savings to check into the Linwood Manor Group’s alcohol rehabilitation centre in Barnsley, Yorkshire.

What a difference a year makes. These days, Karen’s fighting fit and looking forward to the future. "I am teetotal, and as happy and carefree as the day I left rehab. Alcohol would have cost me my life, if not for rehab," she says.
"I’m not tempted to drink," she adds. "Even the smell of alcohol reminds me of those dark days when I was addicted to it. I also feel and look much healthier. I’m fitter, and my skin is no longer pale and pasty. I’m teaching yoga and also training to be a counsellor so I can help others like me."

Of course, a successful rehabilitation like Karen’s depends hugely on how committed to recovery a client is and how much effort they invest in pursuit of that goal. But residential alcohol facilities can be a huge help in a number of ways, offering:

• A chance to detox in privacy, with medical supervision, in a completely alcohol-free environment;

• A period to reflect on past habits and behaviours, away from the stresses of daily routine and the negative influence of drinking partners;

• 24-hour access to specialist help from alcohol treatment professionals who are always on hand to offer support through the physiological and psychological challenges involved in rehabilitation;

• A wide range of counselling and therapy options, for both clients and their families, that will help them to re-discover their ‘real’ selves and to break negative habits and behaviour patterns.

For Karen Fletcher, as for many others, entering an alcohol rehab programme was the first step on a journey to a new life - a healthy, happy and productive one. "I feel free of my old life, as if the slate has been wiped clean," she says.

Linwood Manor

At quarter to one this morning Brixham Coastguard received several 999 calls from an 18 year old teenager reporting that he was in some form of distress on a cliff.

The boy told the Coastguard in the operations room that he was epileptic and had suffered a fit. He and a friend that was with him could not tell the Coastguard where they were and communications with the two boys was difficult as it became apparent that they were under the influence of alcohol.

Teignmouth and Torbay Coastguard rescue teams were called out to search the area. The teams with the assistance of the police helicopter Oscar 99 quickly located the boys. Ambulance and police officers were also requested to attend.

Due to the recent rainfall in the area and the make up of the ground where the boys were, it was deemed too dangerous to lower a cliff man down to the boys. A rescue helicopter was scrambled from Chivenor and Teignmouth lifeboat was requested to launch.

Whilst the helicopter was making its way to the location, it was decided to pick up Coastguard, ambulance and police personnel to drop them in on the coast. As units were moved in by the boat, it was discovered that there were a further 7 teenagers on a ledge surrounded on all sides by water.

The boy suffering from epilepsy was airlifted by the helicopter to the cliff top and transported to hospital by ambulance.

It was considered by the police and Coastguard units at the incident that it was too dangerous to extract the remaining seven boys and girls who were all under the influence. A decision was made that it was safer to leave them in the location they were in, until daylight.

Zoe Boyne, Duty Watch Manager Brixham Coastguard said:

This incident has tied up many resources throughout the night. It has also highlighted the dangers of young people putting themselves at risk in locations where they lose control of their actions due to the effects of intoxicating substances.

Devon and Cornwall Police are continuing with their enquiries into this incident.

Maritime And Coastguard Agency

When the executive committee and Division I board of directors of the National Collegiate Athletic Association meet for their annual gatherings in Indianapolis on August 7, it is likely they will have to take a hard look at the organization’s policies on advertising alcoholic beverages during the “March Madness” national championship basketball tournament.

This week, 60 Division I college presidents, 240 college athletic directors, and 101 football and basketball coaches from around the nation urged the NCAA and its president, Myles Brand, to end beer advertising on NCAA sports telecasts. Since 2005, more than one-third (358) of the colleges in the NCAA have endorsed a “College Commitment” pledge to eliminate alcohol advertising in televised college sports.

“It’s refreshing to see so many college presidents, athletic directors, and coaches standing up for what’s best for their institutions, sports programs, and student athletes,” said George A. Hacker, director of the Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “Even officials at many major sports powerhouses, which derive some revenue from beer advertising, recognize the hypocrisy and illogic of the NCAA’s sell-out to beer peddlers.”

Former U.S. Representative Tom Osborne, past head football coach and current Athletic Director at the University of Nebraska, has been a strong proponent to add beer advertising to the list of products that are not allowed during broadcasts of NCAA sporting events. In a letter to NCAA president Myles Brand, Dr. Osborne stated support for curtailing beer advertisements based on the “overwhelming evidence that alcohol is harmful to college students and young people in general,”

In their letters, the college officials asserted that current NCAA policy allowing beer ads is inconsistent with the mission and values of higher education and sports and undermines colleges’ effortsto prevent and reduce alcohol problems among college students and underage youth. Those problems are among the most costly and persistent issues facing college administrators today.

More than 40 percent of college students binge drink—consuming five or more drinks on at least one occasion in the past 30 days. Among college students between the ages of 18 and 24, alcohol is involved in approximately 599,000 injuries, 696,000 assaults, 97,000 sexual assaults, and 1,700 deaths from unintentional injuries, including from car crashes, each year.

The coaches’ letter to Myles Brand, which included signers from Florida State University, University of Memphis, Georgetown University, The Ohio State University, Tulane University, The Citadel, Stanford University, the United States Air Force Academy, the University of Virginia, and the University of Washington, expressed concern about the prominence of alcohol advertising in televised college sports and stated that “student athletes competing in NCAA sporting events should not be associated with the very product that causes them the most harm and is clearly not in their best interests.”

According to TNS Media Intelligence, two beer marketers—Anheuser-Busch and Miller Brewing—spent nearly $30 million to advertise during the 2007 NCAA national basketball championships. Both were among the top five advertisers, and the beer category was the second-leading advertiser behind automobiles. Nonetheless, expenditures on beer advertising account approximately for no more than five percent of total broadcast revenues to the NCAA.

The NCAA’s advertising policy on its face excludes “those advertisements and advertisers … that do not appear to be in the best interests of higher education and student athletes” and specifically prohibits ads for cigarettes, sports wagering, gambling, nightclubs, firearms and weapons, athletic recruitment services, and depictions of any student-athlete group in a degrading, demeaning or disrespectful manner. “Impermissible” ads also include NC-17-rated motion pictures, television programming or interactive games, and alcoholic beverages. But, ads for malt beverages, beer, and wine products that do not exceed six percent alcohol by volume are excepted, with limitations. CSPI says that that exception for beer makes no sense, because beer is the most popular and most problematic alcoholic drink among college students.

Center for Science in the Public Interest

The summer months can be an emotional rollercoaster ride for the UK’s student population. After the stress of exams comes the euphoria of post-exam festivities. Then there’s the anxious wait for results, culminating in a flood of celebrations or commiserations.

But those that start to rely on alcohol as a ‘crutch’ to deal with these highs and lows are putting themselves at serious risk of developing alcohol addiction problems, warn specialists at Linwood Manor Group.

"It’s no secret that there’s a strong culture of teenage binge drinking in the UK and, in student communities, that trend is often particularly pronounced," says Sue Allchurch, research director Linwood Manor Group.

As a result, young people with strong academic records and bright future prospects are throwing it all away by establishing patterns of drinking behaviour that could ultimately lead to alcohol addiction, she says.

"Many students dismiss binge drinking as part-and-parcel of the university experience. But patients of all ages regularly tell me that it was at university that their problems with alcohol began. The alcohol abuse didn’t end when they graduated, it simply got worse," she says.

In the summer months, says Allchurch, students need to be aware of how much is at stake if they abuse alcohol. In particular, they should remember:

• You can still have a good time without alcohol. When the weather’s good, the summer months offer countless opportunities for participating in fun, alcohol-free activities, from hill-walking to a simple game of football in the park. And the long summer vacations are a good time to catch up on other activities that may have fallen by the wayside while you were revising for exams: seeing that film you missed, reading that book you bought ages ago, or trips to the theatre or art gallery.

• Excessive drinking won’t make celebrations any better. A drink can make you feel more relaxed and confident in social situations, but you could quickly become reliant on alcohol as a social crutch if you don’t cultivate alcohol-free ways of dealing with shyness or insecurity. And excessive drinking that leads to slurring, stumbling, tears, aggression or vomiting doesn’t make anyone more attractive or more popular.

• Abusing alcohol means gambling with your future. Even in the short term, alcohol abuse takes it toll. Recent research into the academic performance among second-year university students from Edge Hill University showed a strong correlation between alcohol consumption and lower marks. In fact, alcohol was shown to be a far stronger predictor of academic performance than entrance qualifications and IQ. In the long term, alcohol dependency could seriously hamper or even destroy your hopes for the future, putting a fulfilling career and healthy relationships beyond your reach. "Your student years should be a positive, constructive time. Have the courage to say no to excessive drinking and make building your future the priority instead," says Allchurch.

If you would like help, contact the Alcoholism Clinic at Linwood Manor.

Linwood Manor

A Government report released yesterday reveals more than 800k people are admitted to hospital each year with alcohol-related illnesses and injuries. Leading alcohol treatment group, the Linwood Group, are not surprised by the figure given that one in 13 adults in the UK can be classified as alcoholic. Despite mounting evidence, the Government still ignores the extent of the problem through providing treatment for the disease itself.

Sue Allchurch, Director of the Linwood Group, explains:

"Alcoholism is recognised as a disease in its own right which can be successfully treated. Yet there are less than 1000 hospital beds in the UK - both NHS and private - set aside to treat this disease. If there was a flu endemic on this scale a state of emergency would be called. Alcohol is responsible for more deaths than drugs. The Government needs to invest heavily in treating the root cause of this problem before it spirals out of control".

The new report recognises the increase in the number of hospital admissions through alcohol-fuelled violence but also higher numbers of deaths from drink related illnesses such as liver and heart disease.

However, the report does not take into account road traffic accidents - some 50% of fatal incidents involve drunk driving. Likewise 50% of prisoners are behind bars having committed offences whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs. By tackling alcoholism head on through treatment, the Linwood Group believes that much of the UK’s current anti-social behaviour and welfare issues could be eradicated.

Linwood Manor

£2.7 billion: new estimated cost of alcohol to the NHS

Mandatory regulation and labelling could be on the cards for the alcohol industry following a major consultation about England’s drinking culture, launched today by Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo.

The Department of Health consultation is published together with independent reviews showing that the drinks industry is not adhering to its own voluntary standards, and new evidence suggesting that alcohol is a far wider cause of damage to people’s health than previously suspected. New calculations released today put the cost of alcohol misuse to society at £17.7 billion to £25.1 billion per year, with a cost to the NHS of £2.7 billion.

The consultation proposals would mean that the current voluntary retailing code could become mandatory. This would mean retailers could have to:

- restrict the way alcohol is sold such as offering drinks in small as well as large glasses or measures - too often only one size is offered or a large is automatically given;

- restrict happy hours or irresponsible price based promotions - women ‘drink for free’ promotions are still all too common;

- display alcohol in off-licence premises in separate areas - no more displays by the checkout;

- give point of sale information eg. on units, allowing customers to make an informed choice; and

- train staff in shops and venues to recognise and refuse alcohol to underage or drunk customers.

Manufacturers will be given until the end of the year to put the required warnings and advice on bottles and cans. If not, Government will move to put a mandatory scheme in place. This would require health and unit information on all drinks containers.

New national hospital admissions data are also published today. They provide a more accurate picture of alcohol-related hospital admissions using new methodology.

Previously, admissions statistics only counted the three most common types of alcohol-related diseases: alcoholic liver disease, alcohol poisoning, and mental and behavioural disorders. The new methodology measures a total of 44 conditions which research shows are caused by or strongly associated with alcohol consumption. The new figures show there were 811,000 admissions in 2006 (accounting for 6 per cent of all admissions) compared with 473,500 in 2002.

Three independent reviews are also published today, which show a lack of adherence to voluntary agreements.

- The KPMG review of alcohol industry standards found that voluntary agreements are not being followed. It also found evidence of poor practice in the way alcohol is promoted.

- Independent monitoring of voluntary labelling agreements show disappointing interim results. Inclusion of unit information was agreed with industry in 1998. Despite this, 43 per cent of products surveyed did not contain unit information at all, and only 3 per cent followed the labelling scheme in its entirety.

- Interim findings from the first stage of the price and promotion review, being carried out by the University of Sheffield, finds clear UK and international evidence linking the sale of cheap alcohol to increased consumption, particularly amongst young people and those already drinking at higher risk levels. This leads to stronger evidence that irresponsible retail practice fuels excess drinking and hence harm to health. The second phase of the review is due to report later this year. When this is complete, the impact of a range of different options for regulating or restricting how alcohol is priced and promoted will be examined

Public Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo, said:

"The evidence from this series of reviews, and the hospital admissions data, clearly make this the right time to consult on a far tougher approach to the alcohol industry.

"The drinks industry has a vital role to play if we are to change the country’s attitudes to alcohol. Some sections of the industry are sticking to the voluntary codes, others are blatantly ignoring them. This consultation will decide whether legally binding regulations for retailers and manufacturers to promote sensible drinking are the way forward.

"Around a quarter of the population drink to a harmful level. These people could be drinking themselves into an early grave - we need the drinks industry to give them the help and information needed to drink at a safer level."

Home Office Minister Tony McNulty said:

"For social responsibility standards in the alcohol industry to work well they should complement the law on alcohol sales, encourage people to drink more safely and be followed consistently across the country. The KPMG report tells us quite plainly that this is not happening. At best the standards are being applied in fragmented way, at worst in many places alcohol is being sold and marketed irresponsibly.

"We now need a new set of standards and over the next few months we will work intensively with industry representatives and other interested groups to breathe new life into the system. We have also made it quite clear that if necessary we will introduce legislation to make the new standards mandatory."

Don Shenker, Chief Executive of Alcohol Concern said:

"We very much welcome the findings from the various reports which clearly show a big increase in alcohol-related health harms. The ideas put forward for consultation make eminent sense if the Government is going to achieve a reduction in alcohol-related harms and if it is going to meet its own targets to reduce harmful drinking."

Department of Health

The long standing agreement between the Government and alcohol trade associations - whereby licensees conform to set standards of sales practices through largely voluntary means - is failing to safeguard the public, according to a new report published today by Alcohol Concern.

Unequal partners: A report into the limitations of the alcohol regulatory regime provides a detailed analysis of official data and recent primary research into the way alcohol is sold in England. It criticises “the multi-layered web of laws, voluntary codes and guidelines” that now surround licensed practice for being unclear and unable to deliver the transparency and accountability that is characteristic of effective regulation.

Specifically, the paper says of the voluntary codes governing retailers’ conduct that “licensees ignore the principles set out in the codes as it suits them because there are no meaningful sanctions for those who are found to be in breach”. It finds also that in many cases local authorities are unable to get to grips with problem premises due to a funding shortfall of £200 million arising from the new capped licensing fees brought about by the Act.

Among the comprehensive study’s main findings are:

That although successive Home Office-led test purchasing schemes have revealed the existence of a hard core minority of 10-15% licensed premises continuing to make illegal sales to the under-aged, only 0.5% of licensed premises were called up for a review under the powers granted by the Licensing Act 2003.

43% of managed pubs have no disciplinary procedures in place for staff found to be breaking under-aged sales laws, despite clear recommendations from the leading trade associations for members to adopt them.

In 3 out of the 6 bars that Alcohol Concern staff investigated in Nottingham city centre alone, happy hour deals that encouraged very heavy drinking were being promoted, despite repeated claims from the industry that such deals have been ‘banned’.

Commenting on the report today, Don Shenker, Chief Executive of Alcohol Concern said:

“The Drinks Industry’s claim to champion responsible retailing is badly let down by the significant number of premises who persistently sell alcohol at cut prices, refuse to train their staff and allow under-age young people to buy alcohol. Self-regulation has clearly failed and we desperately need mandatory codes and an industry watchdog to stamp out the poor practice and the complacency that is characteristic of many of these venues. Only these measures can safeguard the public and cut down the alcohol-related violence that makes life a misery for so many.”

Commenting on the report today, Prof Ian Gilmore, President of the Royal College of Physicians and Chair of the Alcohol Heath Alliance said:

“Despite the known harm caused by alcohol, bars and clubs continue to use ways of selling alcohol that even their own industry recognises as bad practice. This report shows that the time has come for the Government to step in to effectively regulate an industry whose own efforts to tackle irresponsible alcohol sales have failed. Too many bars and clubs continue to put profit before their customers’ health.”

Alcohol Concern

A comprehensive review of television advertising practices by alcohol companies from 2001-2007 finds an increase in youth exposure to alcohol advertising and relatively few industry-sponsored "responsibility" ads. The new study, released today by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at Georgetown University, evaluated advertising trends and identified the best and worst brands with regard to youth exposure to alcohol.

This report shows that more than 40 percent of youth exposure to alcohol advertising came from ads placed on programming with a disproportionate youth (age 12-20) audience — the highest percentage since CAMY began monitoring youth exposure in 2001.

The report data clearly show the 30 percent threshold established by alcohol trade associations in 2003 has not reduced youth exposure to alcohol advertising on television, nor has it reduced the youth overexposure that occurs when advertisements are on programs with disproportionate youth audiences.

"The sad reality for kids and parents is that the alcohol industry’s 30 percent standard is working on broadcast but not cable television," said CAMY executive director David Jernigan. "From 2001 to 2007, the number of alcohol advertisements seen in a year by the average television-watching 12-to-20 year-old has increased which is the opposite of its purpose."

CAMY’s data shows advertisers have made some progress with regard to advertising during shows where more than 30 percent of the viewers were under age 21. The percentage of alcohol product advertisements on these programs went from 11 percent in 2003 to 6.3 percent in 2007.

The study’s other key findings include:

* Almost all youth overexposure to alcohol advertising occurs on cable. Almost two-thirds (63 percent) of the overexposing alcohol ad placements in 2007 were on cable television, which generated 95 percent of youth overexposure to alcohol advertising on television. Of the youth overexposure on cable in 2007, 53 percent came from beer advertising, and 41 percent from distilled spirits advertising.
* In 2006 and 2007, there were no alcohol industry-funded "responsibility" messages about underage drinking on television. Over the entire period of 2001 - 2007, youth ages 12 to 20 were 22 times more likely to see an alcohol product advertisement than an alcohol industry-funded "responsibility" advertisement about drinking-driving, safety or underage drinking.
* Eleven specific brands are responsible for 48.5 percent of the youth exposure to advertising. For this report, researchers developed a methodology to determine the best and worst performers with regard to youth exposure to alcohol advertising. Among brands responsible for much of youth exposure to alcohol advertising and exceeding the 30% youth threshold are:

o Miller Lite
o Corona Extra Beer
o Coors Light
o Hennessy Cognacs
o Guinness Beers
o Samuel Adams Beers
o Bud Light
o Smirnoff Vokdas
o Disaronno Originale Amaretto
o Miller Chill
o Multiple Brands from Mike’s Beverages

Alcohol remains the leading drug problem among young people, and underage drinking is responsible for 5,000 deaths among young people each year. Scientific studies show that youth exposure to alcohol advertising contributes to the likelihood of underage drinking.

The National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, the U.S. Surgeon General and 20 state Attorneys General have all recommended eliminating this disproportionate exposure.

In 2003, the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine recommended that alcohol companies move toward a 15 percent threshold for youth audiences, since this is roughly the proportion of youth in the general population. In 2006, Congress passed and President Bush signed into law the Sober Truth On Preventing Underage Drinking Act (or STOP Act) requiring, among other things, that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report annually on rates of exposure of youth to positive and negative messages youth about alcohol in the mass media. Although this reporting has been authorized by Congress, funding for it has not yet been appropriated. "Our findings continue to support the elimination of alcohol advertising on programming with more than 15 percent youth audiences. It will save young people’s lives and the alcohol industry advertising dollars," said Dr. Jernigan.

Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth

With a recent spate of good weather along the South coast, and the holiday season about to get under way, Brixham Coastguard are reminding members of the public looking to enjoy the British coastline this summer that water and alcohol do not mix, using words from our annual campaign; "Don’t drink and drown."

Brixham Coastguard who co-ordinate incidents around some of the UKs most popular beaches and resorts, regularly coordinate incidents at this time of year where alcohol has played a major part, including people jumping from height into shallow water, swimming, surfing or fishing on rocks whilst under the influence of alcohol.

Zoe Boyne, Watch Manager at Brixham Coastguard said:

"7,000 people have drowned in the UK in the last 15 years, and alcohol has said to have contributed to at least 1 in 7 of these deaths. That’s over 60 people a year dying unnecessarily through drinking alcohol and undertaking activities in or around the water.

With the recent good weather over the last few weeks more people are visiting the beach or coastline to enjoy a warm summer’s evening, and whilst we would encourage them to enjoy the beautiful coastline Devon and Cornwall has to offer we would also like to remind them of the dangers of alcohol in this kind of setting.

Swimming or jumping into water might seem like a great idea on a balmy evening, but sea temperatures at this time of year are not the same as countries with warmer climes, and hypothermia can set in as quickly as thirty minutes. Couple this with being under the influence of alcohol and not only does this increase the onset of hypothermia, it will also impair your judgement and impede your coordination, as well as encouraging the kind of risk taking behaviour that can often result in injury or fatality.

Drink and stupidity has played major parts in incidents in Devon and Cornwall already this year which is why we are warning members of the public to remember key safety messages when enjoying the coastline during the summer, and reminding them ‘Don’t Drink and Drown’.

Finally, if you do see anybody in difficulty on the shore line or at sea always dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard."

Maritime And Coastguard Agency