Alcohol Help

As the Christmas party season gets into full swing, Sedgefield Local Strategic Partnership this week launched an Alcohol Harm Reduction strategy to encourage safer, sensible drinking across the borough.

Options include implementing a designated driver scheme, training health care professionals to spot the signs of alcohol misuse and carrying out test purchases in off-licences.

Alcohol misuse is estimated to cost the country more than £20 billion a year in crime and damage to health and lost productivity. In Sedgefield, alcohol plays a part in 25% of all anti-social behaviour, and more people binge drink in the borough compared to the national average. More young women aged 10-19 are admitted to hospital because of alcohol, and the mortality rate for women in the age ranges 25-29 and 35-39 is higher than that for men.

Glyn Hall, Chair of the Sedgefield Community Safety Partnership, said:

"Promoting a sensible drinking culture is something that we should all take responsibility for - both at a personal level and by those in a position of influence to bring about real change and not just at this time of year when the party season is well under way. That is what this strategy seeks to do, as well as addressing the worrying trends have been highlighted in this report which require firm action to resolve.

"A number of issues are crucial to the success of the strategy which aims to reduce the adverse impact of alcohol on individuals and communities across the borough. These include education, both of young people and adults to prevent problems, encouraging businesses and employers to subscribe to the healthy workplace programme and providing a range of interesting social, sporting and leisure opportunities to divert people away from alcohol-related activities.

"The strategy sets out how partners, including the police, the council, the primary care trust and community safety partnership will tackle those problems and includes measures to prevent, treat and control the misuse of alcohol."

Areas highlighted for action in relation to prevention include education initiatives and including advice and information in the Healthy Schools Programme, encouraging businesses and employers to sign up to the Healthy Workplace initiative.

Implementing a designated driver scheme and carrying out test purchases at off-licences and reducing the number of ‘happy hours’ are included in plans to more effectively control the access and availability of alcohol.

Action relating to treatment includes more involvement of health services and GPs in intervening and offering advice and support at an early stage if a patient appears to have alcohol issues. Furthermore, intense support at a number of levels, will be available depending on how serious the alcohol misuse is.

Claire Sullivan, consultant in public health for County Durham Primary Care Trust, said: "For the first time ever we will have an integrated alcohol service which involves four stages from brief interventions to hospital detox services.

"This is a major step forward for us as traditionally the profile of alcohol has come second to the drugs agenda but in the last year alcohol and the impact it has on health and the community has risen to such an extent there was a call for a dedicated alcohol service in its own right. "

Home Office