26,000 people die each year from alcohol-related causes in the UK. (Local alcohol Profiles)

 

 

Alcohol. Income HarmAlcohol Damage

infographics http://ahauk.org/infographics-high-strength-cider-duty-cuts/

Is Alcohol costing you more than money? Alcoholics Anonymous. 01452 418 515 Local Helpline. 0800 917 7650  www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk  email:help@aamail.org  all enquiries are treated in the strictest confidence.

 

The City Council or the County Council do not have an Alcohol Strategy or Action Plan; this is of concern. Minutes of meeting held on 11th December 2018, with Council response as follows:

There is an alcohol free zone in Gloucester City Centre (with ref to the PSPO).  There will a simpler process for occasional, casual drinkers, aimed at people coming to the rugby for example.  More emphasis will be placed on engagement with groups of street drinkers.  In the wider city people are able to drink in public but there are regulations if they start to cause a nuisance.  The PSPO came into force in early December.  There will be a period of engagement and education with regular drinkers before fixed penalty notices are issued or alcohol removed.

TH asked what alcohol strategies are in place, is there a local alcohol action plan? Does the County Council have a specific alcohol needs assessment, part of the JSNA? The Forum had previously raised major concerns that issuing fixed penalty notices, which could lead to criminalising street drinkers, will not help those who have long term alcohol addiction problems so it would be good to know what helpful strategies/plans are there in place to help street drinkers to stop?  The Council said that there is no specific plan, interventions start by offering advice before moving to enforcement. Street Aware is the local plan for Gloucester. 

 

Health and Care Scrutiny Committee Report from the Director of Public Health January 2018

This report provides an overview of the drug and alcohol  services commissioned for young people and further detail of the use of adult drug and alcohol services by district, as requested by members of the committee.
On the 11th July 2016, Gloucester City Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee commissioned a Task and Finish Group study to identify actions to reduce the sale of high strength alcohol and the impact on the community. The Task and Finish Group was formed in November 2016 . The report April 2018, details the purpose and process of the review, the Task and Finish Group’s findings, and its recommendations. Cabinet response June 2018.
PHE Guidance - Local alcohol services and systems improvement tool. A tool to help local partnerships in planning and improving alcohol services and systems, based on the CLeaR model.

Alcohol Health Alliance. 

http://ahauk.org/

The Alcohol Health Alliance brings together 50 organisations that have a shared interest in reducing the damage caused to health by alcohol.

Faculty of Public Health. Minimum-unit-price-for-alcohol-wales-bill

https://www.fph.org.uk/media/1815/fph-public-health-minimum-unit-price-for-alcohol-wales-bill-consultation.pdf

Statistics on alcohol, England, 2018

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/statistics-on-alcohol/2018

Statistics on alcohol, England, 2017

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/statistics-on-alcohol/statistics-on-alcohol-england-2017

Statistics on alcohol, England, 2016

HSCIC statistics cover drinking habits and behaviours among adults (aged 16 and over) and school children (aged 11-15), drinking-related ill health and mortality, affordability of alcohol, 1.09 million alcohol-related admissions to hospital, and costs. Commentary from the Guardian.

Public Health Position Statement .

Insitute of Alcohol Studies (IAS):

The independent voice on alcohol policy to help Local Authorities, Commissioners, Public Health, Health & Wellbeing Board, etc. 

Alcohol-related crime, lost output and ill health costs UK £52billion a year

Public Health England has published The public health burden of alcohol: evidence reviewCommentaries from the LancetGuardian – and Duncan Selbie message

 

Calum Best - Brought up by Booze. Rare emotional Interview.

 

Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS): The independent voice on alcohol policy to help Local Authorities, Commissioners, Public Health, Health & Wellbeing Board, etc.

The 2016 Alcohol Awareness Week will run from 14th to 20th November. See Alcohol Concern.

It’s estimated that the cost of alcohol on society costs £21billion. The aim of Alcohol Awareness Week is to get people thinking about alcohol – how it affects us as individuals, families, communities and society as a whole.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Assertive Outreach Service for Street Drinkers in Liverpool. Read the Report produced by the Centre For Public Health. Extract as follows:

Interviewees  described  barriers  they  had  faced  when  attempting  or  maintaining  periods  of  abstinence.  Interviewees  described  not  having  stable  accommodation  as  a  major  barrier  but  discussed the problems of maintaining such housing. Several interviewees expressed doubt that they  were capable of going through mainstream services and achieving abstinence, followed by stable  accommodation and eventually employment. Interviewees also cited their peer groups and use of  other drugs as barriers to services and ultimately moving towards abstinence.

 

Read about the MEAM Approach, 'making every adult matter'. 

We understand that Gloucester City Homes are leading on this for the private sector in the City, known as the SOLACE Project, and have now been tasked with looking at issues with street drinking in public spaces/areas in the City with a view to exploring use of anti social behaviuor legislation or Public Space protection Orders (PSPO's). It is felt that a holistic and multi-agency approach should be explored such as using the MEAM approach, Best Practice, etc., and we will be looking to work towards a clear strategic approach. What high-level initiatives/strategy is in place/being drafted and who is the lead?

We have major concerns about criminalising individuals who have an alcohol related illness/disease who often also have multiple and complex needs requiring co-ordinated support. What support is there?

We are concerned that there is the real risk that homeless and rough sleepers can be affected by a catch-all ASB or PSPO which would be unacceptable.

We agree with P3 that, 'the homeless are not to blame for street drinking' (Citizen March 31st 2016).

We will be looking to work with lead officers from SOLACE, they attended our meeting on the 9th March, and other stakeholders.

Safer Gloucester also has useful information on Anti-Social Behaviour and Project Solace.

A PSPO is a tool from the ASB legislation, Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which a Local Authority can instigate. For details click on legislation.gov.

 

Other documents

MEAM Approach

MEAM Evaluation

MEAM Voices from the Frontline

Gloucestershire Alcohol Harm Reduction Stratagy 2010-2013

Gloucestershire Alcohol Harm Reduction Plan 2016-2019 DRAFTv1

Alcohol Alert Newsletter March 2016

Alcohol Academy

AERC Alcohol Academy Briefing - Support v enforcement. Extract -

A further problem is presented in that many entrenched street drinkers are resistant to the notion of treatment and are aware of local services. Many have developed chronic alcohol and drug dependencies but are unwilling or unable to contemplate an alcoholfree life. Social networks tend to reinforce this, the most important factor in achieving treatment goals may often be the availability of a socially functioning support network where pressures and triggers to drink are reduced. For street drinkers with complex needs and limited resources, escaping and replacing old drinking ties may be particularly challenging. 

Amounts of NPS use have been reported as increasing in major city's but the public still report/ identify this as 'street drinking'. NPS users are not identifying their use as problematic.

JRF - The Impact of enforcment on Street Users. 

The Radar ward at Chapman Barker is the first of its kind in the UK. Set up three years ago it takes alcohol-dependent patients directly from 11 A&E departments across Manchester. Jim Reed takes a tour of the unit as seen on BBC News, 'Alcohol Detox centre, saves NHS millions'.

 

Interviewees  described  barriers  they  had  faced  when attempting or maintaining  periods of abstinence. Interviewees described not having stable  accommodation as a major barrier but  discussed the problems of maintaining such housing. Several interviewees expressed doubt that they were capable of 

going through mainstream services and achieving abstinence, followed by stable  accommodation and eventually employment. Interviewees also cited their peer groups and use of other drugs  as barriers to services and ultimately moving towards abstinence. 

 

Addiction and Recovery News.