Licensing reforms branded an expensive failure by Local Government Association
In a survey of 51 local authorities, 49 primary care trusts and
twenty police authorities, the Local Government Association (LGA) found
that the government’s promise to reduce alcohol-related disorder through
the Licensing Act 2003 has “failed dismally”.
In introducing the new Act, the government insisted that the
old licensing laws actually caused alcohol-related disorder by
encouraging binge drinking and bringing about a peak of disorder at
fixed and ‘artificially early’ closing times. The government’s promise
was that longer drinking hours would, of themselves, therefore, bring
about significant reductions in crime and disorder.
However, over three quarters of the authorities in the LGA
survey believed that the number of alcohol-related incidents had risen
or stayed the same. The LGA survey found that nearly one in three
primary care trusts has reported an increase in alcohol-related
incidents. Half of police authorities reported that the Act had merely
resulted in the incidents occurring later in the night. In addition,
more than three quarters of health authorities felt that they have had
to spend more, largely owing to a rise in accident and emergency
admissions, while council taxpayers have paid £100 million to administer
the new regulations.
“An overhaul of alcohol licensing was long overdue and the new
system has been very effective in pulling together archaic licensing
laws that dated back to the First World War.” said Sir Simon Milton,
Chairman of the LGA. However, he added: “The new drink laws have made no
impact whatsoever on reducing the alcohol-related violence that blights
town centres and turns them into no-go areas on a Friday and Saturday
night.
“The vast majority of local councils, police and hospitals
have reported no change at all, with violent incidents generally just
being shifted later into the evening.
“The Government was always going to fall short on its promises
to curb excessive drinking because new licensing laws alone were never
going to be enough to change this endemic culture of alcohol and
violence. The new system was burdened with exaggerated expectations. as
it was never a single solution to alcohol-related disorder.
“There needs to be a wide-ranging national debate about how
freely available alcohol is, how the nation views social drinking and
how we can go about reducing consumption. It seems that we have a
deep rooted social and cultural problem in this country in the way that
we view alcohol that cannot be addressed by one simple piece of
legislation. It will take years, possibly decades, of concerted action
across the board.
“The report also clearly shows the real financial strain that
the new laws have had on councils, hospitals and other local services.
Hospitals and the police are finding that they are called into action 24
hours a day, stopping disruption, breaking up fights and patching up
the walking wounded.
“Town halls have been landed with an accumulated bill of £100m
from the new laws and have been left with little option but to pass the
cost on to the council taxpayer. It is totally unacceptable that the
hard-pressed council taxpayer should be forced to pick up the bill for
something that the Government said would not cost them a penny.”
A Home Office report this year suggested that there had been a
25 per cent rise in serious violent offences in the early hours of the
morning. The report also showed that the café culture, which the
Licensing Act was supposed to encourage, had not actually materialised.
That survey - of thirty police forces - showed that crimes
between 3am and 6am were up by 22 per cent, with more than 10,000 extra
offences being committed during those hours.
A Department for Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson said:
“This report needs to be seen in the context of other research. The
government’s own research, published in March, showed that, overall,
crime and alcohol consumption are down since the introduction of the
Act. Serious violent crime at night is down five per cent and less
serious wounding at night is down three per cent. The government has
never said that the Licensing Act alone would tackle the deep-seated
problems of alcohol-related crime and disorder.”
Dominic Grieve, the shadow Home Secretary, commented: “This is
more evidence of how the government's rushed decision to unleash 24-
hour drinking on our towns and communities has impacted negatively on
local communities.
“Alcohol-fuelled disorder has either increased or been
displaced with frontline services bearing more of the brunt. At the same
time the council tax-payer has been left to pick up the bill.
“This shows why they should have listened to our calls to
pilot the scheme, assess its consequences and then apply it
appropriately and at local discretion.”
Key findings of the survey are:
- Seven out of ten police authorities, PCTs and councils reported an increase or no change in alcohol-related incidents
- Nearly one in three PCTs have reported an increase in alcohol related incidents
- Half of police authorities report that the Act has simply
led to alcohol-related disorder occurring later at night than previously
- 86% of health authorities and 94% of councils reported an
increased pressure on resources, mainly through a rise in A & E
admissions
- Council taxpayers are footing a bill of £100m to implement the new laws
Top of pageSmoking ban hits sales of alcohol
The Publican newspaper has reported that the smoking ban that came
into effect in England on 1st July 2007, having already been introduced
into the other UK countries, has significantly reduced pub sales of beer
and spirits. According to market analysts Nielsen, around 175 million
fewer pints have been drunk in the last year as a direct result of the
smoking ban.
In the nine months from July to March volume sales of alcohol
in the on-trade in England and Wales fell eight per cent – before the
ban the rate was falling at three per cent.
With other factors such as the credit crunch also being taken
into account Nielsen estimates that half of the eight per cent drop can
be attributed to the ban.
Jake Shepherd, marketing director at Nielsen, said: “The
winter months were particularly bad – sales fell 9.3 per cent through
November to January when smokers would have been reluctant to stand
outside in the cold to have a cigarette.”
Sales of wine were also reduced, but by a lesser amount. They
dropped four per cent after the ban compared to two per cent beforehand.
Shepherd added: “Wine has held up somewhat better than other
drinks, probably benefiting from the increasing importance of food and
women to the on-trade. In Scotland we have seen the sales of both
tobacco and alcohol (out of home) stabilise during the second year of
the ban being in force so we do not expect these decline rates to
continue in the long term. Investment into outdoor smoking areas has
been considerable and most consumers have now adapted to the change.”
In addition cigarettes sales are reported to have dropped six
per cent since July 1 last year with smokers buying 2.1billion fewer
cigarettes between July 1 2007 and April 2008.
Paradoxically, however, research conducted on behalf of The
Publican found that although 52 per cent of licensees reported suffering
a drop in trade since the smoking ban, the number of licensees
supporting it actually increased, with 64 per cent now supporting it
compared to 57 per cent before the law came into force.
Top of pageGovernment alcohol campaigns launched
Two government publicity campaigns began over the summer as part of
the National Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy in England. A key stage of
the government’s `Know Your Limits’ campaign began in May, focusing on
the number of units of alcohol contained in a range of drinks. In June
an anti-binge drinking advertising campaign was launched. Also announced
was the Youth Alcohol Action Plan.
Know your limits
The Know Your Limits campaign on alcohol units and the
strength of alcoholic drinks was prompted by research showing that there
is widespread public confusion. A YouGov poll found that whilst most
people (82%) thought that they knew what a unit of alcohol was, the
majority (77%) were unable to say how many units were contained in a
large glass of wine.
The campaign was welcomed by the Institute of Alcohol Studies
as a small step in the right direction. In particular, IAS supported the
planned change in terminology from ‘sensible drinking’ to a scale of
risk, indicating an acceptance that no level of drinking is without
risk. The IAS said that whilst alcohol education campaigns had a poor
record of success when used in isolation, they could form an important
part of an integrated strategy to improve public health. It added that
it would like to see a lowering of the drink-drive limit as part of this
larger strategy.
Knowing your units
One reason for the confusion about alcohol units is the
gradual increase in strength of both wine and beer. HM Revenue and
Customs recently reviewed its estimate of the strength of wine, and
found that it had been getting stronger at a faster rate than previously
thought. The average strength of wine, previously believed to be 12%,
is now thought to be closer to 13%. This compares with 11.4% in 1995.
Beer has also increased in strength, from an average of 4.05% in 1995 to
4.2% in 2006, though the latter estimate is also thought to be a little
low.
The centrepiece of the new campaign is a series of
advertisements for television and radio designed to inform people how
many units are in a range of drinks, for example, three units in a large
glass of wine, two to three units in a pint of beer (depending on
strength) and one unit in a (single) gin and tonic. The emphasis is very
strongly on giving people information to make their own decisions about
their drinking habits. Public Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo, said,
“This is a sophisticated audience. They can handle it.”
In addition to the advertisements, material is being provided
to GPs, local councils and other interested groups to provide additional
support for people at risk of alcohol-related problems, or who are
worried about their drinking.
The way the guidelines are expressed is also changing, though
the guidelines themselves stay the same. The terms, ‘sensible,’
‘hazardous’ and ‘harmful’ drinking are being replaced by ‘lower risk,’
‘increasing risk’ and ‘higher risk’. This draws attention to the fact
that there is a continuum of risk associated with drinking and that even
a small amount of alcohol increases the risk of a number of health
problems.
The guidelines specify quantities that should not regularly be
exceeded, where ‘regularly’ means most days of the week. The ‘lower
risk’ guidelines are no more than 3-4 units per day for men and 2-3
units per day for women. An ‘increased risk’ occurs between 3-4 units
and 8 units per day for men and between 2-3 units per day and 6 units
per day for women. Drinking more than this is classified as ‘higher
risk’.
Anti-Binge Drinking campaign
The national advertising campaign to drive home the serious
consequences of binge drinking to 18 to 24 year olds was unveiled by
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.
The £4 million campaign, which includes a range of television,
radio, print and online adverts, is designed to challenge prevailing
attitudes and change behaviour among young adults who binge drink. It
poses the question: ‘You wouldn’t start a night like this, so why end it
that way?’
The centrepiece of the campaign is two new television adverts
that graphically highlight the consequences of binge drinking by
reversing the sequence of a night out gone wrong. The adverts show a man
and woman getting ready at home for a night out. They end with the man
leaving home bloody and damaged and the woman closing her front door
with smeared make-up and vomit in her hair.
The television adverts appeared in youth programming before
and after a night out to capture people when they were considered to be
more responsive, as well as on sport and music channels. The radio
adverts targeted youth programming on national and regional stations.
Print advertising featured in men’s and women’s magazines such as Nuts,
Zoo, NME, FHM, and Loaded and Heat, Closer, Now, Reveal, Cosmopolitan,
and Glamour.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:
“I am not prepared to tolerate alcohol-fuelled crime and
disorder on our streets and this new campaign will challenge people to
think twice about the serious consequences of losing control.
“Binge drinking is not only damaging to health but it makes
individuals vulnerable to harm. People who are drunk are much more
likely to be involved in an accident or assault, be charged with a
criminal offence, contract a sexually transmitted disease or have an
unplanned pregnancy.
“This campaign reinforces Government action already underway
to deal with excessive drinking, including tougher sanctions for
licensees who sell to young people, new powers for the police to
disperse disruptive drinkers and better education and information for
everyone.”
The new adverts were unveiled alongside an innovative window
display on Long Acre in central London, which re-enacts scenes from the
television campaign. The display ran for two weeks and was complemented
by a viral video downloadable via a Bluetooth connection at the site. A
team of street marketers were on hand to engage the target audience
face-to-face to reinforce the campaign messages. There are plans to
recreate the shop window display in town centres up and down the
country.
Youth Alcohol Action Plan
At the start of June the government launched its Youth Alcohol
Action Plan, also promised in the National Alcohol Harm Reduction
Strategy. The Plan was announced by Ed Balls, Secretary of State for
Children, Schools and Families, Jacqui Smith, Home Secretary and Alan
Johnson, Secretary of State for Health.
The Action Plan sets out what the Government intends to do to
address drinking by young people. It outlines three main approaches:
- Working with police and the courts to stop underage
drinking, 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 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.
The government says that 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. There is a rising trend of young people drinking
unsupervised in public places. This puts them and their communities at
greater risk, so new measures will be introduced to give the police
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. The
government will legislate to make it an offence for under-18s
persistently to possess alcohol in public places.
In regard to parental responsibility, the Government’s Chief
Medical Officer will develop a new set of guidelines on young people and
alcohol. The government says 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.”
Announcing the new package, Ed Balls 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.”
Top of pageCall time on Britain's damaging drink habits say Directors of Public Health
Act now to reduce drink-related harm, says Faculty of Public Health
and Association of Directors of Public Health Recommendations to UK
Government include:
- Tighten regulation on marketing, promotion and pricing of alcohol.
- Ensure clear and consistent labelling of alcohol content.
- Give more consideration of public health issues when processing licensing applications.
A range of measures are needed to get to grips with the UK’s
ever worsening problem with alcohol misuse, says the Faculty of Public
Health and Association of Directors of Public Health. Both are calling
for firm action at both national and local level to address the
devastating impact of Britain’s drinking habits on the nation’s health
and economy in its new Alcohol Position Statement launched at its annual
conference in Cardiff.
The Problem
The Doctors say that Britons are drinking twice as much as
they did 40 years ago, a period which has seen the death rate from liver
cirrhosis more than quadruple. Alcohol is also a significant
contributory factor in many other health conditions including coronary
heart disease, obesity and depression as well as several cancers. It is
also a factor in around half of all domestic violence and violent crime
incidents as well as up to 70 per cent of peak time admissions to
hospital A&E departments. The financial costs to both the health
service and the wider economy are immense and growing all the time.
Evidence from around the world shows that the most effective
efforts to tackle alcohol misuse are those that combine measures aimed
at the whole population – increasing price, reducing availability and
targeting those vulnerable and disadvantaged groups who may be at
increased risk.
Therefore the Faculty of Public Health and Association of
Directors of Public Health are calling on the government to take
decisive action to tighten regulation on the marketing and promotion of
alcohol - particularly the enormous discounts offered by supermarket
chains, which can often see alcohol sold below cost price – and address
the clearly ineffective industry self-regulation around promoting
alcohol as a glamorous and exciting product, particularly to the young.
They want to see tax levers used to increase price, the
introduction of a clear and consistent labelling policy for alcohol
content, better screening for alcohol-related problems and more
consideration of public health issues by local licensing authorities,
particularly in areas with high levels of alcohol related disorder and
ill health. They also want to see better education on alcohol issues,
both in schools and for the public as a whole, and a reduction of the
legal blood alcohol limit to cut the number of drink driving incidents.
‘Every week we seem to be hit with yet another shocking
statistic about the damage done by alcohol misuse to individuals and
society,’ said Faculty President Professor Alan Maryon Davis. “All of
us, especially government, have to stop tiptoeing around this problem
and really get to grips with it. We need firm action now.”
“Despite a number of governmental strategies, problems related
to alcohol are getting worse, not better,” said ADPH President Dr Tim
Crayford. “‘It’s time to turn this tide and help people back to safer
levels of drinking.”’
Top of pageNew court focuses on family problems, including alcohol and drugs
By Jonathan Goodliffe,
Solicitor
Background to the foundation of the new court
Alcohol and drug misuse is at the heart of many family
problems. In more serious cases parents may become unfit to look after
their children. Action taken by local authorities may result in the
children being taken into care.
At a later stage children may be placed for adoption. The
parent may oppose this and rely on the right to respect for family life
under article 8 of the European Human Rights Convention. But that right
is not absolute. The longer adoption is deferred the more difficult it
may become to find a placement. Adoption may be the best ultimate
outcome in many cases. Children of parents misusing alcohol are at risk
of harm. Children brought up within the care system usually have poor
educational performance and prospects in adult life.
Judges commonly direct (usually with reluctance) that children
be taken into care or adopted where there is a history of serious
substance misuse. This course may be inevitable unless convincing
evidence of recovery from addiction and success in addressing other
problems is forthcoming. These cases are dealt with at private hearings
and do not usually get into the public domain until they reach the Court
of Appeal. Even then the identity of the parents and children is
withheld.
Court procedure as a problem in its own right
The court procedure may also be a problem in its own right.
The case may take months or years to reach a conclusion. It may be heard
at different stages by different judges, some of whom may not have the
appropriate experience. The adversarial court procedure usually involves
the examination and cross-examination of a variety of different expert
witnesses instructed by the parties rather than the court. By the time
the case is decided the children’s problems may have got worse rather
than better1.
Judge Nicholas Crichton has been one of the leading advocates
for a radical change in the law’s approach to these problems. He draws
on experience in the USA with specialist problem solving courts. Others
involved in his initiative include the Interdisciplinary Child Focused
Research Centre at Brunel University, the Tavistock and Portman NHS
Foundation Trust and the children’s charity, Coram.
The Family Drug and Alcohol Court
This initiative led to the creation of the London Family Drug
and Alcohol Court (FDAC) earlier this year. It is funded by three
boroughs, Camden, Islington and Westminster and has central Government
support. It sits within the Inner London Family Proceedings Court in
Wells Street, London W1. Its aim is to support families affected by
substance misuse so that children can, wherever possible, remain with or
return to their parents.
Judge Crichton sits at the FDAC with 3 other judges
specialising in child care cases. Where care proceedings are referred to
his court, they will generally be heard by the same judge throughout.
Support for parents (in relation to substance misuse as well as other
problems) and expert reports to the judge will be provided or arranged
by a steering group operating within the court. The judge will hold
regular hearings to review the family’s progress with a view, wherever
possible, to keeping parent and child together. In most cases parents
and children will be represented by lawyers who are members of
specialist Law Society or Bar panels and who will themselves receive
appropriate training.
So, to the extent that these aims are achieved, the court
procedure may be transformed from an obstacle to progress into a part of
the solution.
Mentors
Further help may be provided by ‘mentors’. Mentors are parents
who have themselves had experience of losing children or nearly losing
children through care or adoption proceedings. Parents brought before
the court may be able to draw on their advice and support, which will be
entirely confidential. Mentors will not have any duty to report to the
Court. The support they provide may need to continue after the
proceedings are concluded, particularly if the proceedings result in a
care order being made.
Interview with the judge
Further information about the court’s aims is provided in a
BBC ‘Woman’s Hour’ interview in December 2007 which can be listened to
online. Participants included Judge Crichton himself, one of the
mentors, and Trevor Moores of Westminster’s Local Children's Services.
There is also a full research paper2, describing the aims and
methods of the project, by Professor Judith Harwin of Brunel and child
care expert and solicitor Mary Ryan.
Evaluation
The FDAC will run as a trial for three years from January
2008. At this stage it will only involve parents and children from
within the three boroughs mentioned above. The project will be evaluated
by a separate team led by Professor Harwin. If it proves a success it
may lead to more FDACs being established in other parts of the country.
It may also, perhaps, influence the approach of family courts in other
disputes where substance misuse is a factor.
References:
1 For an example of a case decided under the traditional
procedure see In the matter of N (Freeing Order Application) [2005]
NIFam 5 (31 May 2005)
2 ‘The role of the court in cases concerning parental
substance misuse and children at risk of harm’ Judith Harwin and Mary
Ryan, Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, Sept- December 2007
Contact the author on:
info@jgoodliffe.co.uk
Top of pageUnder twenty-ones to be banned from buying alcohol in off-licenses?
A proposal to ban under 21s from buying alcohol in supermarkets and
other off licensed premises while continuing to allow those aged 18 and
over to buy and consume alcohol in pubs is one of the more radical
measures proposed in a new Framework for Action published by the
Scottish Government, which is under the control of the Scottish National
Party. Other proposals include minimum pricing of alcohol and separate
drinks departments in supermarkets. Launching the discussion paper,
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon said:
"People across all sections of society, of all ages, are
drinking ever greater quantities of stronger alcoholic drinks. It should
come as no surprise that alcoholrelated health problems have risen
hand-in-hand with this increased consumption.
"The cost of alcohol misuse to our health service, our justice
services and our economy is enormous and growing. The cost to our
families, our communities and our society is incalculable.
"Now is the time for action to defuse the health timebomb alcohol misuse is storing up for the future.
"We believe that by raising the age for off-sales purchase of
alcohol to 21, together with better enforcement, we will reduce
excessive consumption among young people.
"Setting a minimum price for a unit of alcohol will mean price
better reflects the strength of alcoholic drinks. This will end the
heavy discounting which allows strong drink to be sold cheaper than
bottled water.”
Some of the Scottish Government’s plans have implications for
policy in England. For example, it is difficult to see how setting a
minimum price per unit of alcohol could work on only one side of the
Scotland/England border. Indeed, soon after the launch of the discussion
paper, supermarket chain ASDA threatened to undermine the plans by
building distribution centres over the border in England and selling
discounted drink on the internet. ASDA said there was nothing to stop it
and other supermarkets putting up new warehouses in northern England
and transporting alcohol to purchasers in Scotland.
Paul Kelly, ASDA’s Corporate Affairs Director, said:
"The big point here is that these measures will actually hurt
the poorest. Low income Scottish consumers will pay for this. These
plans could create two classes of customer, some who are reliant on the
local supermarket because they use cash and others who will get deals
over the internet....... It is about a £10,000 a year person being
punished for wanting to have a drink at the end of a week. That is the
unintended consequence of what is being proposed."
However, a spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said ASDA's
comments simply "strengthened the case for government action" against
irresponsible promotions and pricing. She added: "We encourage the UK
Government to follow our lead and take action on cheap alcohol across
the country. High-strength, low-cost alcohol is not a right. It's
fuelling the damage to our communities, costing over £2 billion a year
and having a huge effect on our health service and criminal justice
system."
‘Crusade’ controversy
The proposals were immediately condemned by the opposition
parties and representatives of the alcohol industry and business
organisations. Critics condemned it as illogical to ban under 21s from
buying alcohol in off licenses as long as the age to enter a bar or pub
remained at 18. It would mean, they said, that young people who were
entitled to vote, marry, drive, buy cigarettes and fight in the armed
forces would not be able to drink at home. However, the Framework for
Action was launched in Armadale, West Lothian, which had recently run a
successful six-week pilot in which the purchase of off-sales alcohol was
restricted to over-21s at weekends. It is reported that the trial
resulted in reduced levels of antisocial behaviour, youth drinking and
vandalism.
Critics also questioned whether all the proposals were legal,
in particular the plan for minimum pricing which has already been
questioned by the Office of Fair Trading as possibly inconsistent with
competition law.
An important indication of the potential legal complications
surrounding attempts to set minimum prices and restrict special cheap
alcohol promotions is that the British Beer and Pub Association has told
the government it has decided to withdraw its guidance on ‘happy hours’
over fears that administering the rules could breach competition laws.
After the suspension of the guidance, pubs and clubs will have
independently to decide whether to avoid certain ‘irresponsible’
promotions, rather than sign up to common standards.
The BBPA said it will continue to encourage its members to act
responsibly. But it feared the standards would have been written into
agreements between authorities and pubs when most licences were reviewed
in 2008. The decision to withdraw the common standards is a particular
setback for ministers as they near the conclusion of a cross-departmental
review of ways to tackle cut-price alcohol and drinks promotions. It is
reported that implementing several options favoured by ministers,
including setting a minimum price for a unit of alcohol, may pose
significant legal challenges. Some retail and pub industry insiders
argue that implementing such restrictions while complying with
competition law is all but impossible.
An independent review of the link between drinking behaviour, pricing and promotions by Sheffield University is awaited.
Labour attack
The Scottish Labour Party accused the SNP Government of being
in ‘crusade mode’ over alcohol. Labour’s Pauline McNeill criticised, in
particular, Kenny McGaskill, the Justice Secretary, for comments in
which he likened policies on alcohol harm reduction to the campaign
against child pornography. Ms McNeill complained that no attempt had
been made to achieve a cross-party consensus on the alcohol issue, and
said that Labour did not want to be part of a crusade. Shona Robison,
the Public Health Minister, said the government was not against alcohol,
only alcohol abuse.
Doctors’ support
However, The British Medical Association in Scotland welcomed
the proposals, which they said appeared to reflect some of the key
recommendations in its own publication Alcohol Misuse: tackling the UK
epidemic. The BMA commented that while past approaches to tackle the
problem “led to increased consumption levels and alcohol-related
problems and demonstrated a failure in the political drive to improve
public health and order”, the new consultation document seeks to reverse
that approach and outlines a number of bold strategies that will, if
developed in partnership and appropriately resourced, help to turn
around our relationship with alcohol.
The BMA particularly welcomed efforts to address the pricing
of alcohol. Since 1997, taxes on wine and beer in the UK have only
increased in line with inflation while taxes on spirits have not
increased at all. There was strong and consistent evidence that price
increases result in reduced consumption. The government needs to act on
this evidence. "The BMA has been calling for an end to irresponsible
promotional activities such as deep discounting, loss leading and
‘two-for-one’ offers. This encourages excessive drinking and retailers
must be more responsible about how they market alcohol, particularly
those drinks that are most attractive to teenagers.
"Mass public awareness campaigns may be politically attractive
and increase knowledge about alcohol misuse but they are very expensive
and ultimately ineffective if unsupported by broad based policy.
Targeted approaches are vital, including measures to reduce alcohol
availability and thus consumption by young people and children. "We
welcome the suggestion of raising the purchase age for off sales to age
21. However, this move will only be effective if it is rigorously
enforced."
The proposals
The Framework for Action sets out the Scottish Government’s
strategic approach to tackling alcohol misuse, which it says is no
longer a marginal problem, nor one that affects only binge drinkers or
those who are dependent on alcohol.
Increasing trends in alcohol consumption mean that many Scots
are now drinking above `sensible guidelines’. The paper says that over
recent years, increased consumption has been influenced by factors such
as a decline in the relative cost of alcohol, increased availability,
and changing cultural attitudes. To deliver the long-term sustainable
change required, it is essential that Government works in partnership
with a wide range of partners.
Based on knowledge and understanding of alcohol misuse, its
drivers, and evidence-based interventions, the discussion paper says
that sustained action is required in four broad areas:
- reduced alcohol consumption
- supporting families and communities
- positive public attitudes towards alcohol and individuals
better placed to make positive choices about the role of alcohol in
their lives
- improved support and treatment for those who require it
The Framework for Action sets out measures to reduce
alcohol-related harm in Scotland, forming the basis of a comprehensive
strategic approach. The discussion paper is in the form of a
consultation document on which the views of stakeholders and the general
public are being sought. In particular, the Government is seeking views
on:
- further action to end irresponsible promotion and below cost selling of alcoholic drinks in licensed premises
- the introduction of minimum retail pricing of alcohol
- what particular information parents would find helpful in relation to alcohol
- raising the minimum purchase age to 21 in off-sales
- the introduction of a 'social responsibility fee' applied to
some alcohol retailers to offset the costs of dealing with the
consequences of alcohol misuse
- further restrictions on promotional material in licensed premises
- the desirability of separate checkouts for alcohol sales
The consultation period will run until 9 September.
Following the consultation, the Scottish Government envisages
legislating in time for many of the measures to coincide with the new
Scottish Licensing Act coming into force on 1 September 2009.
Jack Law, Chief Executive - Alcohol Focus Scotland :
In response to ASDA's threat to undermine the Scottish government's
alcohol strategy, Jack Law, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland,
the Scottish national charity on alcohol issues, wrote a hard-hitting
letter to the newspaper Scotland on Sunday in which he described ASDA's
stance as just "the latest in a series of actions by the supermarkets
which leads us to question their attitude to the retailing of alcohol".
He continued:
“The sale of alcohol is not a simple transaction between
the buyer and seller. All of us are affected by our problem drinking
culture. The Government's approach recognises that when we talk about
selling alcohol we are talking about more than price - we are talking
about the nation's health and wellbeing and a positive future for our
children. This is about more than ASDA's profits.
“The evidence that increasing price reduces consumption is
clear. At a population level, this approach works. But this isn't the
blunt instrument which your article suggests. The two most price
sensitive groups are young people and heavy drinkers - two of the key
groups for the Scottish Government's alcohol strategy.
“Publicans, producers and some retailers have publicly
expressed concern about cheap alcohol, yet one of the supermarkets is
once again denying that their retail practices are contributing to the
problem. We would wish to have the same mature dialogue with our
supermarkets about Scotland's alcohol consumption as we have had with
our pubs and clubs, but none of the supermarkets have taken steps to end
cheap price promotions voluntarily so the Scottish Government has been
left with no option but to use legislation.
“Alcohol is a different type of product to anything else on
the supermarket's shelves which is why a licence is required to sell it
and has been for over 200 years. In Scotland we updated our licensing
laws two years ago and the Act comes into force in 2009. Protecting
public health is one of the key objectives of the new legislation.
“Holding a licence is a privilege, not a right. Privileges
carry responsibilities and views such as these do little to make us feel
confident about the willingness of supermarkets such as ASDA to meet
them.
“The Scottish Government has sparked off a national debate
about alcohol. Parliament has already passed a Licensing Act banning
price based promotions in pubs and we now have a consultation on the
same measures in off-sales. People will express their views over the
next 3 months. We would urge ASDA to pay heed to the views of the
population and our elected representatives and to comply with the spirit
and the letter of the law.”
Top of pageBritish children are amongst drunkest in Western world
British children, Welsh children in particular, are among the most
likely to drink and to get drunk in the Western world. The figures are
contained in a report from the World Health Organisation on health
behaviour in 11-15 year-old school children in Europe and North America.
In relation to alcohol, three measures were taken: frequency of
drinking, incidence of drunkenness and (for 15 year-olds only) whether
they had been drunk before the age of 13.
The report also covers behaviour in relation to smoking,
illegal drugs, diet, exercise and other risk factors as well as family
relationships and economic circumstances.
The tables show the findings on alcohol for England, Wales,
Scotland and Ireland, together with the figures for whichever countries
had the lowest and highest percentages (based on boys and girls
combined) and the average across all countries.
Top of pageGood Childhood Inquiry highlights concern about values children learn from adults
Adults are increasingly concerned about the values children are
learning from those around them, according to evidence submitted to The
Good Childhood Inquiry. Two-thirds (66%) of adults thought that the
moral values of children today are not as strong as when they were
children, according to a public opinion poll for The Children’s Society.
The poll, conducted by GfK NOP, is the last in a series called
Reflections on Childhood commissioned by The Children’s Society, to
complement the launch of a summary of evidence submitted to the inquiry
on its sixth and final theme - values.
Professionals responding to the inquiry emphasised that
children learn most of their values from adults, and expressed
apprehension about how certain trends in society are affecting the
values children are learning. The rise in materialism, a preoccupation
with celebrity, and declining networks of support from community and
extended family were all cited as negative factors. Seven out of ten
polled (69%) said that community values among children today were not as
strong as when they were young.
Although not explicitly covered in this report, there is much
concern at the heavily publicised alcohol and drug fuelled antics of pop
stars and other celebrities. Writing in the Independent on Sunday,
journalist Jonathon Owen reported that “Health professionals look with
concern at the antics of high-profile figures who appear to glamourise
excessive boozing. Daily coverage of celebrities such as Amy Winehouse,
Girls Aloud’s Sarah Harding and Lily Allen looking worse for wear does
nothing to help matters, particularly among impressionable young girls.
Professor Ian Gilmore, President of the Royal College of Physicians,
said: “Even I’ve heard of Amy Winehouse. Clearly it’s highly
inappropriate for young pop stars, looked upon as role models by young
people, to be celebrating or boasting about their misuse of alcohol, and
the ‘Amy Winehouse factor’ isn’t helping the situation.”
Generation Gap
Increasing tension between adults and children emerged as a
particular area of concern in the Good Childhood Enquiry. Over half of
adults responding to the poll (55%) thought there was more conflict
between adults and children now compared to when they were young. Just a
third (32%) thought that attitudes towards young people in their local
neighbourhood were mostly positive.
Children responding to The Good Childhood Inquiry reported a
lack of positive interaction with adults in their communities. In a
national survey of young people aged 14 to 16, only one in five (20%)
agreed with the statement ‘My area cares about its young people’. Forty
per cent were not sure and the remaining 40% disagreed. In response to
questions on The Good Childhood Inquiry and BBC Newsround websites, 11%
said adults in their community were ‘never’ friendly to them, and 37%
said only ‘sometimes’.
Considering the issue of how children learn values from
adults, Bishop Tim Stevens, Chair of The Children’s Society and a panel
member, said: “What came through strongly from both adults and children
is the golden rule: ‘treat others as you want to be treated’. Values are
caught as well as taught.
“Many respondents to the inquiry expressed concern about how
children can learn positive values from adults around them when
communities are increasingly segregated and young people are often
regarded with suspicion. It is crucial that our children are valued and
respected by adults around them, so they can learn how to behave towards
others.”
Bob Reitemeier, Chief Executive of The Children’s Society
said: “We reap what we sow when it comes to teaching children values.
Every adult plays a vital role, which we should nurture as much as we
can.
"Unfortunately, it is easier to criticise children than to
invest in them, and it is the children most in need of positive role
models who are becoming disconnected from their communities and wider
society. Where troubled young people challenge us, our responsibility is
to bring them closer and help them, not push them away.”
Other findings from the GfK NOP poll include:
- Twenty nine per cent of adults think that the Government’s
attitudes to young people are mostly negative, with only 23% thinking
they are mostly positive.
- Forty per cent of adults think that the political values of children today are not as strong as when they were children.
The Children’s Society has already released evidence summaries
on the inquiry’s previous five themes: friends, family, learning,
lifestyle and health. The inquiry will publish its final report and
recommendations in early 2009.
Top of pageHope UK - Phoenix from the ashes
Hope UK has a long pedigree in alcohol education. Beginning
life in the nineteenth century as the Band of Hope, providing an
educational and social resource for generations of children, Hope UK has
now adopted a new name and a new approach to tackling the alcohol and
drug problems of the twenty-first century. Here, George Ruston, Director
of Hope UK, describes its contribution.
Attending the finals of the Global Rock Challenge means
listening to loud music and stunning performances from students who are
there because the organisers want them to have a natural high whilst
performing on stage. The idea is that young people are given
alternatives to the artificial highs produced by alcohol, tobacco or
illegal drugs.
Hope UK, like the Global Rock Challenge, has a vision of
enabling young people to make drug-free choices. There is no artificial
separation made between alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs, although,
obviously, account has to be taken of legal status. Are Hope UK's
activities -- and those of the Global Rock Challenge -- a postmodern
version of what used to be called the temperance movement? What seems to
be lacking from the government alcohol strategy is a significant
realisation that people are going to have to drink less -- or not at all
-- and also pragmatic solutions that offer alternatives. In January
2008, Kevin Brennan MP, stated that the government was going to deliver a
social marketing campaign in order to foster a culture where it is
socially acceptable to young people to choose not to drink, and, if they
do, to do so later and more safely1.
Social marketing on its own will not foster that culture -- it
requires practical action and significant peer influence and role
modelling. Literally, people have to stop drinking alcohol products. How
will the shareholders of drinks businesses feel about this? It may be
easier for government to focus on criminal justice issues, although the
recent initiative to increase price is to be welcomed. At the end of the
day, people make their own choices. And, however it is dressed up,
alcohol-free options need to be given a higher profile.
Professor Virginia Berridge, in her review of the temperance movement2
and the lessons that can be learned for current and future alcohol
policy, debunked the idea that it had little relevance to the present.
She outlined how the movement was part of a general social change.
Professor Griffith Edwards once described the Band of Hope as a ‘social
event’, which held its adherents by virtue of the social enjoyment of
being together. This is a long way from any worthy but dull presentation
of facts about alcohol. One of Berridge’s key conclusions is that
temperance history showed that the issue of cultural change is central.
Hope UK's response in a postmodern world is built around such holistic
views.
Hope UK was 150 years old in 2005. Formerly, it was the UK
Band of Hope Union with a history that includes Queen Victoria as its
patron, and over 3 million members in the late 1890s -- all enjoying
what Griffith Edwards described as a social event. Today, its focus is
on providing voluntary Drug Educators who will work directly with
children and young people as well as providing training for those adults
who have responsibility for them. Last year, these Educators reached
over 50,000 young people -- either directly or via responsible adults.
This year, Hope UK has launched a step change plan which will see it
reaching 500,000 young people, with 1,000 trained Drug Educators by the
end of 2011. (Training is provided by a 120-hour Open College Network
accredited course, developed by Hope UK's training team.)
Postmodernism may have started as an architectural concept,
and there is still much debate as to what it really means. However, it
recognizes that we are in a society where individual choice is important
-- we have moved a long way from Henry Ford offering a colour choice
for his model T car of black or.... black... or black. Behaviour and
attitudes need to be examined interactively in ways that make people
think for themselves and beneath the surface of myths and
misunderstanding. So many individuals still think that illegal drugs are
responsible for more deaths than alcohol and tobacco – and very few
people appreciate that one in every 10 children are suffering because of
their parents’ alcohol or illegal drug use -- most because of drinking.
Hope UK is bringing something new and something old to the
party. Old in the sense that it focuses on people and seeks to
communicate with them at the level of everyday life. New, because
training voluntary Drug Educators means that there is a growing
workforce available to meet people where they choose to meet -- in
evenings or at weekends, particularly. At present, there are 209
Educators throughout the UK, either trained or in training. There is a
traditional emphasis on alcohol-free options (as part of the drug-free
option) with a postmodern approach that features a holistic emphasis,
which goes far beyond looking at the facts.
At the same time, changes in culture and civil society -- as identified in Robert Putnam's book Bowling Alone3
-- mean that many of the traditional sources of people to speak to
(churches and membership groups) are finding their numbers diminishing.
New ways have to be found to communicate with people. Hope UK's
involvement in the recent Pentecost Festival in central London saw its
Educators offering members of the public the chance to walk a white line
wearing beer goggles. Those who were a little shy were offered the
chance to play Jenga instead. Conversations start from these activities.
Thirst for life
The thirst for life campaign encourages individuals to try to go alcohol free for 40 days.
Typically, people find this hard. They are also encouraged to try the 10
point self-audit test to check out their drinking levels. One
individual recently e-mailed to say that he had been shocked to realise
how much he actually drank and took ‘time out’ by going 40 days without
alcohol. thirstforlife has been run on a shoestring, but it illustrates
an attempt to communicate in practical ways that individuals can respond
to -- a historian might recognize elements of signing the pledge,
albeit for a temporary period.
One of the key elements to Hope UK’s revitalised activity is
in recognizing the potential that exists within the voluntary and
community sector. Although 50% of its work is outside Christian
networks, Hope UK’s Christian basis is enabling it to mobilise churches
and their organisations to include alcohol and drug prevention
activities within their programmes. There are 50,000 local churches
within the UK. All of them have some form of community presence and
their members live and work alongside people who will have or develop
issues with their alcohol and drug use. By equipping them with knowledge
and confidence in the effectiveness of peer influence and role
modelling, change can be brought about. This is a long-term project. It
is also work that targets everybody who is concerned with children and
young people and seeks to involve organisations for which alcohol and
other drug education may be peripheral or non-existent -- yet which have
a huge potential for influencing their clientele.
Hope UK’s focus on universal prevention fits within the
Government’s Youth Strategy and the Every Child Matters policy
framework. The publication (in 2007 and 2008 respectively) of the
Government’s Alcohol and Drug Strategies for England highlighted the
need to reduce the level of harm related to substance use. Similar
Government strategies for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales all point
in the same direction.
Hope UK’s step change Plan, launched at its Annual Meeting in
May, 2008, is centred on a strategy that will make a Hope UK Educator
available locally to every community within the UK. This will mean
training 1,000 voluntary Drug Educators who will be able to reach
500,000 children and young people each year by the end of 2011. It was
put together with assistance from the Pilotlight capacity building
charity.
A new Hope UK is arising from the ashes of the temperance
movement. But the journey is only just beginning, and it will be
fascinating to see how much of the old remains, in reforming and
strengthening the new work that is being developed by means of the
voluntary Educator workforce.
References:
1 Hansard 8 Jan 2008
2 Temperance – The history and impact on current and future
alcohol policy Virginia Berridge, JRF Drug and Alcohol Research
Programme
3 Bowling Alone: The collapse and revival of American community Robert D Putnam Published by Simon & Schuster
Top of pageYoung people are intentionally taking drink and drugs for better sex
Teenagers and young adults across Europe, including the UK, drink and
take drugs as part of deliberate sexual strategies. A study carried out
by a team of researchers, led in the UK by Professor Mark Bellis of
Liverpool John Moores University, found that a third of 16-35 year old
males and a quarter of females surveyed are drinking alcohol to increase
their chances of sex, while cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis are
intentionally used to enhance sexual arousal or prolong sex.
More than 1300 people aged between 16 and 35 and who routinely
socialise in nightlife settings completed anonymous questionnaires.
Virtually all of the survey participants had drunk alcohol, with most
having had their first drink when 14 or 15 years old. Three quarters of
the respondents had tried or used cannabis, while around 30 percent had
at least tried ecstasy or cocaine.
Overall, alcohol was most likely to be used to facilitate a
sexual encounter, while cocaine and cannabis were more likely to be
utilised to enhance sexual sensations and arousal.
Despite these perceived sexual “benefits”, drunkenness and
drug use were strongly associated with an increase in risk-taking
behaviour and feeling regretful about having sex while under the
influence of alcohol or drugs. Thus, participants who had been drunk in
the past four weeks were more likely to have had five or more partners,
sex without a condom and to have regretted sex after drink or drugs in
the past 12 months. Cannabis, cocaine or ecstasy use was linked to
similar consequences.
“Trends in recent decades have resulted in recreational drug
use and binge drinking becoming routine features of European nightlife,”
commented Mark Bellis. “Millions of young Europeans now take drugs and
drink in ways which alter their sexual decisions and increase their
chances of unsafe sex or sex that is later regretted. Yet despite the
negative consequences, we found many are deliberately taking these
substances to achieve quite specific sexual effects.”
Individuals were significantly more likely to have had sex
under 16 years of age if they had used alcohol, cannabis, cocaine or
ecstasy before that age. Girls, in particular, were as much as four
times as likely to have had sex before the age of 16 if they drank
alcohol or used cannabis under 16.
“Sexual activity accompanied by substance use is not just
incidental, but often sexually motivated,” says co-author, consultant
psychiatrist Amador Calafat. “Interventions addressing sexual health are
often developed, managed and implemented independently from those
addressing substance use, and vice versa. However, young people often
see alcohol, drugs and sex all as part of the same social experience and
addressing these issues requires an equally joined up approach. ”
Top of pageSupport for parents of children with foetal alcohol problems
Julia Brown and her husband adopted a daughter whom they discovered
suffered from Foetal Alcohol Syndrome. They sought help but couldn’t
find any so they started their own charitable trust to provide the sort
of advice needed. Here is their story.
One can easily find a great deal of material about the
continuing concerns surrounding the increasing amount of alcohol being
drunk by women, particularly younger women, the so-called “ladette”
culture, the weekend binges, the professional women competing in a
“man’s world”, but there is relatively little mention about the damage
being done to the unborn babies these ladies are carrying.
Indeed, there also still seems to be mixed advice being given
on alcohol consumption during pregnancy, to pregnant women and those
contemplating having children.
So, what is the issue here? Why is it important that a clear
message to avoid alcohol in pregnancy should be given to women and why
should we teach this to our young people in school before they embark on
relationships?
The answer is FASD – Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.
Alcohol passes freely across the placenta into the unborn child’s system
and it can cause to the unborn child a range of irreversible brain
damage and physical damage that lasts a lifetime. There are many
factors, including when in the pregnancy a woman drinks alcohol, how
much she drinks, her overall state of health and the genetic make-up of
both the mother and the unborn child, as to whether any damage is or is
not done to the foetus.
However, it is a myth that to drink at the end of the
pregnancy – or even after the 12th week - is “safe”. This is because the
brain and central nervous system continue to develop throughout the
pregnancy, therefore remaining vulnerable to damage at any time.
There has been a great deal of debate, some quite heated, here
in the UK, about how much a woman can drink before any damage is done.
The answer to that question is still unknown, but research in the USA
and elsewhere has consistently shown that even a low intake can be, for
example, sufficient to stunt physical growth. The best and safest option
is to remove all risk and not consume any alcohol during the pregnancy.
Indeed, on this issue, the UK lags behind the rest of the
world. Women in the USA have been advised to avoid alcohol in pregnancy
since 1981, which is 27 years ago. In France, as in the USA, they now
label alcohol bottles advising of the potential dangers of drinking when
pregnant.
This lack of information and awareness is what led my husband
and myself to start The FASD Trust. We have an adopted daughter with FAS
(Foetal Alcohol Syndrome) and whilst we could find some amazing
Canadian Government websites, a fabulous support group in Australia, we
could find hardly anything here in the UK.
We rapidly discovered there were a number of families in our
situation, caring for a child with FASD, feeling isolated, unsupported
and misunderstood. We have found birth parents struggling with their
guilt and their children’s anger, fearful of society stigmatising them.
The Trust now runs a number of support groups around the country to give
them a voice and a safe place to share. We have a telephone helpline
and a website to give information that is relevant to life in the UK.
We are aware that the families we are supporting are just the
“tip of the iceberg” as WHO estimates 1 in 100 children born in the UK
each year have FASD, with 1 in a 1000 being severely damaged by prenatal
alcohol exposure.
We are also noticing that the babies born during the
binge-drinking spike of 2003 are now 5 and entering school, where they
cannot sit still or concentrate, cannot follow instructions, struggle
with speaking appropriately, have poor social skills, throw temper
tantrums, and we are increasingly receiving calls from teachers for
assistance.
It is important that we talk about this subject, not only so
that those, like our daughter, can be understood and receive appropriate
support, but also to prevent another generation being born needlessly
damaged in this way. If we do not educate the upcoming generation, then
as someone recently commented, “it will not be their fault, but it will
be their legacy.”
For more information or to contact The FASD Trust, go to
www.fasdtrust.co.uk
or call 0560 268 9478.
Top of pageGiving your child the best start in life
The dangers of drinking alcohol in pregnancy feature in a new report
from the BMA in Scotland. The report, entitled ‘Getting the Best Start
in Life’, focuses on the health impact of smoking and alcohol
consumption on the unborn child. The report also highlights how existing
health inequalities lead to an increased risk for certain groups of
Scotland’s children.
The report states that one in every seven babies born each
year in Scotland requires some form of special care. Two of the main
reasons for requiring this care are premature birth and low birth
weight. Smoking and drinking alcohol during pregnancy both increase the
risk of these.
- 25% of women in Scotland smoke during pregnancy, affecting 12,500 babies
- 55% of women in the UK report drinking alcohol during their pregnancy
Dr Peter Terry, Chairman of the BMA in Scotland said,
“Smoking during pregnancy has been linked to Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome (SIDS), an increased risk of the child developing
diabetes and an increased risk of attention deficit disorder. If the
child continues to be exposed to smoke during infancy there is an
increased risk of asthma and ear infections. These risks are increased
for those living in the most deprived areas of Scotland.
“Heavy drinking during pregnancy can lead to Fetal Alcohol
Spectrum Disorder (FASD). FASD is a term used to encompass a wide range
of physical, mental and behavioural effects that can occur in the
children of mothers who consume alcohol during pregnancy. However, the
affects of maternal alcohol consumption are not limited to FASD. Alcohol
can also increase the risk of infertility, miscarriage and has been
linked to an increased risk of SIDS. Alcohol consumption during
pregnancy is a problem across all of Scotland and its effects are not
limited to socially deprived areas.”
Dr Sally Winning, a member of the BMA’s Scottish Council who,
at this year’s Annual Representatives meeting in Edinburgh, put forward a
motion calling for clear advice to pregnant women, said,
“There are strong links between low income, social deprivation
and poor infant health and continued efforts are needed to address the
factors that underlie the health inequalities affecting the least
advantaged sections of the population in Scotland.”
The paper calls on the Scottish Government to act assertively to improve infant health in Scotland.
Key recommendations in the paper include:
- For certain groups – in particular, those with young
children and those on low incomes – attendance at smoking cessation
services may present barriers. Smoking cessation outreach programmes
aimed at reaching such groups should be established. Pregnant women and
their partners should be targeted.
- Breastfeeding should be promoted for the health of the
mother and baby. The effects of smoking on breastfeeding should be
highlighted.
- Government should issue clear and consistent advice on
alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The BMA believes women who are
pregnant, or who are planning a pregnancy, should be advised not to
consume any alcohol.
- Comprehensive and long-term research on FASD in Scotland should be undertaken.
- Media personalities and celebrities should be aware of their
influence on young people, and should not promote or glamourise smoking
and drinking.
- Promotion of tobacco and alcoholic drinks, especially
through channels directed at young people, such as films, fashion, music
and sport, should be banned.
Top of pageNew publication
Alcoholism - The Family Guide by Samantha Harrington-Lowe
Published by:
Need2Know
Remus House
Coltsfoot Drive
Peterborough
PE2 9JX
Telephone 01733 898103
Fax 01733 313524
ISBN 978-86144-050-1
Top of page