Plans to tackle problem drinking in Cumbria were unveiled at a special event on 22 April.
The launch of Cumbria's ‘Time to Call Time’ alcohol strategy at the North Lakes Hotel, Penrith, brought together key figures from organisations involved in the frontline fight against the damage being caused by alcohol misuse such as Cumbria County Council, Cumbria Constabulary and Cumbria Primary Care Trust.
The Time to Call Time strategy has been drawn up by the Cumbria Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) get to grips with alcohol issues. It sets out the nature and scale of alcohol related problems in Cumbria and suggests various ways in which the issues can be tackled.
The report suggests that: "Our relationship to alcohol has to change so that we achieve a less harmful drinking culture...[ ]...moderate consumption of alcoholic drinks does little if any harm, for most people most of the time. However, alcohol is a powerful drug. It can and does cause a great deal of harm if misused ...[ ]...over the last few years there has been a growing awareness of the problems related to excessive drinking."
Those problems include health problems, crime and disorder as well as problems at home and at work and in the streets.
The report cites evidence which suggests Cumbria’s alcohol related problems reflect the national picture and in some cases are actually worse that the national average:
* 30% of violent crime in Cumbria is linked to alcohol.
* 31% of children aged between 14 and 17 in Cumbria claim to have purchase alcohol in the last week.
* Alcohol specific hospital admissions for under 18s in Cumbria are above the national average.
* There are approximately 9,000 children of problem alcohol users in Cumbria.
* 35% of the case load and child protection case conferences in Cumbria cite substance misuse as a key factor.
It concludes that: "Excessive drinking is a problem throughout Cumbria among people of all ages, all classes and in all areas."
The Time to Call Time strategy suggests plans to promote safer more sensible drinking by regulating the supply of alcohol, reducing demand and minimising the harm it can cause by offering help to people for whom drinking has become a problem.
Jill Stannard is the Director of Adult Social Care and Health at Cumbria County Council, and the Chair of the Cumbria Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT). She said: "Many of us know people whose lives are affected by alcohol, either by being disturbed by rowdy behaviour, or having a friend or member of the family with an alcohol problem or liver disease.
"To date, we have failed to inform people of how much harm alcohol actually causes. Our relationship to alcohol has to change, so that we achieve a less harmful drinking culture. This strategy sets out why and how to change that relationship."
Mr Neil Rhodes, Assistant Chief Constable of Cumbria Constabulary, said: "Alcohol misuse contributes to 50 per cent of all domestic abuse incidents and over 30 per cent of violent crime in the county.
"Cumbria Constabulary works closely with partner agencies to tackle problems related to alcohol misuse however this challenge is deeply imbedded into society and cannot be solved by agencies alone."
"This strategy asks each and every one of us to examine our own drinking patterns and that of our families and friends to identify areas where people may need to make small changes to their routine or seek help where they need to."
Professor Dr John Ashton, Cumbria's Director of Public Health, said: "There is an expression that the fish are the last ones to see the water. The water or the environment that we are all swimming in Cumbria has an unhealthy level of alcohol in it.
"We need to reduce the amount of alcohol in this environment and change cultural attitudes to excess drinking if we are to prevent the big increase in alcohol related harm, which we will otherwise see over the next 10 years."
Time to Call Time has been launched in Cumbria ahead of the start of the Government's National Big Drink Debate which is due to begin on 12 May.
ENDS
Note
1. Follow the link at the bottom of the page to view the ‘Time to Call Time’ alcohol strategy.
2. Cumbria Drug and Alcohol Action is the strategic partnership responsible for the local delivery of the national drug and alcohol harm reduction strategies. The partnership mission statement is:
‘We work through partnership to reduce the harm caused by drug and alcohol use. By doing so, we aim to produce safer and healthier communities.'
Its partner members include: Cumbria County Council, Cumbria Constabulary, Cumbria Primary Care Trust, Cumbria Youth Offending Service, Connexions Cumbria and the National Probation Service Cumbria.
2. The Cumbria Strategic Partnership (CSP) is the countywide partnership in Cumbria which brings together partners representing the public, private and third sector organisations in Cumbria. Members include Cumbria County Council , the county’s six district councils, Cumbria Vision, Cumbria Constabulary, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service. Cumbria Chamber of Trade and Industry, Invest in Cumbria and other business organisations, Voluntary Action Cumbria, Cumbria NHS Primary Care Trust, North West Development Agency, Countryside Agency, Cumbria Tourism, Environment Agency, Innovia Films, National Farmers Union (NW), Pirelli Tyres Ltd and West Lakes Renaissance.
For more information on the CSP and a full list of members go to http://www.cumbriastrategicpartnership.org.uk/ (external link)
Follow this link to view Cumbria Alcohol Strategy 2008 - 11