New three year alcohol strategy for the city

Alcohol plays an important and positive role in many aspects of British life. Drinking alcohol for most of us is associated with celebration and enjoyable social interaction. However alcohol has also become synonymous with drunken violence and disorder, vandalism and images of overcrowded accident and emergency departments dealing with the harms of excessive drinking.

Partners in Birmingham recognise and share the public's concern that current levels of crime, disorder and ill health caused by alcohol are unacceptable. The financial and human costs to the city of the misuse of alcohol are significant. Alcohol misuse impacts upon the individual, the family and the community. The challenge we all face is to encourage everyone who drinks alcohol to do so sensibly and safely, whilst ensuring that measures are in place to tackle the impacts of alcohol misuse.

HM Government has recently published the next steps in the alcohol strategy for England (Safe Sensible Social: June 2007) which outlines measures to address the issues of alcohol misuse. We in Birmingham will actively implement the strategy recommendations and build on these within the Birmingham Alcohol Strategy in order to meet the local needs of the communities we serve.

The Birmingham Alcohol Strategy, 'Reducing harm / Empowering change', sets out Birmingham’s objectives for the next three years in tackling alcohol related harm. Key aims include:

to challenge and change the idea that drunken anti-social behaviour is acceptable or normal;

to vigorously implement and action measures to reduce alcohol related crime and disorder;

to target support and treatment to those most at risk of harm including the family harms that are associated with alcohol misuse through domestic violence and child abuse;

to provide readily accessible information and advice for all citizens of all ages about the health risks of harmful drinking;

to ensure that business and industry reinforce responsible drinking messages; and

to develop robust infrastructures to support both delivery of effective alcohol interventions and the measurement of outcomes that clearly demonstrate progress.

The strategy, which was formally lauched on 31 October 2007, has been adopted by Birmingham Community Safety Partnership and Birmingham Health and Wellbeing Partnership.

Hugh Tibbits, Alcohol Co-ordinator said, "We have seen some significant improvements in the last 3 years in Birmingham, especially in the city centre where some of our initiatives have attracted national acclaim. However, we know there is more that we have to do. We believe that by working together we can achieve our aim to shape an environment that actively promotes sensible drinking, reduces the harms associated with the misuse of alcohol and helps to create a safer and healthier Birmingham".

Key partners who have played a pivotal role in the development of the strategy include Birmingham City Council – Adults and Communities Directorate, Children, Young People and families Directorate, Trading Standards, Licensing, Transportation, Housing services, Birmingham Community Safety Partnership, West Midlands Police, West Midlands Fire service, Primary care Trusts, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust, Public Health, National Probation Service and the voluntary and community sector (Third Sector).

To download a copy of the Alcohol Strategy, please click here>>