The Government’s Alcohol Strategy

The Government published its 'Alcohol Strategy' in March outlining a revised approach for tackling the harms of boozing.

The strategy acknowledges that alcohol can impact positively on the lives of adults when enjoyed moderately. However, the ambition of the strategy is to 'reshape the approach to alcohol', with the following key aims:

• Change behaviour so that it is no longer acceptable to drink in ways that cause harm to self or others.
• Reduce the amount of alcohol fuelled violent crime.
• Reduce the number of adults drinking above the NHS guidelines.
• Reduce the number of people 'binge drinking'.
• Reduce the number of alcohol related deaths.
• A sustained reduction in the number of 11-15 year olds drinking and the amount of alcohol consumed.

Pricing and Promotion of Alcohol

A number of approaches around the availability of alcohol are proposed:

• Raise the alcohol duty by 2% above retail inflation (RPI) each year to 2014-15.
• Introduce a 'minimum juice' rule for cider so that high strength, white ciders can no longer qualify for lower apple cider duties.
• Introduce a new high rate of duty for high strength beer over 7.5% ABV and a new lower rate for beer at 2.8% and below.
• Introduce a minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol. A consultation on the level at which this should be set is planned although current proposals are around 40p per unit.
• The introduction of a MUP negates the need for a ban on below cost alcohol sales.
• Work with the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) and Ofcom to examine ways to ensure alcohol is not promoted during programmes of high appeal to young people.
• Ask the ASA to examine new powers in relation to online and social media in order to verify the age of users.

Enabling Local Action

The strategy allows local agencies to take action, including:

• The transfer of Public Health teams to the local authority from April 2013 will include transfer of the ring fenced public health grant which includes funding for alcohol services.
• From November 2012, elected Police Crime Commissioners will be encouraged to develop strong links with Health and Wellbeing Boards and Clinical Commissioning Groups to develop common causes on a range of crime and health issues, and it is envisaged alcohol will be a key cross cutting issue.
• From end April 2012, licensing authorities and local health bodies will become 'responsible authorities' under the Licensing Act 2003. New powers will make it easier to revoke licences or impose conditions by changing the evidential test from 'necessary' to 'appropriate'.
• From October 2012, Early Morning Restriction Orders will enable local areas to restrict alcohol sales late at night.
• Cumulative Impact Policies (CIPs) will work to ensure that there are not a high density number of venues selling alcohol in one area. Local areas can also impose staggered closing times and zoning where appropriate.
• Police.uk will be updated to include information on incident outcomes and the number of Drink Banning Orders in an area.
• From April 2012, alcohol licensing conditions for use at local level will be published. Local authorities will be encouraged to publish licence conditions for premises online to inform the public and maximise reporting.
• From October 2012, local authorities will be able to impose a late night levy on premises that serve alcohol to be used to contribute to the cost of policing and local authority actions in relation to alcohol.
• The maximum fine for selling alcohol to an under 18 will be doubled to £20,000.
• Greater use of 'Offence of Persistently Possessing Alcohol in a Public Place' will be encouraged.
• An additional discretionary power for Police Community Support Officers will be explored to enable them to enter licensed premises to support local enforcement of licensing laws.
• Hospital security staff will be able to issue £80 Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) for drunken behaviour in A&E.
• A&E staff will have the right to refuse to treat people who are drunk and abuse, and NHS Protect will have the power to apply for injunctions against individuals.
• Enforced Sobriety Schemes will be piloted as part of conditional cautions and community sentence orders when the crimes are related to alcohol.
• The use of sobriety schemes as part of Conditional Cautions and Community Sentence Orders for people convicted of alcohol related offences will be encouraged. New powers will also be introduced on sobriety will be introduced through the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill.
• Hospitals will be encouraged to share anonymised information on alcohol related assaults and injuries with the Police for use in targeting problem premises - this is already in place in Wiltshire.

Drinks Industry Action

The Government recognises that well-run and responsible pubs form an important component of the social fabric of communities and supervision of drinking can help prevent crime and disorder. Working with the alcohol industry is key and the following actions are proposed:

• The industry has pledged to take one billion units out of the market by 2015.
• Clearer information on containers such as unit and calorie content.
• Change the ease of availability of alcohol through responsible product placement.
• Ensuring that alcohol is named, packaged and advertised in a way that demonstrates positive associations to alcohol.

Supporting Individuals to Change

It is recognised that there is no 'one size fits all' approach to helping individuals to change their drinking behaviour, therefore several actions are required targeting different groups, including:

• Ensure young people know the risks of alcohol through a new £2.6 million youth marketing programme aimed at reducing regular smoking, drinking, drug use and risky sexual behaviour.
• Ensure that young people who attend A&E due to alcohol receive the proper follow-up and care.
• Drinkaware is funding research into social drinking 'norms' to reduce the perception of higher drinking levels among peer groups.
• From April 2013 the Department of Health will include alcohol identification and advice within the NHS health check for adults aged 40-75.
• All areas should implement the NICE guidance and quality standard on the management of harmful drinking and alcohol dependence.
• Use learning from eight pilot areas to develop a payment by results approach to alcohol treatment for offenders.

The full Government Alcohol Strategy is at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/alcohol-strategy/

Picture - members of the Coalition Cabinet discuss policy.