Agenda item

To consider the attached report of the Head of Health Improvement

The Committee considered a report of the Head of Health Improvement on Alcohol Harm Reduction Initiatives in the North West. 

In 2009, the Cheshire and Warrington Health Commission was established and Cheshire East was currently the lead Authority providing the lead officer and Chair (currently Councillor Domleo).  The Commission comprised representatives of local Councils (Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton and Warrington), Primary Care Trusts, Police, Fire and the voluntary and charitable sector.  The Commission had identified Alcohol Harm as a major issue and priority for action across all four Local Authorities as it was an area where there was potential to have a positive impact by working effectively across the Sub-Region.

Cheshire East Chief Executive had also made contact with Drinkwise Northwest who were initiating a large scale change programme within the Northwest to reduce Alcohol Harm; this led to the establishment of a Cheshire and Warrington Large Scale Change Group that has become an informal sub-group of the Commission.  This Group had devised five key objectives:

      Leadership – create joint leadership of public sector leaders who will drive transformational change through collaboration across and within sub regions;

      Calculate the costs – calculate the whole public sector costs of alcohol related harm and identify opportunities to reduce these costs;

      Public sector workforce – raise awareness of and address alcohol consumption across the public sector workforce;

      Children and Young people - raise awareness of and address alcohol consumption of children and young people including the physical and psychological harm caused to children and young people by alcohol related adult behaviour.  Cheshire East Council had recently signed up to the NHS North West “Pledge to young people” to reduce the harm caused to children and young people by alcohol.  The pledge included actions to be taken by November 2012;

      Tackle the causes – of excessive and harmful drinking.  This included looking at ways to build support for Minimum Unit Pricing of alcohol with clear evidence that this would reduce alcohol related harms and costs. 

The report outlined data relating to alcohol in the North West - including that 1 in 5 adults across the Northwest were drinking at levels likely to pose a significant risk to their health; 30% of all hospital admissions were related to alcohol; alcohol cost an estimated £400 million a year; 50% of all violent incidents were alcohol related.  In Cheshire East the costs for dealing with arrests for being drunk and disorderly in 2008-09 for those processed through the Middlewich Custody Suite alone, was £600,000.  

In discussing the issue, the following points were raised:

      What representation was on the Alcohol Strategy Group from the magistrates’ service, as it was felt important that local magistrates were involved and informed?  In response, the Committee was advised that it was believed that magistrates were represented on the Group but they may not necessarily be from the local area as the Group was Sub Regional; it was important that the Group was not too large as to be unwieldy; however, representation would be checked.  The Chief Executive of the Probation Service was a member of the Group;

      Proposals for Minimum Unit Pricing were supported.  It was also felt that Licensing issues should be investigated, especially as the Council was the Licensing Authority, to reduce opportunities for all day drinking;

      The impact of alcohol in relation to a wide range of issues including mental health, Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, domestic violence;

      Successful schemes were noted such as Pub Watch in Congleton and ArcAngel;

      The importance of education at an early age was noted.  It was important to communicate directly with young people and use methods with which they were familiar such as social media.  It was felt that there was a good relationship between young people and Police Community Support Officers.  It was also noted that as the Youth Service was now coming back in-house, this may give rise to opportunities for work in a number of areas. 

RESOLVED:  that

(a) the issues raised at the meeting be investigated; and

(b) a report be submitted to a future meeting updating on the current position and the  issues raised.