Big Alcohol Debate reveals local impact of drinking culture

Brighton and Hove City Council today published the results of a survey launched in October 2011 to explore the attitudes of people in Brighton & Hove towards alcohol in the city (1).

More than half of those who took part said that alcohol was part of their social life (61%), while more than a third were worried about the effect alcohol has on people in the city.

The survey also revealed that 39.4% of local people avoid parts of Brighton & Hove because of the way drunk people behave.

Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas, a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Drug and Alcohol Harm Reduction, said:

"The results of the Big Alcohol Debate show clearly that alcohol is having a significant impact on Brighton and Hove.

"It simply isn't acceptable that certain parts of the city are seen as no-go areas because of drunken behaviour.

"Alcohol is now so much a part of everyday life that it's easy to underestimate the serious effect it can have on the way we live.

"We know that excessive drinking fuels many crimes, such as violent disorder, antisocial behaviour, and sexual assault (2).

"And in this city alone, we face an annual bill of £100 million for dealing with the effects of alcohol abuse.

"The Big Alcohol Debate has been a great way of opening up a conversation about alcohol in Brighton and Hove, and is a clear example of the good work that is being done on this issue at the local level.

"However, at the national level, it's about time that the Government came forward with an effective and coherent alcohol strategy."

Last year, Caroline tabled an Early Day Motion (3) asking the Chancellor to look at options to reduce the availability of ultra low price alcohol.

She said:

"My Motion directly targets the ultra low priced alcohol in supermarkets and off licenses which fuels our binge drinking culture.

"Pricing measures to prevent irresponsible retailers from offering heavy discounts would also reduce the pressure on the licensed trade and help to protect local pubs from closure.

"I'm also calling for super strength white cider to be brought under the same tax regime as beer, and for local authorities to be given far more control over licensing."

ENDS

1) Just over 1300 people completed the Big Alcohol Debate survey, with thousands more taking part in the Big Alcohol Debate on Twitter, in school focus groups, and in a travelling inflatable Big Brother-style Diary Room. More results will be reported in March.

2) Figures from Brighton and Hove City Council show that every week in the city there are on average:

  • Two deaths associated with the impact of alcohol
  • 66 ambulance call outs due to alcohol
  • 97 alcohol-related inpatient admissions to hospital of Brighton and Hove adult residents
  • 46 attendances at the A&E department related to alcohol

3) Early day motion 2264: AFFORDABILITY AND AVAILABILITY OF ALCOHOL AND RELATED HARM

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