Commissioner to hold alcohol event

Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Sir Graham Bright, will hold an event to focus on tackling problems associated with alcohol misuse.

The round table event will bring partners together to share good practice and encourage senior representatives from across the public and voluntary sectors to play their part in putting forward solutions. Sir Graham hopes that this week’s Alcohol Awareness Week will help shine a light on problems associated with alcohol misuse which cut across different public sector organisations.

Sir Graham said: “The misuse of alcohol has wide ranging implications for everybody – the individual, the public services that have to pick up the pieces and the communities it affects directly.“I am not against people enjoying themselves responsibly and safely, but drinking so much that you put yourself or others at risk of harm and become a drain on services, and the public purse which funds them, is no fun for anybody.

“This is an issue I am committed to looking into with a view to sharing best practice and new ideas. We cannot continue doing the same things we have always done, because it’s clear they are not working. I want to look at prevention, enforcement and treatment – and I want to leave no stone unturned. Getting public services working together to address this is very important to me.”

Government statistics estimate that each year alcohol-related harm costs UK society £21 billion. In 2010-2011 there were 1.2 million alcohol related hospital admissions and around 15,000 deaths caused by alcohol. The Institute of Alcohol Studies puts the cost of alcohol related crime alone at £11 billion per year (2010-2011).

The event, which is by invitation only, will take place on December 17 at the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner in Cambourne in the Council Chambers, South Cambridgeshire District Council Offices.

Invitees include senior representatives from the district councils, unitary authority and county council, public health, criminal justice, business and the voluntary sector.