Reducing Harmful Drinking in Halton Eileen O’Meara Director of Public Health 11 th December 2013

Alcohol-specific hospital admissions for under 18s The chart above shows that the rate has continued to decline over recent years. Despite being above the NW rate we are making good progress in closing the gap.

Admission episodes for alcohol-attributable conditions The chart above shows that the rate for Halton has levelled off between 2010/11 and 2012/13. Halton is ranked 15th in England 2013 compared to 7 th in We are therefore closing the gap between Halton and England.

“When beer is cheaper than water, it’s just too easy for people to get drunk on cheap alcohol…So we are going to introduce a new minimum unit price …if it is 40p that could mean 50,000 fewer crimes each year and 900 fewer alcohol-related deaths a year… If the minimum price is 40p a unit, it won’t affect the price of a pint in a pub. In fact, pubs may benefit by making the cheap alternatives in supermarkets more expensive.” PM’s foreword to 2012 Alcohol Strategy for England

Draft Alcohol Strategy 2012 Our ambition is clear – we will radically reshape the approach to alcohol and reduce the number of people drinking to excess. The outcomes we want to see are: A change in behaviour so that people think it is not acceptable to drink in ways that could cause harm to themselves or others; A reduction in the amount of alcohol-fuelled violent crime; A reduction in the number of adults drinking above the NHS guidelines A reduction in the number of people “binge drinking” A reduction in the number of alcohol-related deaths; and A sustained reduction in both the numbers of year olds drinking alcohol and the amounts consumed.

The Halton Strategic Approach HWB priority Refreshed Alcohol Strategy & pathway. Action Plan on green Integrated working with CCG, Bridgewater, Hospital Trusts, Police, children, adults.

What are we doing locally? Healthitude works with teachers and students on alcohol prevention. Works with GP patients in the community 12 step programme logo Prevention and treatment services for young people