Balance response to time called on 24-hour drinking
Dave Hogg, crime and disorder programme manager of Balance, said: “We welcome the news today by the Home Office that they are proposing to increase the powers for local councils to take action in areas affected by alcohol influenced crime and address below cost sales.
“Pocket money priced alcohol and availability are two key factors that fuel alcohol related crime and disorder within our communities. Other hidden harms such as domestic abuse, health problems, teenage pregnancies and the impact within the workplace are similarly fuelled by alcohol misuse. The figures speak for themselves in terms of the price we are really paying as a society here in the North East.”
- Almost half of all violent crime is alcohol related
- Over 50% of domestic abuse cases handled by the police in the North East involve alcohol
- During 2008-09 the North East’s three police forces dealt with over 6,500 incidents of alcohol related domestic abuse
- The annual cost of alcohol related crime in the North East is estimated to be somewhere in the region of £424-567 million
- Over one third of offenders being supervised by the National Offender Management Service in the North East Region are believed to be alcohol dependant.
“There is now a great deal of evidence on how to reduce alcohol related harm and this has been reflected in the Balance manifesto launched earlier this year. This identifies tackling cheap alcohol, and enhanced licensing powers as two key priorities that we believe the coalition Government needs to take on board if it is serious about reducing the level of alcohol related crime, disorder and offending.
“We welcome anything which helps to drive down alcohol related crime and we believe that those issues identified within the coalition programme are a step in the right direction. However at present we only have outlined proposals on these changes and we are waiting with interest to see the detail of the consultation paper next week.”
Durham’s Chief Constable Jon Stoddart who is the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) lead on alcohol issues has also welcomed the proposals which could see the end of 24-hour drinking. Mr Stoddart, said he hoped the proposals would bring an end to excessive drinking with its associated problems of violence, disorder and serious health risks whilst at the same time encouraging people to drink responsibly, within sensible limits.