Issue - meetings

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services setting out a draft Alcohol Harm Reduction strategy for 2008-2011, developed by the local Alcohol Strategy Group, prioritising health, crime reduction and community safety issues.

Noted the key recommendations from the draft strategy and discussed the following issues for development to tackle the misuse of alcohol:

(a)  Use graphic images of liver damage caused by alcohol abuse;

(b)  Use of positive role models to support responsible alcohol intake;

(c)  Encourage current and new licensees to work with the Council to discourage the sale of cheap alcohol to young people;

(d)  Inappropriate alcohol related sponsorship in the Borough, especially on children’s clothing;

(e)  Removal of fly posting advertising clubs and cheap alcohol deals;

(f)  Prosecution of organisations referred to on fly posters;  and

(g)  Drink exclusion zones across the Borough.

Agreed, to assist the Council in its Community Priorities “Improving Health, Housing and Social Care” and “Making Barking and Dagenham Cleaner, Greener and Safer” to adopt the Barking and Dagenham Alcohol Strategy “Stronger Measures” as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.