Cumbria Alcohol Strategy Launch (video message)

22 April

First, please let me apologise for not being able to attend today’s launch of Cumbria’s Alcohol Strategy.

And thank you for allowing me to say a few words by video link in support of the work you are doing.

I was delighted to be appointed Minister for the North West last July.

It gives me an opportunity to make a difference in the region where I live and which is closest to my heart.

But I’m realistic – and selective – about where I can make a difference as Regional Minister.

I’ve chosen alcohol and alcohol-related harm as one of my priorities for a number of reasons.

Alcohol is a major contributor to poor life expectancy, especially in our big cities.

It also has a significant impact on local communities and especially young people and children.

And that impact is felt in some areas more than others.

Even within our own region, the health, social and financial costs are much higher in some communities.

The Government’s commitment to a reduction in alcohol-related harm is clear.

 ' Safe. Sensible. Social'. The next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy’ builds on the progress made in reducing alcohol disorders and in targeting those most at risk.

For the first time we also have a new Home Office Public Service Agreement to reduce the harm caused by alcohol and drugs. This measures alcohol-related hospital admissions, perceptions of drunk and rowdy behaviour and young people’s drinking.

  ‘Safe. Sensible. Social.’ introduced young people as a priority following a worrying trend in children drinking an increasing

number of units.  Among parents and the public there is a great deal of concern about the impact of drinking on young people’s health and behaviour, particularly in contributing to anti-social behaviour.  In the Children’s Plan, we committed to producing a Youth Alcohol Action Plan, and work on this is underway across Government.

The new Public Service Agreement on ‘Increasing the numbers of children and young people on the path to success’ has introduced an indicator on reducing young people’s substance misuse which includes alcohol into the Local Area Agreement process and details ways to take this forward through improved youth provision.

The approach is mirrored by a number of initiatives at local level.

 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships now have a statutory duty to produce a local alcohol strategy.

Primary Care Trusts are required to include alcohol in their Joint Strategic Needs Assessments.

And Local Strategic Partnerships are using the power of partnership to address alcohol in Local Area Agreements.

As a public health issue, alcohol misuse leads to a wide range of health problems, many result in early death.

But alcohol misuse is not just an issue for health and health services.

It affects the life of the region, through loss of employment, economic capacity and community cohesion.

And it has a dramatic effect on the lives of individuals and the communities they come from.

This can be through violent and anti social behaviour accidents or crime, risky sexual activity leading to teenage conceptions and sexually transmitted infections, and truancy from school.

Against this background, I am extremely encouraged by the partnership approach described in your strategy. 

It sets out the long term investment that will be necessary to make a real change in reducing the harm that alcohol causes to Cumbria.

I am also delighted to see the support you have received from stakeholders.

There is a very real need to change the region’s relationship with alcohol. This will take time, but with this kind of concerted effort I am sure it can be achieved.

The reward will be to minimise the health risks, violence, crime, anti-social behaviour and damage to children and families caused by alcohol - while ensuring that people are still able to enjoy a drink safely and responsibly.

I will follow your progress not just to see what is achieved here in Cumbria – but what might be achieved with similar commitment across the whole of the region.