Safe. Sensible. Social The next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy. A response from Alcohol Concern

The new strategy has a far sharper focus on the active promotion of sensible drinking, reduction of crime and ill health as a result of excessive drinking. It targets not just under-18s and binge drinkers, but also anyone who drinks harmfully. In its intent, this is a vast improvement on the strategy‟s predecessor and Government should be applauded for a more comprehensive, focused and strategic paper that begins to identify the most effective route to reducing harms.

Safe. Sensible. Social. contains however, particular areas of omission, some worrying assertions and fundamental flaws in measurement which may ultimately lead to the new Strategy being judged as a further missed opportunity in tackling alcohol harm.

There are nevertheless significant improvements in the Strategy‟s main expected outcomes which, if promoted successfully, may yet provide the local levers required to reduce alcohol harms.

This paper sets out the key sections of the new alcohol strategy and analyses the strengths and weakness of the government‟s approach.

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