Norfolk Drug

1
Norfolk Drug Alcohol Action Team (DAAT).

• Young People and Binge Drinking.
• Anne-Louise Schofield Young Peoples Joint
  Commissioning Officer, Norfolk DAAT
• Daniel Harry CDRP Liaison Officer,
• Norfolk DAAT

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Presentation Aims

• What is binge drinking?
• What is the scale of binge drinking? national
  and local information
• Young People and binge drinking
• The National strategic framework
• Local strategy developments
• Local provision and projects

3
What is binge drinking?

• Nothing new
• No consensus on definition of binge drinking.
• The Royal College of Physicians - a man who
  regularly drinks 10 or more units in a single
  session, or a woman who regularly drinks 7 or
  more units in a single session.
• The Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy - consuming 8
  or more units on a single occasion for men and 6
  or more for women i.e. double sensible limits.
• These definitions are adult specific.

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Binge Drinking?

• 8 units for men and 6 units for women on one
  occasion.
• 1pint of strong lager (Stella Artois,
  Kronenbourg) 3 units.
• 1pint of standard lager (Carling, Fosters) 2.3
  units.
• 1 bottle of wine 12 abv 9 units.
• 1 bottle of wine 14 abv 10.5 units.
• 1 small measure of spirits (25ml) 1 unit.

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Scale of binge drinking National.

• National Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy (2004).
• 5.9m adults drink twice the sensible drinking
  guidelines on one occasion.
• Within this group there will be many who are
  regularly drinking far more than twice the
  recommended daily amount.
• Predominantly 16 to 24 years of age BUT.

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Scale of binge drinking Local.

• DAAT Research into Alcohol Related Harms in
  Norfolk.
• prevalence of binge drinking 15.1 in Norfolk.
• highest rates in the deprived areas of Norwich
  and Great Yarmouth.
• Across all age ranges not YP specific.
• 727 alcohol related ambulance call outs to under
  18s. 43 resulted in being taken to hospital.

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Young People and Alcohol

• Underage drinking is widespread, ½ under 18s
  will have drunk within the last year and around
  20 of those in the last week.
• Likelihood of drinking increases with age
• Of those that drink regularly the quantity of
  units consumed has risen
• 2/3 said they had been very drunk at least once
  in the last year.

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Young People and Alcohol

• Source - friends and parents.
• Location - own home and a friends home.
• Negative effects - sick or unwell, drinking more
  than intended, and saying something later
  regretted.
• Parents control 2/3 stated that parents had no
  knowledge of their drinking.

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Risky Alcohol Consumption

• Children who purchase their own alcohol are
  almost six times more likely to drink in public
  places, nearly three times more likely to drink
  frequently and almost twice as likely to binge
  drink than those who drink but do not buy their
  own alcohol.
• Binge drinking, frequent drinking and drinking in
  public places are strongly related to the amount
  of weekly spending money children have available.
  
• Older siblings and friends, and adults contacted
  outside of shops, are frequent sources of alcohol
  for schoolchildren.

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Institute of Alcohol Studies (2007) Binge
Drinking Nature, Prevalence and Causes.

• Why?
• Fun
• Conformity being one of the lads
• Escape
• Dutch courage
• Risk Factors?
• Youth, particularly 17 23
• Family history of substance abuse
• Impulsive personality traits
• Depression or anxiety
• Positive expectancies

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Binge Drinking Risks Physiological

• Binge drinking and severe intoxication can cause
  muscular incoordination, blurred vision, stupor,
  hypothermia, convulsions, depressed reflexes,
  respiratory depression, hypotension and coma.
  Death can occur from respiratory or circulatory
  failure or if binge drinkers inhale their own
  vomit.
• Increased risk of accidents and alcohol poisoning
• When part of a chronic drinking pattern - alcohol
  can lead to many serious health problems
  including cancer, liver cirrhosis, strokes,
  hypertension, fertility problems, mental health
  problems, neurological problems and impotence

12
Binge Drinking Risks Societal

• Engagement in a range of risk-taking behaviours,
  including getting into cars or going home with
  strangers, using unlicensed mini-cabs, having
  unprotected sex and taking part in pranks which
  put them in physical danger.
• Potential absenteeism from education or work
• Strongly related to accidents and violence
• Links to crime and anti-social behaviour

13
National Strategies

• Children's Trusts in association with DAATs are
  responsible for tackling issues such as underage
  drinking and alcohol problems that contribute to
  poor outcomes.
• National Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy (2004).
• Safe, Sensible and Social (2007).
• Updated National Drug Strategy (2002).
• Every Child Matters Young People and Drugs
  (2004).

14
Local Strategic Development

• N-DAP Outcomes Strategy.
• Young Peoples Commissioning Strategy Alcohol
  Harm Reduction Strategy.
• DAAT Alcohol Strategy Officer.
• DAAT Needs Assessment.
• Local Area Agreement.

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Local Responses

• Education and information
• Early identification and appropriate
  interventions (SID)
• Young Peoples substance misuse services
• Norwich Safer Drinking City Programme (NRF).
• Training and Workforce Development.
• Alcohol arrest referral.
• Think Safe Drink Safe campaign.

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Ways forward?

• Reduce availability.
• Increase price.
• Information and awareness.
• Tier 1 / 2.
• Brief interventions.
• 16 to 24 years of age.
• Parental alcohol use and attitudes.

17

• Thank you for your time.