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The
apas Newsletter (January
2005)
Drink driving – do you know what the penalties
are?
This is a topical subject at this time of the
year. Regrettably, the figures for the
Christmas period indicate that again more
people are taking the risk and driving when they’ve had a drink.
Refusing to provide a specimen of
breath, blood or urine for analysis. · 6 months in prison plus a fine of £5000 and a
driving ban for at least 12 months. In charge of a vehicle whilst over the legal limit or unfit through drink.
· 3 months in prison plus a fine of £2500 and a
ban.
Driving or attempting to drive whilst above the legal limit or unfit through drink.
· 6 months in prison plus a £5000 fine and a ban for at least 12 months (3 years if you’re convicted twice in ten years).
Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs.
· 14
years in prison, a minimum ban of two years and you will be required to take an
extended driving test before you are allowed
back on the road.
The simplest thing to do is, if you are driving, don’t drink. There is no such thing as a safe limit for driving. We welcome the Government’s drink drive warning,
which comes at a crucial time of year when, inevitably, people will be going out
drinking more than usual. Previous campaigns to
The above is the response of Geethika Jayatilaka, Director of policy and affairs
at Alcohol Concern, to the
Government’s drink-drive campaign in December 2004. “Nearly one in six of all deaths on the road are caused by drivers who are over the legal limit.” Young
people and alcohol
- a fundamental problem for local partnerships
Over
the last few years the policies of local authorities and the avarice of the
drinks industry have contributed to the present situation where ‘yoof’
drinking is identified as a major problem. Young
people have been enabled to drink more and stronger alcohol at younger ages
because of the absence of effective enforcement of licensing
laws and the preoccupation with illicit drugs. Once again, an example of
the fact that ‘the worst thing you can do is nothing’. Further, certain
elements within the drinks industry have unashamedly
targeted young people with products designed to be attractive to underage
drinkers. Together
then, a situation has been created where young people are encouraged to set drinking habits that are difficult to change. Whilst
society now appears to be concerned about the disorder issues that arise from
excessive and inappropriate consumption, what about the health issues? Evidence
tells us that the younger someone starts drinking, and the stronger the drinks
are that they consume, then the greater the likelihood of drink and drug
problems in later life. Are
we to once again do the worst thing that we can do, nothing?
Fixed
penalties for underage sales of alcohol
After many years of not exactly prioritising
alcohol issues, the Police and Trading Standards have recently been
rather active. Delighted as we are with these initiatives, we sincerely hope
that this is not just a ‘campaign’ but a sustained
effort to address the fact that too many licensees
believe that they will get away with flouting the law. Whilst licensee's
are being reminded
of their responsibilities, the position
for those consuming
alcohol whilst underage and for Let’s
get the position clear: It is an offence to purchase alcohol in
off licences for underage drinkers. A fixed penalty notice may be applied. Fixed penalty A
notices apply if: you allow consumption by
someone under 18; you sell to someone under 18; and, you are under 18 and you consume alcohol. The same penalties also apply if: you deliver
alcohol to under 18s or you allow the delivery of alcohol to under 18s. For the record,
this is ‘old news’ although some licensees would try and have you believe
otherwise. The relevant legislation is the
Criminal Justice and Police
Act 2001 (Amendment) and Police
Reform Act 2002 (Modification) which came into force on November 1st 2004. The
impact has already been felt by those working in pubs in Nottingham city centre. A police
test purchasing ‘sting’ found that 10
out of 18 premises served a 15 year old. The servers will receive a fixed
penalty notice. Presumably the licensees of those premises will be subject to
caution or prosecution. During the recent Ministerial visit to Nottingham, and when discussing the ‘night time economy’, our staff made the point that licensees are no longer in fear of losing their licences (evidence: how many revocations have there been in the last five years?) We were pleased that the Minister, Hazel Blears, agreed and we hope that the message will be heard both within the licensed trade and within the bodies responsible for enforcement. Late TransportLet’s
be realistic. People will try and get home when they’ve had a drink. We
don’t want them to drink and drive, so what are the alternatives? Taxis?
Clearly there are too few taxis to cope with the demand. The costs are also
astonishingly high when compared with a recent trip from near the Arc de
Triomphe in Paris all the way out to the Stade de France, at midnight. This cost
our intrepid investigator £12. A trip from the city centre to Stapleford costs
the same (if you can get one). The message is simple – more taxis please, and
let’s get the pricing right. Buses,
trams and trains? There is some good news here. The late night services are
improving, except on the trains (there aren’t any local late services). NCT
operates four ‘Nightrider’ bus services, and Trent
and Barton operates eight late services. The last buses leave the city at
04.10. Late buses are now operating in Mansfield. More services would be better (and, in Paris, the metro is free after midnight, to encourage revellers to get home safely). Nevertheless, to have more services, more people will have to use them. Information@apas For information
about how to access alcohol and drug services in the East Midlands, please How to complain about the promotion of alcoholic
drinks
The drinks industry has its own ‘watchdog’,
The Portman Group. They have produced a Code of Practice and the public are
encouraged to complain if they see a product that is in breach of the
code. The process is simple: write to The Portman Group
(copy to us please), and describe the promotional
activity, stating why you think it is in breach of the code. You can also visit www.portmangroup.org.uk and complete the on-line complaints form. If you want to know more please contact apas – we can send you a copy of The Portman Group
leaflet. What does the code aim to do and what does it
cover?
The code aims to ensure that drinks manufacturers
promote their products responsibly. Clearly some manufacturers do not always do
this, and The Portman Group have upheld a number
of complaints from the public, leading to products being withdrawn in their
current form. A product might breach the code if its name,
packaging or marketing: · Does not make it clear that it
contains alcohol; · Appeals to under 18s; · Emphasises the alcoholic strength unduly; · Links the product with illicit drugs; · Associates the product with sexual success; · Suggests bravado, violence, dangerous or
anti-social behaviour; Makes you think
that by drinking it you will become popular
or successful; · Encourages illegal or
irresponsible drinking, including ‘binge’ drinking and drink driving; · Uses inappropriate
images of people under 25; · Suggests that it can
improve your physical or mental performance. The code does not apply to retailer promotions
(including ‘happy hours’), advertising
(except at point of sale), text messages, and cocktails made and served on the
premises. Whilst we
believe that the code does not go far enough, this is all we have at the
moment. So, and using the usual apas quote ‘the worst thing that you can do is
nothing’, if you are concerned
about a product and its packaging or marketing,
talk it over with us and we’ll support your complaint to The Portman Group. Unpaid work opportunities apas
needs you. Alcohol
and Student Mood
James Ogram, 1st Year
Undergraduate at Durham University. A study involving 50 London undergraduates of
which 21 were women, showed greater anxiety levels and
aggression in non-drinkers through a series
of cognitive tests.
Alcohol diaries were used in conjunction with these tests to show that
light or moderate drinkers were not
impaired in terms of their cognitive skills compared with
abstainers. However, it was clear that non-drinkers
responded to the tests with higher levels of
somatic anxiety and
aggressive mood than the consumers of alcohol.
Increased levels of irritability, perspiration
and feelings of hostility and quarrelsomeness
were equally noted in non-drinkers. It is well documented that alcohol can have a
mitigating influence on stress in the immediate term, but in this case the test
students abstained from alcohol for a day
before the test began and from caffeine for three hours prior to commencing.
Thus, this perhaps suggests that light to moderate drinking patterns over time
can have a similar effect on stress and mood. The different responses to the
tests certainly show an interesting pattern
and perhaps pave the way for more research
in this area. But what is
clear is the enormous potential impact of
alcohol upon a student throughout the period of their degree. For many, student
life revolves around alcohol intake during social events, while there is still
huge pressure on many students to conform
to the habits of others. Perhaps one of the greatest
challenges of university is managing this
pressure and balancing alcohol intake and socialising with the more
important aspect of university, the
degree! Watch this space ….. James will be contributing regularly to the apas Newsletters on a variety of topics, including his perspective on the ups and downs of social and academic life at university. If you want to contact him about any aspect of alcohol and being a student, please email j.d.ogram@dur.ac.uk Is it possible that a light to moderate intake of alcohol could reduce aggressive moods such as in the cartoon above.? What implications could this have on drinkers and policymakers alike? Get Involved with apastimes We want you to
tell us what you would like to see in future editions of apastimes. What are the issues that
matter to you and that you feel deserve more attention in this newsletter. The
newsletter represents a fantastic opportunity for anyone to make their voice
heard within the community, so why not share your ideas or even submit an
article to Lesley at lesley@apas.org.uk
There is no limit to space in the newsletter, so why not give it a try. We already very heavily committed, both locally and nationally. The activities listed are all income generating for the organisation and this is so important as it means that we will be able to maintain both the quality and availability of all services. Conference on Alcohol & Disorder - Leicester, February Drugs & Crime for probation staff - Leicester, February Alcohol Awareness Training for the County DAAT - 3 dates in Autumn Alcohol & Domestic Violence - Sunderland, November In addition to these we are contributing to: County DAAT Alcohol Conference - Nottingham, April Healthy Choices Awareness sessions in schools - Broxtowe, May Alcohol Awareness Training at apas - Nottingham, Various dates apas volunteer Advice Worker training - Nottingham, September Practice Learning Unit - we have eight student social workers on placement at the moment. What else does apas contribute?
Some of these events are income generating
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