Helping people in trouble because of alcohol

Release Date:  01-Dec-2008

A new alcohol arrest referral scheme to give immediate advice and help to people who have been detained because they have committed an alcohol related offence is being launched this week.

Under the scheme, one of ten pilot schemes in the UK, some people detained overnight because of drink related offences will be offered a counselling session in the morning. An alcohol arrest referral worker will try to help them understand how their drinking is affecting their health and behaviour and other people. The workers will also help them to decide how they can avoid drinking too much and can signpost them to services that might help them if it seems their drinking is out of control.

“We want people to understand the danger they are putting themselves and others in because of heavy drinking before it really gets out of hand and they cause serious harm. We hope that by giving them information and working with them at this early stage they will take action to nip it in the bud. The scheme complements the alcohol conditional cautioning scheme (launched in the summer), extending help to many more people who have been arrested to tackle their alcohol misuse ”, said Dr Hugh Annett, Director of Public Health for Bristol.

NHS Bristol and Avon and Somerset Constabulary as part of the Safer Bristol Partnership obtained funding from the Home Office for the pilot scheme. Alcohol arrest referral workers, employed by the Bristol Addiction Recovery Agency, will work in three custody suites on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings to give immediate support to offenders whom it is decided will benefit the most from this intervention. People who want the service on other mornings can make appointments.

Mr Brian McCutcheon, Chair of Safer Bristol said “This pilot project is part of a range of actions the Safer Bristol partnership are taking to tackle alcohol abuse which is a major factor in many of the anti social behaviour issues facing communities across Bristol and is having serious health affects. Many of our schemes like this one are to support those who are drinking too much. We have also become more effective at managing some of the behaviour and bringing perpetrators to justice through the use of street drinking bans, extra investment in Police Community Support Officers; Marshall schemes in the city centre and Harbourside and improved CCTV systems.”

Peter Walker, Chief Executive of the Addiction Recovery Agency, which will provide the new service said:

“We hope that for many people being taken into custody because of their drinking will be a wake up call and they will be in a frame of mind to face up to how drinking is affecting their life. Through this short session we aim to assess how much people drink and raise their awareness of the affects of alcohol on their health and behaviour. As a result we hope that people will be able to take action to reduce their drinking. We can also help them to contact other treatment and counselling services for further support if appropriate.” ”

The Home Office will be carrying out an evaluation of the pilot project to check to see if it reduces re-offending, and look at if people change their health behaviour,

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