Tackling Alcohol Dependence:Treating Addiction and Supporting Vulnerable People

In England alone, there were an estimated 602,391 dependent drinkers in 2019, according to Public Health England, with only 18% receiving treatment. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), deaths caused by alcohol increased by 18.6% to 8,974 in 2020, marking the biggest rise since records began 20 years ago. 24% of adults in England and Scotland have been found to regularly drink over the Chief Medical Officer’s low-risk guidelines.

This symposium by Public Policy Exchange will offer community alcohol partnerships, local authorities, commissioning leads, mental health professionals, housing officers, police staff, public health practitioners and third sector organisations with a timely and invaluable opportunity to respond to the increasing risk posed by alcohol dependence, sharing best practice for both prevention and recovery.

Programme

• Discuss the impact of Covid-19, the cost-of-living crisis and rising poverty on levels of alcohol dependence and numbers of alcohol-related deaths 
• Evaluate the effectiveness of treatment services provided by the NHS and local authorities and identify areas of improvement
• Consider the impact of minimum unit pricing for alcohol in Scotland and Wales and the case for its introduction in England and Northern Ireland
• Analyse how to deliver early interventions for individuals in ‘at risk’ groups
• Discuss the successes of alcohol prevention programs as a means to decrease crime, improve health, and reduce hospital admissions locally
• Consider the wider determinants of alcohol dependency and how future policy can be shaped to address these drivers
• Identify how to meet the needs of vulnerable people and marginalised communities, building resilience and minimising harm through effective safeguarding protocols and policies
• Explore strategies for combatting alcohol related mental health issues and discuss methods to integrate mental health support into treatment services
• Scrutinise the link between alcohol, domestic violence and abuse and respond appropriately
• Examine existing marketing regulations and discuss methods to reduce the visibility of alcohol advertising to ‘at risk’ groups 
• Consider opportunities to utilise taxation to decrease levels of alcohol consumption, particularly through duties on alcohol
• Explore how to improve partnership working between local authorities, the NHS, mental health services, Jobcentre Plus, providers of adult social care, local housing and criminal justice agencies
• Identify ways to improve the enforcement of licensing laws for shops, pubs and clubs

There is a fee to attend this event.

For further information and to register for a place please click the link below:

Public Policy Exchange