New blueprint to tackle Hull's binge-drinking problem

“The problem with alcohol would be cured overnight if people were forced to pay the same for alcohol in supermarkets as they were in the pub.
In my experience pubs are not the problem, it's the supermarkets irresponsible attitude, selling cheap to anyone old enough, no matter how drunk they are.”

“The trouble nowadays is that alcohol can be bought anywhere, only pubs and proper licensed "off sales" shops should be allowed to sell it, like it used to be. Supermarkets,corner shops and convienience stores should not because they don't have proper trained staff to control it. Bring back the old "beer off shops".”

“They continue to bleat on about strategies for smoking drinking etc etc. but have they considered asking people what they want. I have never been asked what treatment I want or indeed if I want to stop smoking or drinking. Here is a strategy! find out if people want it first, then if they choose help try asking them what they would regard as useful and what they would be prepared to engage in.
They have spent millions on smoking and what impact has that had.
And yes it was V Harris who sponsored the free gym passes,”

“Vicky Harris, head of alcohol abuse...wasnt she the one who wanted free gyms for drunks too?”

“Restrict alcohol sales to licensed premises only.

Problem ends.

"...a binge drinker who typically consumes the equivalent of three of pints of beer every day."

3 pints a day? Utter nonsense. This is simply the foothills of an attempt to demonise social drinkers by the Health Fascists now that they have made smoking all but illegal.

"During 2010, there were 37 alcohol-related deaths in Hull."
Meaningless statistic, without the context.

Were people knocked down by drunk drivers, or stepped in front a bus when drunk for example?
How many actually died from say, cirrhosis of the liver or other conditions directly related to excessive alcohol consumption?
How many were clinical alcoholics?

Plus of course, the extant laws regarding drinking are not enforced.

Blimey, it's enough to drive you to drink!!”

“How is consuming 3 pints considered a binge? If all seven days worth were drunk in one session then you could call it that. Many countries drink more per capita than we do but don't have the constant haranguing from health fanatics.
In any case, as has been mentioned. In any case all these figures about supposedly safe levels are completely spurious. They came about because the people asked by Margaret Thatcher to look at safe levels concluded there was no difference between someone who consumed one unit a week and someone who consumed 63 units a week . One of the committee thought she would think that sounded high so they simply decided by 3 and ever since 21 units has been cited as the safe limit and a whole raft of people have made a living on the back of this, quoting that figure as if it were written in stone, issuing pamphlets and coming up with new Initiatives every day. It is worth noting that the safe limit in Spain is considered 77 units a week.
I've worked in Belgium and Germany, both of which consume more per capita than we do and seem to manage alright without daily lectures on the dangers of drink or their health services collapsing.
If people drank 3 pints a day there would a lot less trouble than now where a lotof people go out once or twice a week and have a couple of gallons in one go.”

“Too many outlets, poor education and aggressive TV advertising by drinks companys has caused most problems. Portraying a 'ladish' way to behave influences one's behaviour when people drink...Monkey see, Monkey do. And it's accepted by police and hospitals; they 'molly-coddle' drunks and accept bad behaviour. It used to be a disgrace and embarrassment to be seen as out of control of one's own conduct. And, an £80 quid fine for disorder isn't enough; it should be £200, ok?”

“The poor and often lax attitude to alcohol is a national problem. In my opinion we as a nation seem to centre our social life on drink. It is everywhere. Even when there is a celebration of some event it cannot seem to take place without drink being involved. It is still over emphasised in the media as a positive image. The effects of all of this influences children in many ways. It is only now the government has decided look into the affects alcohol misuse has on children. It does ask the question what is misuse? Too many people turn to drink, even in small amounts, for the slightest things. If you need a drink every day, even a small amount you have a problem. If you binge drink, even only once a month you have a problem. There is an 'accepted' attitude that it is good to go out to just get 'wasted'. From my experience, there is also class discrimination in the attitude shown by those in the professions. Middle class houses who drink bottles of wine a day are 'social'; working class households with empty cans around are seen as alcohol dependant.
On top of all this is the ease of which young people can get access to alcohol. In my youth we used to sneak into pubs at 16 and get served if you were lucky. Now kids of all ages get access to strong alcohol with ease. Perhaps the answer is more education in schools on the topic. And perhaps wre should follow the USA or Canada model where the legal ages is 21 & 19 respectively. And these countries have strict laws that if any, establishment is caught selling alcohol to those underage, they are shut down immediatley and not allowed to trade?”

“Council & police strategy volume one.

1) Close off all roads around pubs / bars to traffic.

2) Erm.”