Use existing laws to combat irresponsible drinking – LBRO

The Local Better Regulation Office (LBRO) has called on local authorities to make better use of existing laws and solutions to tackle problem drinking rather than simply campaigning for more powers to control the price of alcohol.

The organisation's call is a based on a study conducted by the LBRO into the prevention of sales of alcohol to young people  involving five police forces and 11 local councils, which highlighted a range initiatives to combat that the problem within the present legal framework.

Particularly effective, said the LBRO, are schemes which fully involves licensees and other businesses in dealing with issue, citing a campaign against proxy sales in Lancashire and initiatives against on-street drinking in Brighton as examples of good practice.

LBRO Chairman Clive Grace said: "Recent announcements have focused on the availability of cheap alcohol but most people recognise that the problem of irresponsible drinking, and the resulting crime and antisocial behaviour is a wider and more complex social problem.

"While there is no single 'silver bullet' to cure these ills, we think these examples of best practice by local authorities and police forces are worth revisiting, and have important lessons that could be applied across the UK. Initiatives such as the ones identified in the study can lead to a reduction in anti-social behaviour and can make communities better places to live particularly on Friday and Saturday evenings. This is why LBRO is keen to take its work forward with local authorities to find the best ways to reduce the problem."

The full report can be accessed here.