Director of Public Health Annual Report 2019: Alcohol and us

As this report shows the use of alcohol is widespread in our society and affected by the cultural norms around our drinking culture, which in turn is shaped by alcohol marketing, the availability and affordability of alcohol. Parental and peer influences affect our drinking behaviour in our formative years and alcohol use may also be a response to changing life events.

However, more than one in four adults in Buckinghamshire are drinking above the Chief Medical Officer’s recommended guidelines and many of them may not realise they are harming their health. The harms caused by alcohol affects many aspects of life, including relationships, employment and, in some cases, results in the loss of homes and livelihoods or becoming involved in criminal acts. The harms may extend wider than the individual who is drinking too much, affecting families and children and wider society. However, change is possible; societal drinking habits can change over time, influenced by effective national policy and decades of research show that people can recover from alcohol addiction with the right support.

In Buckinghamshire we can start changing the conversation around alcohol, increase awareness of safer drinking levels and tackle the stereotypes that stop us recognising who might be drinking at levels that might cause harm. There is a role for all of us in this, but particularly for frontline staff in health and social care, where routinely asking simple questions about alcohol might result in someone getting the help they need and changing their life for the better.

These recommendations are particularly for the members of the multi- agency substance misuse strategy group, the organisations who are members of the Buckinghamshire Health and Wellbeing Board, the Buckinghamshire Integrated Care System and partners who have adopted the Buckinghamshire Shared Approach to Prevention.

Continue to develop multi-agency communications campaigns to:

● promote current advice on safer drinking

● raise awareness of the particular risks of drinking in groups at greater risk of harm (pregnant women, adults aged over 65 and young people)

● promote the benefits of a completely alcohol free childhood

● promote the full range of services available

Ensure that schools are prepared for the implementation of the statutory health education element (which includes education on alcohol) of the Personal, Social Health and Economic education, (PSHE curriculum).

Increase the knowledge and provide training for key frontline staff on the health risks and wider risks of alcohol and the importance of assessing alcohol intake.

Roll out training on Identification and Brief Advice (IBA) across the health and social care Integrated Care System (ICS) and ensure all ICS partners have processes for assessing and recording alcohol intake through the use of the Audit C tool, and increase early referral to appropriate services.

Undertake engagement work with target groups to increase uptake of alcohol treatment and support services for under-represented groups.

Continue to develop and improve services for those with co-existing substance misuse and mental health problems.

Implement shared care for alcohol misuse between primary care and specialist services across Buckinghamshire.

Work with partners to promote safe drinking in their employees.