Alcohol and Health in the North East of England 2006
Reducing the harm caused by alcohol has been a long standing public health issue. It is more complicated than, say, tobacco or drugs because the aim is generally for moderation rather than abstinence. This means there is a difficult political balance to be had.
However, it is rising up the political agenda because as overall consumption increases, harm increases. At a time when other European countries are experiencing decreasing overall consumption there is an increased need to fully understand the influence of alcohol in today's society.
This report provides a useful overview of what data are available regarding alcohol related harm and how the North East compares with other regions as well as patterns within the region. It reminds us that although alcohol related harm is high among the North East population there is a lack of services to provide for these needs. Additionally alcohol related harm has affects in all aspects of life so a large range of agencies are included in providing services to deal with these problems. Work has already started to develop a region wide approach to alcohol related harm following a regional conference in February 2006 (to which a shorter summary of this report was presented). This current report will provide a baseline for further work in this area.
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Alcohol and Health in the North East of England 2006.pdf
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