A STRATEGY to raise awareness of health and wellbeing issues associated with alcohol consumption and ensuring support is available to those who need it, has been finalised.

Wiltshire Council’s Alcohol Strategy 2014/18 sets out how the council and its partners will tackle alcohol-related harm in the county and the anti-social behaviour associated with it.

In developing the strategy the council consulted with a wide range of partner organisations over a number of months.

A recent Big Drink Debate survey, which had more than 700 responses, helped gauge the public’s views on their relationship with alcohol and how it can affect local communities.

A forum was held in February for a range of organisations to look at the findings.

The key objectives of the strategy are to:

• Raise awareness of sensible and responsible drinking levels and reduce the levels of high risk drinking

• Reduce the level of alcohol-related harm

• Support individual treatment need to reduce levels of alcohol caused chronic and acute ill health

• Maintain Wiltshire’s safe communities and manage Much progress has been achieved since the previous alcohol strategy, including the delivery of alcohol awareness training, targeted alcohol health promotion, launch of the hidden harm strategy and delivery of multi-agency street drinkers project.

As a result of the work achieved since the previous strategy, the council says four themes have been identified to work towards over the four years of the strategy:

1. Prevention – Improve knowledge about the risks of harmful drinking

2. Intervention – Deliver high quality support services to meet individual needs

3. Protection – Effective partnership approaches for a safer Wiltshire

4. Engagement – Developing strong and more resilient communities

Maggie Rae, Wiltshire Council’s corporate director and director of public health, said: “We’re determined to work with our communities to promote a sensible drinking culture in Wiltshire and an awareness of both the damage that alcohol can cause and what people can do to reduce the risk."

“Our strategy, along with continued positive work with our partners will help us achieve this.”

Keith Humphries, Cabinet member with responsibility for public health, said: “We’re confident this strategy can make a real difference in reducing alcohol related harm across Wiltshire.

“Together with our partners we aim to tackle the excessive consumption of alcohol that can lead to dependence which can ruin the lives of individuals and their friends and families.”

The strategy can be found online at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/alcohol-strategy.pdf