Vera Baird DBE KC

Chair Criminal Cases Review Commission. Member Women’s Justice Bd.
Ex Victims’ Commissioner, Solicitor Gen & PCC. Fellow St Hilda’s Oxford. Writer. Labour Party

Tag: alcohol

  • North East PCCs call for debate to reduce alcohol consumption.

    Vera Baird SBE KC

    A major conference in Durham today has called for changes in the licensing laws for alcohol. The key outcomes of the conference are expected to form the basis of a debate in Parliament.

    Over one hundred people from decision-making bodies met with the North East’s three Police and Crime Commissioners at the Durham Centre in Belmont to hear about the consequences of excessive alcohol consumption, and to share ideas about how consumption might be reduced. As well as the Police and Crime Commissioners, speakers at the event included:

    – Jon Foster, Senior Research and Policy Officer, Institute of Alcohol Studies

    – Professor Dorothy Newbury Birch, Professor of Alcohol and Public Health Research, Teesside University

    – Colin Shevills, Director of Balance

    Ron Hogg, Police and Crime Commissioner for County Durham and Darlington, said “There has been a 57% increase in alcohol-related deaths since 1994. As well as the tragic consequences for the families concerned, this means that resources are being used by the emergency services which could be better committed elsewhere.”

    Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Vera Baird, said “It’s vital that we work together to reduce the cost to society of alcohol related harm by changing attitudes, deterring offenders and tackling irresponsible supply.

    “Many residents are calling for a lower drink drive limit, which in Scotland has led to a 17% reduction in drink-drive offences. I give my full support to this and, along with my fellow PCCs in the region, will continue campaigning for its implementation.”

    Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland, Barry Coppinger, said “Our hardworking emergency services are all too aware of the long term effects of excessive drinking and the impact on their resources and our communities. This debate is long overdue and I firmly believe that our experts in the North East have a valid and relevant story to tell in helping to inform this debate.”

    I believe that a minimum unit price for alcohol would serve to reduce consumption and improve community safety.’

    The three PCCs are working with local MPs to secure a debate in Parliament, to review the licensing laws.

  • Action Needed To Tackle True Cost Of Alcohol.

    As alcohol-related NHS admissions hit almost 10 million in England, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Vera Baird has again called for action to be taken in stemming the consumption of alcohol.

    Already this year Mrs Baird, together with fellow north east Police and Crime Commissioners Ron Hogg from Durham and Cleveland’s Barry Coppinger, have written of their concerns over the direct link between cheap alcohol and crime and disorder.

    The three Commissioners had called on the Government to introduce minimum pricing. Research had shown that by doing this, alcohol related crimes would reduce by thousands each year leading to an improvement in public safety and confidence as well as reducing the health impact of excessive alcohol consumption.

    Almost half of violent crimes are linked to alcohol and a survey of north east frontline police officers showed how nearly all questioned could not remember the last time they had been called to a domestic abuse incident where alcohol wasn’t involved.

    Today Alcohol Concern has updated its Alcohol Harm Map which shows that six out of every ten alcohol-related hospital visits were A&E admissions as well as almost two-thirds of the cost of inpatient admissions.

    The cost of inpatient admissions partly attributable to alcohol was said to be £1.3bn.

    “This growing reliance on alcohol is proving both costly to people’s health as well as the financial costs of health care providers,” the Commissioner said.

    “Add to this the cost alcohol consumption has on crime and disorder, not just in monetary terms for people and businesses but in its affect on the confidence of our communities, and we are looking at a worrying situation,“ Mrs Baird added.

    The Commissioner has also worked extensively in protecting people who become vulnerable while out in the region’s thriving night time economy and has introduced a raft of measures to help keep people safe.

    “I’ve introduced vulnerability training locally for door staff, which now happens nationally, and know through the feedback we’ve had that this is making a real difference.

    “This training is also being given to others working in the night time economy as well as partner agencies like local authorities, so now we have many more eyes and ears looking out for those who become vulnerable and need help to get home safely or be reunited with their friends and family.”

    Mrs Baird added: “The costs we are now seeing to various public services points to a very real need for actions to be taken to help people and alleviate the strain being placed on an already over-stretched public purse.”