c) To prevent alcohol related violence by
- targeting hotspots
- developing pub watch whereby local pubs and clubs communicate with police and other establishments to prevent troublemakers moving onto another premise, fore warned is fore armed!
- training to bar staff and door supervisors to ensure violence kept to a minimal
- providing plastic and toughened glasses
Alcohol inspired crime includes offences which include shoplifting to obtain drink or sell goods in exchange for drink. Alcohol-linked crime includes offences where alcohol acts as “Dutch courage”, an excuse for aggressive behaviour
Figure 1: Based on Home Office Report on Crime and Criminal Justice Unit 1997.
In comparison, the latest figures from the British Crime Survey in 1999 show that:-
Figure 2: British Crime Survey 1999 – Estimated number of alcohol related Incidents
These figures clearly show there are a huge number of offences relating to alcohol consumption and these figures are disturbing. The best approach would be to re-educate the public on the dangers of binge drinking and provide more help in fighting addictions and go back to basics when educating the public on not only health issues relating to binge drinking but also the risk of violence and crime.
As touched on earlier, under age drinking has become a more popular pastime and youngsters are stealing alcohol from family and or local outlets to hang around park areas to drink it then leaving their empty bottles and in some cases smashed bottles creating a potentially hazardous environment for the children who wish to play at the parks.
Public opinion states that this problem should be dealt with starting with parental education and tougher policing to manage those caught drinking in public or those caught drinking in pubs and clubs whilst under age.
In the Youth Lifestyles survey carried out in 1989/99, it showed that 84% of 12 year olds had tried alcohol and evidence that it increased, as they got older. The survey also showed that 63% of 16 and 17 year olds had drunk during the survey period and that the majority had bought it themselves either in pubs and nightclubs.
Most supermarkets and off-licenses have increased the age to buy alcohol to 21 years old and identification must be shown prior to purchasing.
It is now getting that bad that violent attacks have been reported outside Off-licenses whereby shoppers have been brutally attacked for the alcohol that has just been purchased. It really does seem to be spiralling out of control, but can society get it back on track?
Where I believe this system fails is a lack of precaution from pubs and clubs when checking identifications, there are still a large number of underage youths slipping through the net. Are we breeding a society of young thugs, dependant on alcohol and drugs and committing violent crimes in the process?
Parents should also be more responsible when it comes to keeping alcohol in the home, no-one objects to alcohol in the home but tighter security should be installed to ensure children do not have access to it.
Imposing tighter control on access to underage drinkers in pubs and clubs is a start but is it really manageable? I believe whatever methods are put in place to prevent a further increase will only force them to try other means of getting what they need. I have spoken to several 17 year old females who all claim that they have no problem getting into night clubs without identification, they just flutter their eye-lashes and flirt with the Door Supervisors and access is inevitable. This is quite horrific to know that those given responsibility for keeping the under-age out are actually the ones letting them in.
Alcohol is now being called the new “British Disease”. Tony Blair has warned that unless more is done to combat binge drinking, the alcohol industry may be forced to pay for dealing with drunken behaviour. Maybe this is a theory the government should be considering to turn things around. What better than place the emphasis on the licensee’s who are responsible for selling and allowing the use of alcohol on their premises.
Mr Blair also stated that alcohol related crime is actually on the increase and this is very disturbing. He said “as a society we have to make sure this form of what we often call binge drinking doesn’t become a British disease”3.
Hospital figures from 2003-2004 show that 4,647 under 18’s were admitted to hospital due to alcohol, clearly showing an 11% increase since the 1990’s. This demonstrates how out of control youth binge drinking has become4.
The average adolescent admits to consuming on average 5-10 units of alcohol per week.
Adult admissions have also risen by 15% to 41,122 from the same survey5.
If you look at when the figures began to increase, it is clear that this was due to the extension of drinking hours and this was a government approved system which looks as if it has back-fired instead of curing the problem of binge drinking.
Reducing opening hours back to a reasonable closing time similar to what they were before would also be a start making it easier for law enforcement agencies to monitor premises for shorter lengths of time, leaving them available to concentrate on other crimes.
References used within this assignment
Figure 1 taken from
Figure 2 taken from
3 Taken from httb://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/37
4 Taken from httb://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health…
5 Taken from httb://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health…
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