Last Orders response to the Government announcement on a tougher Code of Practice for alcohol licensees.

22 January 2010

Today, the Government announced a series of mandatory licensing conditions to tackle alcohol-related problems in bars, pubs and clubs.

Last Orders offers practical and confidential advice to people in Nottingham who want to cut down the amount of alcohol they drink. It was launched in July 2009 by Nottingham organisation Framework and NHS Nottingham City. To date, Last Orders has provided advice and guidance to over 100 people in Nottingham.

Mark Holmes, Clinical Nurse Specialist for Alcohol at Last Orders says:

"It is always encouraging to see action being taken to tackle problems arising from people who are drinking excessively. I am pleased to see that the Government is raising the bar in terms of stricter enforcement for licensees who break the proposed Code of Practice. NHS Nottingham City, Nottingham City Council and Nottingham Crime and Drugs Partnership work closely with licensees to minimise the harm caused by alcohol.

"However, it is vital that the enforcement activity described by the Government yesterday sits alongside services like Last Orders in Nottingham. We work to prevent people who are drinking a bit too much from developing a more serious alcohol problem which not only puts their health at risk, but can also cause the wider social problems associated with risky drinking.

"We at Last Orders are particularly concerned about the amount people who are drinking too much at home and it is possible that strict enforcement in pubs, bars and clubs could push people back to consuming more alcohol in the comfort of their own lounge. We already know it is cheaper to drink at home, but there is a risk that this makes drinking less of a ‘social' occasion and more of an individual activity, which makes it easier for drinking to become a habit."

Responses to specific conditions outlined today:

A ban on "irresponsible" promotions such as "all you can drink for £10" and drinking games

Mark Holmes said: "I support a ban on in-bar promotions which encourage excessive drinking. However, I am intrigued as to how banning drinking games will work in practice. It could be difficult to identify those who are playing drinking games in a busy bar, plus many people make up their own drinking games, so identifying a game and taking action to stop them could be trickier than it sounds."

Ensuring free tap water is available

"At Last Orders, we encourage people to drink sensibly by choosing a soft drink between alcoholic drinks. Not everybody wants to drink water on a night out. Many prefer a soft drink such as fruit juice or pop. Some soft drinks are barely cheaper than alcoholic drinks, so I would like to see the cost of them reduced to provide both greater choice and more of an incentive to drink them."

If anybody is concerned about the amount they are drinking and would like some practical and confidential advice about how to cut down should contact Last Orders on 0800 055 6184, email lastorders@frameworkha.org or visit http://www.last-orders.org/.

Information about the Last Orders service

The service works with GP practices and health professionals across the city to give specialist support and advice to people aged 18 and over who could be risking their mental and physical health by drinking too much alcohol. The aim of the service is to act early to prevent people from developing a more serious alcohol problem that would not only have a negative impact upon their health, but other aspects of their life, such as employment, relationships and having a safe place to live.

Last Orders is a specialist service run by Framework and is funded by NHS Nottingham City.

Based within GP practices, Last Orders' team of Clinical Nurse Specialists provides people who are at an increasing risk of damaging their health through alcohol consumption with up to 6 sessions of one-to-one advice to support them to reduce how much they drink.

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