Event Details
| Title: |
The Alcohol and Young People Summit: Breaking the Cycle of Binge-Drinking, Anti-Social Behaviour and Violence
|
| Date: |
Tuesday 7th July 2009 |
| Time: |
10:00am – 4:15pm (Followed by Networking Reception) |
| Venue: |
One Birdcage Walk, Westminster, London |
“Tougher enforcement powers are needed to tackle under-age binge drinking but enforcement measures alone are not the solution. We need a culture change about drinking with everyone from parents, the alcohol industry and young people all taking more responsibility…We need to fundamentally influence young people’s behaviour and attitudes towards alcohol.”
— Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State for Children, Schools & Families, June 2008
“Alongside new measures to help police to take action against one-off offenders and put them back on the right track, I will introduce brand new legislation which is designed to tackle under-18s who won’t change their ways. All of us, Government, the police, alcohol retailers, community workers and parents - particularly parents - have a responsibility to face this challenge head on. Now we have the powers in place, it’s time to use them to their full effect.”
— Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP, Home Secretary. June 2008
Overview
It has long been recognised that, in addition to the serious health consequences, excessive alcohol consumption is a key factor associated with young people committing offences, in particular violent crime and disorder. So much so that many of our town and city centres have become the breeding ground for alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour, vandalism and violent assaults. More recently, there has been a significant rise in the number of 11-15 year-olds – including an alarming increase in young girls – drinking unsupervised in open-air public places with the inevitable consequence of them being at greater risk of becoming perpetrators or victims of violence.
Building on several major initiatives, including The Children’s Plan and the Staying Safe Action Plan, the Government unveiled its Youth Alcohol Action Plan last summer, through which it outlined a three-pronged strategy to tackle the binge-drinking culture amongst young people and foster a lasting change in behaviour and attitudes towards alcohol:
- Establishing a new partnership with parents by providing them with clear information they need to guide their children towards low risk drinking
- Working with the alcohol industry to reduce the sale of alcohol to under-18s and also to market and promote alcohol in a more responsible way
- Working with police and the courts to stop young people drinking in public places, including a new offence to tackle persistent possession of alcohol
This major one-day national conference, hosted by the Centre for Parliamentary Studies, provides a timely opportunity for stakeholders and local practitioners including police, local authorities and health services to assess the progress so far in delivering the key objectives of the youth alcohol strategy. Delegates will consider how the implementation of the Action Plan, alongside the Youth Crime Action Plan 2008, can be joined-up more effectively with other local policy priorities through a coherent partnership approach to achieve real progress in breaking the cycle of binge-drinking and violence that blights the lives of so many children and young people in this country.
Programme
| 09:00 |
Registration & Morning Refreshments
|
| 10:00 |
Chair’s Welcome and Opening Remarks
Sir Alexander Macara, Former Chair, British Medical Association (confirmed)
|
| 10:15 |
The Youth Alcohol Action Plan – One Year On
- Progress Made, Future Challenges
- Transforming an Action Plan into Culture Change
- A Renewed Focus on Working with Parents
Ian Whitehouse, Deputy Director, Young People at Risk Division, Department for Children, Schools & Families (confirmed)
|
| 11:00 |
Morning Coffee Break |
| 11:15 |
Panel Session One:
Alcohol Awareness and Young People
- Challenging Dangerous Trends – Young Girls and Binge-Drinking
- Alcohol Education in Schools and Earlier Intervention in Communities
- Changing Behaviour and Attitudes – Understanding the Consequences of Alcohol Consumption and Alcohol-Related Behaviour
- Identifying Alcohol Misuse in Parents of Children at Risk
Jacquie Grofton, Prevention & Support Services Manager, Hartlepool Youth Offending Service (confirmed)
Dr Nick Sheron, Alcohol Committee Member, Royal College of Physicians; Senior Lecturer, University of Southampton (invited)
|
| 12:30 |
Networking Lunch |
| 13:30 |
Panel Session Two:
Tackling Binge-Drinking Through Local Partnership Working
- Developing Strategic Partnerships between Police, Health Services, Local Councils and Education Authorities
- Acceptable Behaviour Contracts and Parenting Orders
- Working with the Alcohol Industry and Night-Time Economy
- Restricting Sale & Promotion of Alcohol to Minors
John Ivens, Anti-Social Behaviour Officer, Hertfordshire Police (confirmed)
David Chater, Substance Misuse Team Leader, Department for Children, Schools & Families (invited)
|
| 14:45 |
Afternoon Coffee Break |
| 15:15 |
Empowering the Police to Tackle Alcohol-Related Youth Violence
- Turing the Tide on Alcohol-Related Crime Statistics
- Alcohol Disorder Zones and Tackling Persistent Offending
- Dovetailing with the Youth Crime Action Plan
- Rethinking Local Licensing Arrangements
Chief Inspector Adrian Studd, Deputy Lead for Alcohol Licensing, ACPO (confirmed)
|
| 16:10 |
Chair’s Summary and Closing Comments |
| 16:15 |
Networking Reception |
| 17:00 |
Close |
Who Should Attend?
- Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships
- Community Safety Teams
- Neighbourhood Policing Teams
- Local Strategic Partnerships
- Town Centre Managers
- Anti-Social Behaviour Coordinators
- Police Service, Police Authorities & Fire Services
- Drug & Alcohol Action Teams
- Health Service Professionals
- Accident & Emergency Departments
- Youth Offending Teams
- Youth & Outreach Workers
- Youth Inclusion Teams
- Probation Officers
- Licensing Enforcement Officers
- Community Support Officers
- Children & Youth Services
- Domestic Violence Co-ordinators
- Families Services Officers
- Sure Start, Children’s Trusts & Children’s Centres
- Victim Support Representatives
- Social Workers & Social Services Officers
- Social Exclusion & Neighbourhood Renewal Teams
- Local Education Welfare Authorities
- Teachers & Head Teachers
- Neighbourhood Wardens & Co-ordinators
- Criminal Justice Practitioners
- Judges & Magistrates
- Legal Professionals
- Local Authority Officers & Councillors
- Central Government Departments & Agencies
- Equality & Diversity Practitioners
- Third Sector Practitioners
- Academics & Researchers
How to Book