North West wellbeing and health campaign group Our Life is lobbying top Tories gathering in Manchester next week at the Conservative Party annual conference to call for action to be taken on irresponsible drinks promotions to tackle the rising unhealthy drinking culture in the region.
At a fringe meeting at the conference on 6 October 2009 entitled “Is Alcohol Too Cheap?” Our Life will trail research, to be launched later this month during Alcohol Awareness Week, showing that North West people want government to take firm action to facilitate healthier choices and protect local communities.
As we previously reported, the North West has one the worst drinking levels in the country and in Lancaster and Morecambe alone, the 2007/08 figures produced by the North West Public Health Observatory (PDF link) cite some 797 alcohol attributable violent crimes; 15 sexual offences attributable to alcohol; and 23% of Lancaster’s 16 an over population estimated to be engaging in binge drinking.
“Next week in Manchester we’ll be informing David Cameron and the Conservatives that the case for action to address alcohol harm is compelling,” said Our Life chief executive Dr Alison Giles, “and that avoiding regulation to reduce the burden on business is misguided when alcohol harm costs the taxpayer £10 billion per year.
“The attitudes of people in the North West and health statistics combined should act as a strong message to North West politicians in the forthcoming election that leadership on alcohol issues is a necessity.”