Get The Balance RIght

Bournemouth’s first Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy is shortly to be released by Bournemouth 2026 which was set up to improve the quality of life in Bournemouth.

The strategy focuses on giving clear guidance to organisations about which alcohol education and treatment programmes those misusing alcohol should be referred to. It also puts forward ways of reducing alcohol misuse and alcohol related crime and advocates the use of brief intervention therapy at the earliest stages of misuse to try to stop those at risk from spiralling.

At the same time the strategy recognises the value of Bournemouth’s night time economy with the focal point coming from the title, ‘Get The Balance Right’. The strategy includes information on the worth of the NTE in terms of revenue, employment and providing an important leisure resource for the conurbation.

It also highlights the need for the trade to be fully aware of the effects of alcohol and its misuse on individuals, particularly those who are vulnerable, and the costs and pressures that result for the NHS and the police. It is a case of getting the balance right in every sense.

Health care staff, police, council workers and rehabilitation organisations have joined forces to create a unified alcohol strategy for Bournemouth.

The strategy, which was put together by Bournemouth 2026 and is the first of its kind for the borough,

The strategy, which has received a quality kitemark, was put together by Bournemouth 2026, in association with Dorset Police, NHS Bournemouth and Poole, Bournemouth Borough Council and Bournemouth Drug and Alcohol Action Team.

Ideas within it are already becoming a reality. Brief Intervention Therapy has recently been launched and is being used by hospitals, the police and probation service.

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