Snippets - Nottingham CAMRA

Big Society – Big Alcohol – big mess?A look at the future from the viewpoint of Nick Tegerdinefrom the Alcohol Problems Advisory Service – what needsto happen and how can we make it happen?et’s begin at the beginning. Sugar, water and yeastproduces alcohol, whether we like it or not. As night followsLday, people will sample the intoxicating effects of alcoholand use it in any number of ways. Over time, these have becomeculturally defined, drinks after work, at a marriage ceremony,as a safety valve in armed services are just some of the manyexamples of the cultural use of alcohol.So, in the ‘big society’, and at a time when alcohol harm reductionis high on the agenda in the UK, how are we going to construct aproportional response to the issues, one that will reduce harm andyet allow the cultural use of alcohol to flourish.There are several influences on the decision making process thatwe need to understand. The public health perspective, whichamongst other things, promotes the position that the more youdrink the greater your risk of harm. We can debate how much istoo much, but risk increases with consumption, so this driver willbe influential. This perspective also applies to communities aswell as individuals, so if everyone in the population drank less,indicators of alcohol related harm would reduce.Of course we argue that it is necessary to target measures againstproblem premises, problem products and problem practices. Thisis just one of the areas where the apas agenda is shared withCAMRA.Against the public health debate is the massive influence of themultinational drinks companies, who have now heavily invested incorporate social responsibility departments which are very good atwhat they do. So good in fact that their utterances are frequentlyaccepted without question, despite the sometimes questionablepractises of the parent companies. I hear what they say but I seewhat they do.The worst thing you cando about an alcoholproblem is nothingDrinking too much, too often, and for too long andfinding it hard to change?Alcohol Problems Advisory ServiceAVAILABLE • ACCESSIBLE • CONFIDENTIAL0115 941 4747 or e-mail info@apas.org.ukwww.apas.org.ukAn overview of the game being played out before us is that wehave a nice ‘tug of war’ situation. There is the desire to drivedown consumption ranged against a need to increase marketshare and shareholder value. Here’s where Big Society can trip upor even halt Big Alcohol. We are looking at a Goliath, so what canDavid do?Mr Cameron has made noises about traditional values and thetraditional pub, and that is a popular approach appealing to many.CAMRA and apas are invested in the convivial well run publichouse, as compared with increased levels of drinking fuelled bycheap promotions at the hypermarket.Local brewers, the little guys, support the process by promotingindividuality, local provenance, local jobs and responsibility restingwith the individual imbiber. We don’t argue with that at all.Then there’s the fact that cask ale is the major growth sector ina diminishing alcohol market, a market which will feel furtherpressure due to the impending VAT increase and the job lossesthat are seemingly inevitable as the economy seeks to recoverfrom difficult times.Add to the equation the reality that Goliath though doesn’t reallycare about David at all, not even at voting time. It’s a headlongpursuit of global dominance, a game of risk but played out withpeople’s jobs rather than plastic armies on a gaming board. That’stheir weakness. They see only that there’s more money to bemade elsewhere in the world, so they decide to shut the plantdown and contract brew their products, reduce their quality andsaleability, then they won’t have to bother with those productsany more.Remember the position statement that ‘Shipstones has no marketshare so it makes sense to stop producing it’. It’s market sharewent from giant size to ‘wee David’ in a few short years becauseit was meant to do so, it was deliberate and part of the overallstrategy of the business.Then, Goliath’s argument goes on “we’ll have the socialresponsibility machine to protect us from interference, so we’lltake a few risks but with some well chosen grants and somesponsorship of award ceremonies we’ll keep out of trouble for awhile. We’ll also sponsor a few things that mean that people canget ridiculously drunk and get home safely, therefore we won’tget the blame”. This haughty position has arguably been assistedto a degree by some naivety in the licensing authorities, andfear of the financial consequences of taking on Big Alcohol, andthe weaknesses of the current Licensing Act in protecting localcommunities. Pressures on the Police to reduce crime, leading tolittle or no enforcement of licensed premises in some areas of thecountry, is also a contributor. These factors have made Goliathcomplacent.If we are wise, and don’t indulge in boorish debate about why thedrink driving laws are wrong, about units, about health freaks andso on, CAMRA and apas can make a difference. We do recognisethe science supporting a whole population approach, but we alsorecognise the value of responsible drinking. After all, most peoplewho drink do so because it has some benefit for them. If it didn’twhy would they do it?Big Society has the advantage over Big Alcohol because it doesnot rely on money. There’s not as much of that around as therewas anyway, so we have to be smart and be wise. To all David’s,seize your chance with both hands, now is the time to make adifference, and we can.The alternative is where the big money wins, and where theinnovative progressive Beer Duty is reduced or stopped becauseof financial pressures and the cries of ‘unfair’ from those whoalready have more than most. Where we move back towards acountry denuded of local pubs and with a few national blands only.That’s the Big Mess option and that is the likely position unless wejoin hands and grasp this chance to influence the debate.NewsThe Nottingham Alcohol Treatment system is under reviewagain. The Nottingham Alcohol Strategy is being refreshed.Nottingham is to have a new Night-time Economy co-ordinator.The Nottingham Priory Clinic will not be able to admit someone onthe NHS from April.The apas find of the month is: Troubador Bar in Argens-Minervois, France. Bottled Nottingham Brewery beers, wood fire,great pizza and salad and a copy of the Drinker! Splendid!www.nottinghamcamra.org Issue 100, October / November 2010