24 March 2004 - The "Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England"
The Government is to launch a new strategy to tackle alcohol misuse in England, which it says costs around £20 billion a year through crime and disorder, injuries and illness, and lost productivity in the workplace.
The "Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England", published by the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit, outlines new measures to:
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tackle alcohol-related disorder in town and city centres
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improve treatment and support for people with alcohol problems
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clamp down on irresponsible promotions by the industry
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provide better information to consumers about the dangers of alcohol misuse.
The report states:
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the overall annual cost of productivity lost as a result of alcohol misuse is estimated to be £6.4 billion a year
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up to 17 million working days are lost each year through alcohol-related absence
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alcohol misuse may also affect productivity of workers in their workplace and may result in shorter working lives
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there are clear health and safety laws to ensure that alcohol does not cause accidents in the workplace, but alcohol misuse is also a major cause of absenteeism, and lost productivity and profitability
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employers need to know how to recognise when an employee has an alcohol problem and what actions to take and procedures to follow
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the Department of Health and the Health and Safety Executive recommend that employers should have an alcohol policy setting out signs to look for and procedures to follow
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whilst over half of employers do have an alcohol policy and there are many examples of good practice, many of those who do not are likely to be small businesses who could benefit from advice on what to do.
The full report and press release can be found here.
