'What works' to tackle alcohol-related disorder?
An examination of the use of ASB tools and powers in London
This guide aims to provide guidance about ‘What works?’ for borough Community Safety Partnerships, the London ASB Joint Action Group and the London Community Safety Partnership. It outlines the nature and extent of alcohol-related ASB, the tools and powers being used to tackle these issues and the effectiveness of such interventions.
Title: 'What works' to tackle alcohol-related disorder?: An examination of the use of ASB tools and powers in London
Author: Helen Easton (Senior research fellow) London South Bank University
Number of pages: 65
Date published: July 2008
Availability: Download full report 
Word 359Kb
Summary
There has been growing attention to how best to minimise the harms associated with alcohol consumption. The Government have recently updated their harm reduction strategy and created a new series of national indicators around alcohol. The responsibility for delivery of the strategic response to alcohol-related disorder rests with local community safety and anti-social behaviour teams (ASB). ASB has also been receiving increasing attention through its association with people’s wider perceptions of crime and their feelings about their quality of life. In London in 2006 36% of people considered People being drunk or rowdy in public places a very/fairly big problem in their area which was high compared to other parts of England and Wales. Less than a fifth of all cases of alcohol-related disorder are ever reported.
A range of tools and powers are available for the management of alcohol-related ASB including: individually focussed tools such as ASBOs, injunctions, Fixed Penalty Notices and parenting-orders; powers focussed on geographic locations such as Designated Public Places Orders (DPPOs, often known as alcohol-free zones); and tools such as closure notices which are focussed on licensed premises. While the use of these powers has been growing the frequency and ways in which they have been used varies across London. A realist approach has been taken which has involved a close examination of the range of mechanisms and contexts in which the tools and powers have been employed (Pawson and Tilley, 1997).
Findings
- London boroughs currently face a wide variety of alcohol-related disorder, with the most prevalent type of disorder being connected to street drinking.
- The nature, location and impacts of street drinking varied significantly across the boroughs.
- Boroughs reported significant differences between public perceptions and the actuality of alcohol-related ASB.
- Alcohol-related disorder often crossed over with other issues such as substance misuse, social inclusion and mental health issues and violent crime.
- Problems were highlighted with the quality of data and funding for ‘alcohol-related’ issues.
- DPPOs were the most commonly used of the tools but had been implemented to manage a range of alcohol-related disorder contexts including street drinkers in a park in Islington, street drinkers moving across the borough of Brent and public disorder and street drinking associated with the night time in Havering.
- The range of tools and powers available is not currently being fully utilised and knowledge about key ASB tools and powers is not shared across key service areas.
- For example, local ASB teams were often not clear on how fixed penalty notices (FPNs) and penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) were being used to manage alcohol-related disorder, who was receiving them, for what behaviours and what the outcomes of the notices were.
- Approaches to alcohol-related disorder which formally agree a protocol of intervention were popular and appeared to be the most successful.
- Using tools and powers in isolation appeared to be the least successful strategy. Good Practice Using tools and powers in combination and with support, education, consultation, communication, partnership working and enforcement generally achieved the best outcomes. A targeted problem solving approach which responds to local needs and issues rather than a blanket application of single tools and powers is necessary.
Recommendations
The report makes a number of recommendations in 4 different areas. These are:
- Dealing with disorder connected to contained events eg. football and festivals
- Disorder related to licensed premises / off-licenses and outdoor drinking
- Disorder in the night time economy
- Managing disorder caused by street drinkers
Getting a copy
Download full report Word 359Kb
Last update: Wednesday, September 17, 2008