Course on dangers of binge drinking a 'waste of money'
A SCHEME to tackle drink-related crime in Derbyshire has been described as "an utter waste of time and money" by the county council's Liberal Democrat group.
Under the "reducing alcohol harm" scheme, anyone handed fixed penalty notices for alcohol offences will be given the chance to attend a three-hour educational course to cut the cost of their £80 fine in half.
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Drinking
It will be launched in Derby, Ripley, Ilkeston, Chesterfield, and Buxton in January, targeting mainly 18-to-25-year-olds and will be run by addiction charity Druglink and Derbyshire police.
The county council and Derby City Council will each pay £7,700 towards the cost.
County Lib Dem deputy leader Tony Rogers said he believed it would be a failure and that a better plan would be to spend the money on educating youngsters about the dangers of alcohol.
He said: "It is an absolute and utter waste of time and money. A three-hour session is too short to have an effect on all but the odd person.
"We need to spend the money on getting specialists into our secondary schools and talking to them about the medical dangers associated with binge drinking. Our thinking should be more long-term.
"The Lib Dem policy is that alcohol is costing the health service much more money than class-A drugs so I would much prefer the county council to start a campaign for a Royal Commission to look into the wider problem."
The scheme comes as figures show a rise in alcohol-related crime over the past three years.
In the year to April, there were 13,582 alcohol-related incidents reported to Derbyshire police, up from 11,011 the previous year.
And in this financial year to date, there have already been 8,476 incidents where drink has been a "characteristic or motivating factor".
Offences can include anything from violence to theft.
A county council spokeswoman said the courses would raise awareness of the medical effects of alcohol, from liver disease to mental health issues, as well as how it contributes to antisocial behaviour.
The county council cabinet member for communities, Carol Hart, said the scheme was part of the authority's commitment to reducing excessive drinking.
She said: "This course provides people with all the information, advice and help that they need to reassess their alcohol use and make positive changes."
And Druglink chief executive Ian McNicol said: "The courses are targeting 18-to-25-year-olds, many of whom do not know the dangers of binge drinking."
5 Comments
by Max, Derby
Monday, December 07 2009, 1:51PM
“If I were so drunk that I inadvertendly committed a crime, the sentence that I personally would fear the most would be to have to spend my time doing community service (apart from Jail, of course). That would be the biggest deterent as far as I am concerned.”
by Stephen, Derby
Monday, December 07 2009, 12:15PM
“Mark, attendees of speed awareness courses mostly appreciate them because it is an alternative to having three points on their licences.......and it is not just first timers who are offered these courses. You need to get your facts straight.”
by John, Derby
Monday, December 07 2009, 12:11PM
“Instead of giving someone who is drunk in a public place a paltry £80 fine, why not give them a £200 fine and throw in 50hrs of community service, cleaning up the streets?”
by Mark, Ashbourne
Monday, December 07 2009, 11:19AM
“There is no evidence that the courses are a waste of money. It is just an opinion. First time speeders are offered speed awareness courses as an alternative to the normal penalty (they pay the cost of the course). It seems that many attendees appreciate such courses.”
by Angela, Derby
Monday, December 07 2009, 10:13AM
“This is rich coming from the Lib Dems, they are the worst at wasting money, the proposed bus lane, how much is that costing. They waste money on public consultations, waste because they never listen and act on what the results show. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.”