Alcohol policy

Drinking spaces and places

Policy seminar:  Examining who drinks alcohol, where and why?

Wednesday 10 February 2010

The impact of drinking alcohol in excess is seen both in terms of individual health and disorder in public spaces. This seminar focused on why policy levers need to recognise the importance of where and how people drink.

Session 1: Policy Context

• Binge drinking in England, a regional view: Dr Nicola Shelton (PDF): Department of Epidemiology and Public Health University College Londo
• Learning to drink - 11 to 15 year olds and alcohol (PDF): Elizabeth Fuller, National Centre for Social Research (NATCEN)
• Developments in Scotland (PDF): Dr Emilia Crighton, Scottish Convenor, Faculty for Public Health (FPH)
• Working to put Home Office alcohol policy into practice (PDF): Eric Stark, Regional Alcohol Lead, Government Office of London

Session 2: Private Drinking Places: Home and Away

• The Historical culture of drinking (PDF): Historical/cultural reasons for drinking – how the ‘current crisis’ has built over thirty years Dr James Kneale, Geography, University College London
• Where people drink - assessing the shift in emphasis from city-centre to the home, and the role of relationships at home (PDF): (Joseph Rowntree Funded work) : Professor Gill Valentine, Geography, Leeds; Dr Mark Jayne, Geography, Manchester; and Dr Sarah Holloway, Geography, Loughborough

Session 3: Public Drinking Spaces

• Designing drinking spaces: From Park to Club - youth, alcohol and place (PDF) : Professor Marion Roberts, School of Architecture and the Built Environment, University of Westminster
• Night time economies: Alistair Turnham, MAKE Associate (Presentation unvailable)
• Local spaces: licensing and managing public disorder John Thornhill, Chairman of the Magistrates Association (Presentation unvailable)

Session 4: Panel Discussion

• Dr Mark Jayne, Geography, Manchester; Don Shenker, Chief Executive, Alcohol Concern and Alistair Turnham, MAKE Associates (Discussion unavailable)

Consumption controversies: Policy document and Parliamentary launch

Emerging from this event a Society policy document Consumption controversies: Alcohol policy in the UK was published, launched at a Parliamentary seminar in December 2010.