Mentor Seminar

Drug and Alcohol Prevention that Works

December 2013

Mentor’s seminar series aims to share our knowledge and expertise in preventing alcohol & drugs harms with those influencing policy & practice.

In our inaugural seminar, we presented an overview of prevention strategies, and the impact they can make in our communities and on public health.

Dave SpencerChief Inspector, Staff Officer to the ACPO Alcohol Licensing and Harm Reduction Working

Group, Northamptonshire Police

“Alcohol is legal, and widely available. Alcohol advertising is becoming more pervasive. It now appears that getting drunk is a pre-requisite to having a good time.”

increase Minimum Unit Pricing

control supply

manage the environment (street & inside premises)

To control violence in the night-time economy we need to:

Flickr user: SnaPsi Сталкер

The combined efforts of police, street wardens, bar owners, & door staff can manage and prevent irresponsible alcohol supply and create an atmosphere of responsible drinking.

Flickr user: antoinedemorris

Pete BurkinshawCommissioning & Clinical Practice Development Lead, Alcohol and Drugs Team, Public Health

England

“Imagine you're standing beside a river and see someone drowning. You jump in and pull him ashore....

“...A moment later, another person floats past you, and then another and another. Eventually, you know can’t save any more, and head upstream to find the cause.

“People are falling into the river through a hole in a bridge. Once this is fixed, people stop falling in.”

The public health perspective is to ‘go upstream’ and fix a problem at its source, not save victims one by one.

Flickr user: MRHSfan

We can't view substance misuse in isolation. It’s time for a more integrated and universal approach linked to children and young people.

Flickr user: elycefeliz

Andrew BrownDirector of Programmes, Mentor, Board Member of EUSPR (European Society for Prevention

Research), Advisor to government on drug strategy

“Harsh and inconsistent punishments are

ineffective, or they can cause more harm than

good.”

There is still an emphasis on health harms in drug education in the misinformed belief that this will disincentivise youths.

Flickr user: Gareth Williams

We need to move towards a broader approach to persuade schools to implement evidence-based programmes as more

effective means of prevention.

Anna PowerSchools Drug and Alcohol Consultant, DrugAware Programme Lead, Nottingham Early

Intervention Team

“5 years ago in Nottingham a ‘zero tolerance’ approach was the norm – to throw out students at the first hint of drug use.”

...to not watch or walk past a person in need and do nothing.

DrugAware worked with secondary schools to create a new definition...

Flickr user: martinak15

Young people are now instead put into a brief intervention which looks at the entirety of their risky behaviour and life course.

Education link workers intervene earlier, using smarter identification within schools to support all vulnerable pupils – not just targeted individuals.

Flickr user: Meral Crifasi

The case is clear....

• Integration of services and resources can aid prevention

• Communication is key

• A strong evidence base is needed

• Avoiding targeted interventions can support more vulnerable young people

• A wider life course approach can support young people better

“Increased my knowledge of prevention (theory and

practice)”

“Great balance of perspectives”

“Very informative and had a wide knowledge of relevant topics.”

“...all were interesting for different reasons. I particularly

enjoyed Pete and Andrew”

“I found the Public health talk & Mentor discussion very interesting. It

was also good to hear what other police forces are experiencing.”

Book for our next seminar on Vulnerable Families in Feb 2014 at

mentoruk.eventbrite.co.uk