The English Government has recently devised plans to forge new partnerships with the health and police services, the drinks industry, and communities, to combat the range of problems caused by alcohol misuse in England. The strategy, which was a result of extensive research, analysis and investigation, has many lessons that will be valuable to the alcohol industry in Australia. A key observation from the strategy is the focus on partnerships with industry participants rather that regulatory controls.

The "Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England", puts joint action at the heart of a series of measures which will endeavour to tackle alcohol-related disorder in town and city centres; improve treatment and support for people with alcohol problems; clamp down on irresponsible promotions by the industry; and provide better information to consumers about the dangers of alcohol misuse.

The analysis and research into the report showed that while most people drink without causing problems for themselves or for others, alcohol misuse is costing around £20 billion a year through crime and disorder, injuries and illness, and lost productivity in the workplace. The new cross-Government approach seeks to create partnerships at local and national levels, which can address existing problems but are also flexible enough to adapt to changing needs.

Prime Minister Tony Blair said: "Millions of us enjoy drinking alcohol with few if any ill-effects. Indeed, moderate drinking can bring some health benefits. But increasingly, alcohol misuse by a small minority has caused problems: crime and antisocial behaviour in town and city centres, and harm to health as a result of binge- and chronic drinking.
This strategy aims to target alcohol-related harm and its causes without interfering with the pleasure enjoyed by the millions of people who drink responsibly.

It is vital that individuals can make informed and responsible decisions about their own levels of alcohol consumption. Everyone needs to be able to balance their right to enjoy a drink with the potential risks to their own - and others' - health and wellbeing."

The "Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England" will involve the drinks industry in a number of new initiatives, including a Social Responsibility Charter for drinks producers at a national level, which could see:

The report also proposed new "Code of Good Conduct" schemes for retailers, pubs and clubs. This would be run locally by a partnership of the industry, police, and licensing panels, and led by the Local Authority. These schemes would be flexible to adapt to changes in locally occurring issues such as under-age drinking; alcohol-related health problems; alcohol-related crime and disorder in town centres; and the need to provide targeted education and information for local schools about the dangers of alcohol misuse.

The strategy proposes a series of measures aimed at achieving a long-term change in attitudes to irresponsible drinking and behaviour, including making the "sensible drinking" message easier to understand and apply; targeting information campaigns at those most at risk - in particular, binge-drinkers and chronic drinkers; ensuring better information for consumers on products and at point of sale; creating alcohol education programmes for schools that can change attitudes and behaviour, as well as raise awareness; and moves to ensure TV advertising does not target young drinkers or glamorise irresponsible behaviour.

All of the strategies that are proposed by the English Government are also relevant to alcohol and its use by people in Australia. Industry in Australia will be closely watching the outcomes and analysis of the strategy to see if there is any cross over that can be implemented in Australia. Industry will continue to have discussions with government, health organisations and as well as community groups to deliver the best possible alcohol outcomes for the community.