Young people in Brighton & Hove who end up in hospital after drinking too much alcohol will automatically receive advice and support under a groundbreaking agreement.
 
Following a successful six-month trial the council’s substance misuse services will assess all young people attending A&E due to excess alcohol and provide them and their families with follow-up support.
 
More than half of the 85 young people identified as vulnerable during this pilot received advice and support at a time when around five young people every week are admitted to A&E because of alcohol related issues. The pilot has seen 43 consultations take place with parents, carers and professionals with 16 young people assessed.

Other innovative partnership work in Brighton & Hove includes Operation Park , which is run by the council and Sussex Police. It operates on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights to tackle underage drinking in public places and anti-social behaviour.

Since June 2008, 575 young people have been stopped, 530 were found to be under the influence of alcohol and 320 had alcohol seized.

The council’s intervention saw only 70 people (12%) stopped in a similar situation again, and 11 young people (less than 2%) stopped for a third time or more.

Councillor  Dee Simson , Cabinet Member for Community Affairs, said:
“Binge drinking and regular heavy alcohol consumption is associated with physical problems such as accident related injuries, road traffic accidents, self-harm, antisocial behaviour and violence.

“Alcohol can also affect school performance and crime while adolescents report to having risky sex when they are under the influence of alcohol.  That’s why it’s important to devise new working arrangements with our partners that not only tackle problems where they occur but also provide long term advice and support to prevent them in the future.”

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals' A&E Consultant Paediatrician Dr Mohammed Rahman, who helped rollout the programme, said:
“The new pathway and joint working has made a significant difference in a relatively short time to the care and wellbeing to a particularly vulnerable population.”
 
Community Safety Senior Anti-social Behaviour Caseworker  Peter Wileman said:
“Operation  Park has successfully reduced antisocial behaviour and kept young people out of danger. Young people may be more likely to get involved in criminal activity, risky sexual behaviour, or become a victim of crime or injure themselves in some way if they’ve been drinking so the project aims to stop that activity and provide longer term support.
 
“Operation  Park helps to identify people at risk and tackle the problem before they end up in A&E or involved in the criminal justice system.”

For more information about Brighton and Hove Council view:
www.brighton-hove.gov.uk