THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALCOHOL STRATEGIES IN ENGLAND AND WALES

Alcohol has become a major public health problem in the UK. In order t o coordinate the work of both statutory and non-statutory agencies mor e efficiently and effectively, a government circular HN(89)4 has empha sized the need for development of local multi-agency alcohol misuse pr evention strategies1. Despite expressed enthusiasm for alcohol strateg ies2-4, information about their development, effectiveness and overall national progress is scarce and needs to be improved. This national s urvey reports the most recent and accurate information about the devel opment of district and regional alcohol strategies in England and Wale s. Although only 51 (27%) districts stated they had a strategy, it was encouraging to find 90 (47%) other districts that were in the process of, or planning to develop such a document. Of the 51 districts with a strategy, the following key findings were noted: (1) Forty-three (84 %) districts stated that they had started to implement their strategy, but none claimed to have fully implemented it. (2) Thirty-six (71%) d istricts stated that their strategy had an action plan. (3) Thirty-fou r (67%) districts stated that their strategy had been officially endor sed by the district health authority. (4) Thirty-eight (76%) districts stated that they had identified an individual or group to monitor the strategies' implementation. The results of the survey could be of int erest to the Department of Health, the Faculty of Public Health Medici ne, the Health Education Authority and the regional alcohol coordinato rs. The development of district and regional alcohol strategies has a role to play in achieving the alcohol targets in the recent Health of the Nation White Paper5 and is also a good example of the formation of healthy alliances to tackle a major public health problem.