Background Information:

Some figures from the film

• 1,500 people in the UK estimated to die from illegal drug use every year.
• 5,500 people in the UK estimated to die from alcohol abuse.
• Royal Liverpool Hospital A & E Department: 100 staff treat about 7,000 patients a month. After midnight 75% of admissions are under the influence of alcohol. Every week an estimated 500 people are admitted with alcohol and drug problems or related injuries. Cost of bed per night is £200, ambulance ride £100. Care and treatment is a further cost.
• An estimated 36.5 billion pounds are spent on alcohol in the UK every year. The NHS spends 3 billion pounds annually on treatment of alcohol related conditions.

Young people and alcohol – the effects
Young people’s body systems are less tolerant of alcohol and they are inexperienced at handling the effects. This can result in intoxication, accidents, fights, crime, risks from other drugs, and the risk of unwanted pregnancy, HIV and sexually transmitted diseases. Media reports of the benefits of moderate drinking can overshadow the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption, especially when the use of alcohol itself affects judgement.

Young people and alcohol – the influences
Young people are surrounded by positive images of drinking. Friends, local cultural factors, and the groups young people are attracted to are important influences on their drinking behaviour. There is evidence to show young people whose parents misuse alcohol, or totally prohibit it, may become problem drinkers.

Alcohol dependence among Black and Asian people in UK
Alcohol dependence is less widespread among men and women from these groups. Not only are they less likely to drink alcohol, they are also likely to drink smaller quantities and drink less often. There are no religious or ethnic groups unaffected by alcohol problems, even though specific religions may forbid its use. Where alcohol use is frowned upon, this can result in problem drinking being hidden.

Reasons for drinking are similar to other groups. Issues around inequalities, leading to low self-esteem and mental distress, increase the likelihood of alcohol misuse. Agencies and others need to be aware of this. Use in the UK is likely to increase within second and third generations as they experiment with alcohol along with their peers.

Alcohol, drugs and violence
Alcohol and to a lesser extent illicit drugs are present in the bloodstream of both offender and victim in many cases of violence. The links between these psychoactive substances and violent behaviour are complex and thought to depend on the social and economic context of people’s lives, the places where people purchase substances, the nature of the substances themselves, how and where they are used, and the physiological and psychological make-up of individuals.

Laboratory evidence supports a causal role for alcohol in relation to violence. It is thought amphetamines and cocaine could contribute to violent behaviour, but that this is extremely complex being moderated by a host of factors in individuals and the environment. However, illicit drugs may lead to violence through fights over drug distribution systems, and violence may be used to obtain drugs or the money to buy them.