Alcohol: Know your limits in Ashfield and Mansfield
Young people are being encouraged to curb their binge drinking as part of a major campaign in Ashfield and Mansfield throughout March.
Despite increased awareness, many young people still do not think about the negative aspects of binge drinking and don't know their limits when it comes to alcohol.
In local hospitals there is a death every month on average from liver cirrhosis of a person less than 40 years-of-age.
Alcohol misuse costs Nottinghamshire hospitals £23m per annum, leads to 213,000 lost work days and contributes to 280 sexual assaults.
In Ashfield and Mansfield over the past four years, drink-related admissions to Kings Mill Hospital have doubled, equating to 43% of all admissions in Nottinghamshire.
During March, Ashfield Partnership Against Crime (APAC) and Mansfield Partnership Against Crime (MPAC) will be running an awareness raising campaign, based on the national Know your limits initiative.
A series of events and awareness raising activities will take place, including:
- Know your limits messages sent direct to the mobile phones of revellers in town centres in Ashfield and Mansfield on weekend evenings.
- A 'drunk drama' performed by students from Mansfield Palace Theatre to graphically show the affects of excessive drinking in Mansfield Market Place on Saturday 13 March and Portland Square, Sutton-in-Ashfield on Saturday 27 March.
- Giant screens and 'drunk mannequins' promoting the Know your limits message in Mansfield and Sutton-in-Ashfield town centres.
- A local Know your limits advertising campaign.
- Scratch cards carrying responsible drinking information distributed in town centres in Ashfield and Mansfield.
- Know your limits information for students at West Notts College, Derby Road and Kirkby College.
- Stickers and posters promoting the Know your limits message in pubs, clubs and changing rooms in fashion retailers.
Andy Wragg, Chair of the Ashfield & Mansfield Drug & Alcohol Locality Forum said:"There is no disguising the fact that young people today consume far more alcohol than at any other time in modern history. If this level of consumption continues unabated, the impacts on their medium to long-term health will be severe.
"This month, we are taking a series of alcohol awareness messages across Ashfield and Mansfield to get people to think about the consequences of binge drinking, not just in relation to their health but also to the risks that people just wouldn't take when they're sober such as having unprotected sex, taking a lift from someone they've only just met or pushing a mate in front of a car for a laugh."