ALTN8

Campaign to crack town’s drinking culture
A major public health campaign has been launched aimed at positively changing Blackpool’s drinking culture.

ALTN8 will promote the simple but hard-hitting message that small changes to alcohol consumption can make a big difference to health and life expectancy.

Spearheaded by NHS Blackpool, working in partnership with Blackpool Council and the police, the unique initiative is aimed at addressing alcohol misuse and promoting sensible drinking.

Blackpool’s Director of Public Health, Dr. Arif Rajpura says the objective of the campaign is not to get people to stop drinking alcohol but to moderate how much they consume.

He explained: “Alcohol is a normal part of society and we’re not trying to stop that. There is nothing wrong with drinking in moderation. What we are saying is that people need to be sensible and not drink the amounts that can lead to serious conditions such as liver cirrhosis or result in disorderly behaviour.

“Alcohol misuse can blight the lives of whole communities - not only harming the health of individuals but fuelling late night violence and causing a major nuisance
to society.”

ALTN8 will be encouraging drinkers to:
• Alternate drinks – soft drinks or water can reduce the damaging effects of alcohol
• Alternate days – leaving 48 hours between drinking sessions allows the liver time to recover
• Alternate lifestyle – find an alternative to alcohol to help you unwind.

Dr. Rajpura added: “Last year, we launched Blackpool Life: Rise to the Challenge, to improve the health of the people living here and promote a positive image of the town as a healthy place to live, work and visit.

“We know we still have a long way to go and a lot of challenges to tackle head-on. ALTN8 is the next stage of our battle plan. We want the whole town to get behind this. The success of the campaign will depend upon the support of a broad range of stakeholders, including landlords, licensees, off-licenses and supermarkets.

“The campaign marks an important step forward in our efforts to encourage people to take responsibility for their own behaviour. I am sure that by working together we can continue to make a real difference to the health of the people of Blackpool.”