Published: Thursday, 24th August 2017

A campaign day was held on Friday 18 August in Trafalgar Road, Greenwich.

The borough-wide campaign is to limit the availability of cheap, high strength alcohol in shops.

Run in partnership with the Metropolitan Police and substance abuse charity Change Grow Live (CGL), the day of action provided an invaluable opportunity to engage with local businesses and talk to them about the dangers posed by super-strength alcohol.

As a result of the campaign day, four more businesses on Trafalgar Road committed to joining the Reduce the Strength Campaign taking the total to over 80 businesses across the borough.

Super strength beers and ciders have significant negative impacts on many residents. Often it's the most vulnerable people who drink high strength alcoholic drinks. Unfortunately these products can make it more likely for someone to be a victim of crime or to carry out a crime themselves.

Most recent figures (2016/17) show that 20.8 per cent of all 'Violence Against the Person' offences in the Royal Borough involved alcohol and 34.0 per cent of all Domestic Abuse flagged offences in the Royal Borough of Greenwich also involved alcohol. The 'Reduce the Strength' campaign is part of a wide-ranging strategy to tackle these issues head-on and reverse the trend towards alcohol-related violence.

'Residents are given the support they need'

Councillor Jackie Smith, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Environment, said: "A record number of businesses have joined our Reduce the Strength campaign. This day of action was a great opportunity to show a united front with the Metropolitan Police and our partners on limiting both the availability and consumption of cheap, high-strength alcohol.

"This campaign is also about making sure that the people who are addicted to these high strength alcohols find help; we are proud to work hand-in-hand with local charities to make sure that such residents are given the support they need."

'Tackle many of the knock-on problems'

Borough Commander Simon Dobinson who personally met with local business owners during the campaign day, added: "The Metropolitan Police is proud to support the Reduce the Strength campaign. I was very glad to have met with so many business owners during this day of action to encourage them to participate in this worthwhile and rewarding scheme.

"Together, we can limit the availability of this high-strength alcohol and tackle many of the knock-on problems that come with it."