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DRIVING THE MESSAGE HOME

Grim statistics are being used to drive home the message that over-doing the booze during the festive season can bring more than just a hangover.

With the message ‘There’s always something you’ll regret doing over the festive period – just don’t do anything too stupid. Know your limits,’ the Dover and Shepway Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships aim to convince party-goers that having a good time is fine, but drinking too much can lead to trouble.

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The partnerships are using local and national statistics to highlight the dangers of drink-driving and alcohol-fuelled violence.

In south east Kent last year:

    * Seventy five per cent of crime reported to Police at Christmas was alcohol related.
    * Positive breath tests from roadside random testing increased by 40 per cent
    * Positive tests as a result of road traffic accidents increased by 400 per cent.

Louisa Dordoy, Shepway Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Officer, said national statistics were equally frightening.

“Every week 1,000 young people suffer facial injuries as a result of drunken assault and every year 18,000 are scarred for life. Four out of every 10 people who are injured in the face by violent assault need surgery,� she said. “And there’s a cost to the tax payer too. Seventy per cent of cases seen at accident and emergency departments during weekend evenings are a result of alcohol related violence.�

The partnerships’ poster will feature o­n the back cover of Take 2 magazine, a free publication aimed at young people and families. The magazine, which reviews the latest DVDs, is available in most free paper distribution sites like libraries, college and school campuses, supermarkets, cinema and DVD outlets.

The poster will also appear o­n buses serving Folkestone and Dover routes.

“We want to help reinforce the message of other national alcohol campaigns - that alcohol has to be enjoyed with a modicum of control. Everyone knows that having a drink can increase your perception of having a good time but it can also blur the boundaries of what's right and wrong. There can be very severe consequences for people who get drunk and violent or for those who decide to drink and drive,� said Louisa. “So know your limits and act sensibly.�