More families are buying alcohol for their children to drink at home because they feel it is safer.

This was one issue raised during a council scrutiny panel meeting looking at the impact of alcohol.

The council’s corporate, community and external affairs scrutiny panel met on Saturday  morning to discuss the impact booze is having on families, the community and business.

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Tim McGregor from Berkshire West Primary Care Trust gave a presentation about the treatment and prevention services offered.

He said: “The number of young people drinking is less but those who are drinking are drinking more. People have been drinking more over the past 20 years.”

He spoke about units of alcohol and recommended amounts for women and men as more people are drinking at home to save money.

Parents are also buying their children alcohol to drink at home because they feel it is safer, said Mr McGregor.

The Government says the daily guideline for women is two to three units and three to four for men.

One large glass of wine equals three units, a standard single measurement of spirits is one unit and a four per cent pint of beer is around two units.

Councillor Peter Jones said of the measurements: “It doesn’t make any sense.”

But Mr McGregor explained, nationally, more is being done to educate drinkers about unit measurements.

The committee also heard a presentation from Kathryn Hodgson, project manager at Reading Single Homeless Project, who talked about the impact alcohol had on local communities.

“The people I work with are some of the most amazing and talented people I have known but because of their drink problem it’s wasted,” she said. “We have people that have had houses, families, jobs and businesses and have either lost them because of drinking or because they lost them they started drinking.

“[For] most of the people I work with alcohol has been the easiest, most available solution for them.”

Quoting national figures released by the NHS in January, she explained alcohol contributes to:

- 22 per cent of accidental deaths
- 30 per cent of fatal car accidents
- 58 per cent of rapes.

She added: “For some people it [drinking] started off recreational and it’s gone to the extreme. It can happen to anybody unfortunately.”

For advice visit drinking.nhs.uk or drinkaware.co.uk.

lherbert@reading-epost.co.uk

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