New drink campaign in Suffolk

A SENSIBLE drinking campaign has been launched in Babergh as part of a countrywide initiative.

Aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of excessive drinking, the campaign has been launched by Babergh council in conjunction with the Babergh Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP).

It forms part of the Home Office backed Nightsafe initiative which is targeted at the users of pubs and clubs, as well as licensees and taxi firms.

Julia Catterwell of the Babergh CDRP is currently in the process of visiting licensed premises in the Hadleigh, Great Cornard and Sudbury areas where she will be introducing the campaign to local landlords with the aid of leaflets and posters.

Each month will bring a new message, with occasional promotional activities and giveaways.

She said: "The Sensible Drinking campaign is an opportunity to raise awareness of the darker side of having fun.

"Whilst anti-social behaviour as a result of 'overdoing it' can usually appear harmless to the perpetrator it can often be threatening to others.

"The purpose of the campaign is to convey three key messages to those who use our towns at night – 'Get Home Safe', 'Friends Stick Together' and 'Don't Overdo It'.

"We also hope to work in conjunction with local pubs and clubs to make them an enjoyable experience for everyone who uses them."

The campaign kicks off with 'If you do do drink, don't do drunk'. It aims to raise awareness as to the risks of drinking excessively or binge drinking, and actively promoting sensible drinking. The campaign is targeting public place violence, focussing on alcohol related crime and associated anti-social behaviour as its number one priority.

Licensees who want to show their support for the campaign should contact Julia Catterwell on 01473 826616.