The stark reality of Telford’s drink problem and the spiralling cost to the community has been revealed in full.
Statistics paint a picture of a town awash with drink.
The figures in a new report reveal that Telford & Wrekin had the highest hospital admission rates in the West Midlands for alcohol-related accidental injury between 2002 and 2004.
And alcohol is a factor in thousands of crimes, and implicated in more than a quarter of all police committals to custody in Telford & Wrekin.
Worrying numbers of young people drinking have also emerged, with 20 per cent of 11 to 15 year olds drinking once or twice a week and three per cent drinking either every day or almost every day.
Alcohol has also played a role in a large proportion of road deaths, suicides and incidents of domestic violence.
The report, which details a strategy on how to prevent and tackle alcohol abuse in the borough, will go before Telford & Wrekin councillors on Monday .
The council and its partners have spent six months drawing up a strategy which includes awareness campaigns in schools, working with licensees and launching public campaigns.
Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard today welcomed the strategy. “It’s clear that too many under-age children are having access to alcohol which is causing high levels of anti-social behaviour.
“Any steps that reduce the incidents of alcohol-fuelled violence on the streets, in homes, and that reduce attacks on public sector health workers have to be welcomed.”
7 Comments
welcome to telford!this is part of the culture
What are the figures for Shrewsbury or other towns in Shropshire amongst young people? I don’t doubt there is a problem in Telford amongst some groups of young people, but I can’t help but think this is at least partly fuelled by the Star’s continuing anti-Telford agenda.
Telford has many, many problems…..
I really wish people would stop talking down Telford. It is not unique in its problems. The towns MP, David Wright, proposed that the boroughs old towns such as Okengates, Dawley etc should be subjected to the new alcohol free zones. When he suggested that, those who would need to implement them namely, Andy Eade (Telford and Wrekin Tory leader) said that the council would do this. Nearly a year on nothing has happened!! It goes to show that the Newport Tories who now run Telford Council are all spin and no substance. a true sign of Dave’s Cameron modern tories!
James, yes Telford has its problems as does every other area in this country. There is a certain amount of ridicule and snobbery on the Shropshire Star’s part which is ironic seeing as the headquarters for the paper are based in Ketley, in TELFORD.
Shrewsbury has its problems as well but its perceived to be a higher class area for some reason. Each time I have been out in Shreswbury, Ive come across gangs of drunken louts fighting, Ive experienced trouble., so much that Im not a big fan of going out there at night, which is a shame as it has some great eateries.
The 24 hour drinking, in my opinion, has changed peoples attitudes to drinking. A few years ago, it would be less popular to spen an entire bank holiday weekend getting drunk, but its becoming more prevalent than ever now. Only last week, a pub in Wellington erupted into a riot, which resulted in the police coming in their hoardes to sort it out - why? Probably because most of the instigators, had been out drinking all day and would be able to continue into the early hours of the next day.
I also think the 24 hour drinking has a huge part in people drinking to excess. As for under age drinking,I don’t think it is an easy thing to stop; teenagers just get older friends to buy it for them, usually by a group of them putting money together and sharing the alcohol out; and of course, there are quite a few pubs in Telford where under 18’s are served. Anyway, it’s not just Telford that has this kind of problem it’s all over the place.
I agree with you “Blue-Eyes” There is a dreadful anti-Telford and pro-Shrewsbury attitude with many types of the media in this county.At one time BBC Radio Shropshire couldn’t wait to report a negative story about Telford whilst praising Shrewsbury to death as if it was some sort of Utopia.
I too have experienced drunken,loutish behaviour in the streets of Shrewsbury at night,together with the tramps at the bus station who wished that I would “die of Cancer” because I refused to give him any money.
But no,nothing bad ever happens there does it?