Alcohol abuse is having a negative knock on effect when it comes to alcohol related crimes a recent report has revealed.
The report states that one in five crimes in Fermanagh were alcohol related.
Adrian Loughrey Time2Change Alcohol Mobilisation Officer, working on the affects of drinking in Fermanagh, stated “ these figures clearly show that this is not a one department or agency responsibility , this is an issue that needs a greater degree of collaboration and cross departmental working at both local and executive levels”.
According to local statistics from Fermanagh PSNI , 20% of all crimes were alcohol related , meaning 1-5 crimes were alcohol related last year in Fermanagh.
Despite figures and percentages decreasing due to the commitment and work of the PSNI and local community groups, it still remains an issue.
Local figures from the PSNI state that 57% of all domestic crimes were alcohol related . Alcohol was a primary contributor in 33% of violence with injury and 14% of criminal damage was alcohol lead.
Emmett Lynch (Time2Change Alcohol Mobilisation Officer) stated “not only is alcohol related harms effecting are hospitals and GP practices it is having a negative effect on local people and business”. “This adds increasing pressure on the people of Fermanagh and local business that are trying to live in this economic down turn”.
The review of regional statistics emphasis that from November 2012 , the Police recorded that 19% of all recorded crime (12,037) and 11% of anti social behaviour recorded by the police were alcohol related.
In Northern Ireland between 1st April and November 2012 , alcohol featured in 1,339 of domestic crimes with injury. There was a recorded 224 alcohol related crimes relating to “most serious sexual crime” .
Alcohol related crimes cost the PSNI and Fire Service in Northern Ireland a total of £248.3 million per year. In this same year the total cost of alcohol related crime cost to courts and prisons was £92.5 million last year in Northern Ireland. The Legal Aid cost for violent alcohol related crime was £1.6 in the same year.
In this same period there was 1,720 alcohol related cases relating to criminal damage and there were 3788 alcohol related crimes involving non domestic violence with injury.
Emmett Lynch (Time2Change Alcohol Mobilisation Officer ) stated “alcohol is a growing concern in our communities it is embedded in all aspects of life. These figures clearly show that alcohol abuse and intoxication are having a negative impact to our families , communities and the resources of the PSNI and front line agencies”.
Recent figures obtained from the Northern Ireland Research and Statistic Agency outlined that there has been 2,849 alcohol related deaths in Northern Ireland between 2002 – 2012. When these figures are examined further it shows that 1,932 were male and 917 were female.
When this figure is broken down further its clearly shows that there has been 484 alcohol related deaths in the Western Health and Social Care Trust Area.
The median alcohol related death age across all five Health and Social Care Trust was 54. In this same period there was 906 related drug deaths (male 566) and (340 female). This clearly shows that alcohol is the national, regional and counties primary public health concern.
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