Nothing to do but get drunk

Oldham has more hazardous and harmful drinkers than the rest of the country — and a lack of alternative places for entertainment.

Alcohol sales amount to over £100 million a year, and average expenditure for every person is £460.

Across Greater Manchester, Oldham is also the place most people avoid because of drunken behaviour at night in the town centre.

Now councillors will be told that the borough needs a new vision for the night-time economy, as well as specialist health advice, treatment, interventions, and alcohol education in schools.

Oldham’s lack of cinemas, bowling alleys and other entertainment is a major factor in young people spending their nights out drinking.

On Tuesday a major debate begins on developing an alcohol strategy for Oldham.

The Licensing Committee will hear that a team of experts from the Department of Health has been studying the effects of alcohol on health, crime, licensing, children and families in Oldham.

And the council commissioned its own research by Liverpool John Moores University on alcohol and drinking in Oldham.

Councillors will also study the Annual Licensing Report, including comments from Oldham’s head of police, Chief Supt Caroline Ball.

She says: “Oldham’s night-time economy has been brought sharply into the public eye by the intense reporting of ‘all you can drink’ promotions.

“While GMP will continue to devote huge effort to policing the night-time economy to safeguard the law-abiding majority, we would prefer to see a reduction in demand and greater balance, particularly on Yorkshire Street, where the excesses are most visible. The most effective way of achieving this is through a licensing policy.”

The University report says almost a quarter of Oldham’s drinkers consume alcohol at harmful levels and alcohol-specific admissions to hospital are way above the national average at 520 men and 234 women per 100,000 people.

Oldham also has the highest percentage of fatal road accidents involving alcohol.

The Department of Health experts say: “There is a need to establish an Oldham-wide vision for reducing alcohol-related harm.”