Department of Health

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Safe. Sensible. Social.
The Government’s Alcohol Strategy

  • Last modified date:
    24 June 2008
Safe. Sensible. Social. The next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy

In June 2007, the Department of Health and the Home Office jointly launched an updated government alcohol strategy, setting out clear goals and actions to promote sensible drinking and reduce the harm that alcohol can cause.

The strategy sets out to: minimise the health harms, violence and antisocial behaviour associated with alcohol, while ensuring that people are able to enjoy alcohol safely and responsibly.


It specifically focuses on the minority of drinkers who cause the most harm to themselves, their communities and their families. They are:

  • young people under 18 who drink alcohol, many of whom are drinking more than young people did a decade ago
  • 18–24-year-old binge drinkers, a minority of whom are responsible for the majority of alcohol-related crime and disorder
  • harmful drinkers, many of whom don’t realise their pattern of drinking is causing harm to their health

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