Wiltshire Council invites you to have your say in the Big Drink Debate

People in Wiltshire are being asked to have their say on drinking alcohol and its impact by joining in the Big Drink Debate.

Wiltshire Council is developing a fresh approach to improving and managing the delivery of information on healthier use of alcohol, treatment for problematic use and enforcement work in communities across the county.

Now people are being invited to contribute their views to the Big Drink Debate via an interactive web-based survey with questions on their current knowledge of alcohol and the impact it has.

As well as the online survey there is a paper version available to ensure everyone has a chance to contribute.

Among other questions, the survey asks where people normally buy alcohol, their knowledge of the alcohol content of many popular drinks, and where they would go for help if they or somebody they knew needed help with their drinking.

The Big Drink Debate will help to inform and shape the new Wiltshire Alcohol Strategy and invites everyone to have their say.

Following the survey, there will be a Big Drink Debate Forum Event planned for November, where people can come and share their views in person.

Keith Humphries, cabinet member for Public Health said, “This is a great opportunity to engage and involve the public in the discussion about alcohol and its effects. I encourage everyone to get involved as it’s a subject which can have positive and negative impacts on us all.”

Maggie Rae, corporate director said, “Alcohol plays a significant part in many people’s social lives, but we know that excessive drinking causes many problems in our communities. We want to find out people’s views on ways of reducing harmful drinking to help inform a new strategy for tackling problems associated with alcohol.

“This is an excellent opportunity to let us know your views and help us to get a balanced picture of people’s understanding of the impact of alcohol across Wiltshire.”

You can have your say by going to www.wiltshire. gov.uk/big-drink-debate.htm

Paper copies of the survey are also available at libraries, Wiltshire Council-run leisure centres and County Hall, Trowbridge.