Introduction p4
Alcohol consumption and street drinking p6
• Defining street drinking p6
• Tackling street drinking p7
Setting up a ‘reducing the strength’ project p8
• Core principles of good schemes p8
• Designing and launching a scheme – step by step guide p9
Legal issues p14
• Competition law and Reducing the Strength schemes p14
• Licensing conditions and Reducing the Strength schemes p15
Case studies p16
• Suffolk p16
• Portsmouth p18
Want to know more? p19

UK Councils face a challenge in terms of their public health role and alcohol. On the one hand, the vast majority of people who enjoy alcohol do so responsibly and without causing immediate harm to either themselves or others. Furthermore, alcohol and the wider hospitality industry make an extremely significant contribution to the national and local economies through bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants. Yet there is also a clear body of evidence demonstrating that drinking habits are harming the nation’s health as well contributing to problems on the streets of towns and cities.

‘Reducing the Strength’ refers to initiatives designed to tackle the problems associated with street drinking by removing from sale low price high-strength alcohol products through voluntary agreements with local retailers.