The Cork and Kerry alcohol strategy 2016‒2018: time for change was launched in June 2016.1 It is the first for the area and was informed by a literature review of ‘alcohol and its influence at a global, national and local level’. This review is published as part of the strategy document. It includes literature from Ireland, the World Health Organization, and the European Union. In its conclusion, it identifies the introduction of minimum unit pricing, a reduction in availability, and increased restrictions on advertising and marketing as effective ways of reducing alcohol-related harms. 

The strategy sets out its vision statement as ‘motivating the communities in Cork and Kerry to stop the damage caused by alcohol’, alongside its mission statement of ‘building capacity in local communities through an advocacy, research and evidence based approach to change our relationship with alcohol’. It has six pillars, each of which has an overarching aim. Each aim in turn is underpinned by a set of objectives with defined actions, leads, timeframes, and key performance indicators. 

1. Overarching pillar

Aim: To ensure that all actions are developed and implemented in the context of relevant national and local policy.

Objectives:

• Support the implementation of minimum unit pricing.
• Support the reduction in the availability of alcohol in local communities.
• Actively advocate for policy change and implementation to restrict the marketing of alcoholic products on a local, regional and national level.
• Include alcohol in the new national substance misuse strategy.

2. Education and prevention pillar

Aim 1: To increase the awareness of the impact of alcohol harm within the wider community.

Aim 2: To increase the general awareness of effective responses to alcohol harms at local level.

Objectives:

• Actively promote a general awareness of alcohol harms.
• Deliver evidence-based education and prevention programmes across Cork and Kerry.

3. Supply, access and availability pillar

Aim: To challenge the environment in which alcohol is made available and accessed.

Objectives:

• Educate communities in the law regarding sale and supply of alcohol.
• Review and challenge the current environment in which alcohol is available.

4. Screening, treatment and rehabilitation pillar

Aim: To increase the opportunity for people to access screening, treatment and rehabilitation services in Cork and Kerry.

Objectives:

• Inform local communities of drug and alcohol services.
• Build the capacity of communities to implement screening and interventions in their areas.
• Improve access to drug and alcohol services for local communities, especially in rural areas.

5. Research pillar

Aim: To conduct local research to support and underpin the Local Authority Action Plan.

Objective:

• Conduct research that will inform up-to-date practice in relation to evidenced-based harm reduction.

6. Monitoring and evaluation pillar

Aim: To monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Local Alcohol Action Plan to inform ongoing development.

Objectives:

• Continually monitor and evaluate the implementation of actions agreed with the Local Alcohol Action Plan.
• Continually monitor and evaluate the impact of our agreed actions.

1    Cork and Kerry Alcohol Strategy Group (2016) Cork and Kerry alcohol strategy 2016‒2018. Cork: Health Service Executive, Cork Local Drug & Alcohol Task Force, and Southern Regional Drug & Alcohol Task Force. https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/25693/