Supporting sensible drinking in Croydon

Reducing alcohol related harm and promoting sensible drinking habits is a priority in Croydon. 

In 2014, the borough won a year-long bid from the Home Office to become a Local Alcohol Action Area (LAAA), along with 19 other areas across England and Wales.

The scheme is a partnership between the council, police, alcohol support and treatment teams, the Clinical Commissioning Group and those representing pubs and breweries to help tackle alcohol-related problems and the damage caused to people’s health.

Croydon is also a Heart Town for the British Heart Foundation and through this we are working to beat heart disease and reduce risk factors such as drinking too much alcohol.

The LAAA programme in Croydon is focusing on the following key areas:

• Prevention - Encouraging sensible drinking habits in the estimated 50,000 adults who drink at increasing and higher risk levels through developing Croydon’s alcohol Identification and Brief Advice (IBA) programme.
• Partnership and communication - Developing a multi-faceted partnership approach to reducing alcohol harms. Including promoting the Don't Bottle It Up online alcohol support tool.
• Better information - Preventing  alcohol related violence through sharing anonymized data between A&E services and the Safer Croydon Partnership.

Croydon Recovery Network

Croydon Recovery Network is a single drug and alcohol service offering support to individuals across the borough.  For more details contact the 24/7 number on 0300 123 9288 or visit the website

Croydon Young People's Substance Misuse Service

Croydon Young People's Substance Misuse Service offers advice on Housing Support, NEET Services, Drug and Alcohol Services and other activities to name a few. Contact the Turnaround Centre on 0208 7605 530 or visit their website

Joint Strategic Needs Assessment

A Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) conducted in 2013-14 for Croydon found:

• Approximately 1 in 6 of Croydon’s adult population (over 50,000 adults) is drinking at increasing and higher risk levels
• An estimated 1 in 9 are binge drinkers
• Excessive consumption increases the risk of developing over 200 conditions, most notably, mental health, heart disease, liver cirrhosis, cancers and injuries
• It is England’s third biggest risk factor for illness and death
• Alcohol related harm costs Croydon an estimated £144 million per year. Half is alcohol related crime, one third is lost productivity and the rest is NHS costs.
• More than two in five (44%) violent crimes are committed under the influence of alcohol.
• Alcohol harm is increasing in Croydon
• Vulnerable groups, including homeless people, people with mental health problems and women experiencing domestic violence are at higher risk of harm from alcohol
• It is a cause of health inequalities.  Compared with those living in most affluent areas, people in the most deprived fifth of the country are 3-5 times more likely to die of an alcohol-specific cause.

Read the full Alcohol JSNA chapter on the Croydon Observatory