Police losing fight to stop cocaine use

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Title – Police losing fight to stop cocaine useSource – The Independent
Date – 31st October 2008

That the government is proud to announce that the use of cocaine amongst adults is now broadly stable or that it has reached a plateau, should be of some concern to those who have to deal with the consequences of cocaine use by their employees, customers or others. The concern is, not that they have stopped growth, but rather that there has been a natural cessation of growth; it suggests a complete lack of control.

There does seem to be an acceptance of inevitability on those enforcing drug laws on various different levels, an acceptance that nothing is going to stop traffickers and users and that it is a losing battle we are fighting. There also seem to be a lot of urban myths as to the effects of Cocaine use, to the point where in many circles the use is seen as acceptable or even a status symbol.

Cocaine users in general see themselves as different to crack, heroin, methamphetamine and other class A drug users. Somehow these are seen as degenerative or ‘drug addicts’ drugs of choice, where in some circles Cocaine is seen as a sign of success; the champagne of the illegal drug world, as opposed to the special brew consumed by the alcoholics and down-and-outs.

The battle lines need to be redrawn if there is to be any success in the battle against Cocaine use; it is a class A drug it carries a maximum 14 year sentence for possession; it carries a life term for supply; and yes getting hold of a little ‘Charlie’ for a mate is classed as supply. However more importantly it is an addictive drug, it can lead to the use of other destructive and even more addictive class A drugs; and importantly it has serious negative effects on health, some of which we may yet have to fully experience until the ‘cocaine generation’ get older.

The most important message though I believe the government need to send out and we all need to help get out there, is that Cocaine use is not a sign of success, but a sign of failure. It is not a drug without consequence on health, the criminal economy, the population of Columbia and the severe destruction of the rainforests; Cocaine use in the UK is having a very serious effect on global warming… Ultimately Cocaine users should be made to realise what they are, no better than crack, meth amphetamine or heroin users. They are dependent on a substance whose purity they have no control over, we need to make Cocaine use socially unacceptable by showing the reality of what users are really ‘snorting’ and breaking the link to celebrity and glamour. We need friends and colleagues to be disgusted by weak willed people who need drugs to prop themselves up, we need colleagues and friends to stop turning a blind eye or somehow feeling peer pressure to join in with the glamour. How glamorous is it really to ‘snort’ anaesthetics, pain killers, opiates, antiseptics and all the other unspeakable by-products ‘cut’ into cocaine?

At

Beyond The Blue we run a number of courses looking at illegal drug use in a variety of different environments. For the Licensed Retail Sector we run the National Certificate for Licensees – Drugs Awareness (NCLDA). We also briefly review drugs in some of our other courses such as the National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) and the Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR). For the Security Industry we cover illegal drugs in both our National Certificate for Door Supervisors (NCDS) and our In-House Security Induction (IHSI). For people looking for a course exclusively focussing on Drug Awareness we run bespoke half or one day courses on Drug Awareness (DA) designed specifically for their environment, be that in enforcing zero tolerance policies, dealing with the consequence of drug use or for schools and colleges to make students aware of the effects of drug use. For our bespoke Drugs Awareness course please Contact Us or call 0845 602 55 95.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.

Victim of girl gang ‘glassing’

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Title – Victim of girl gang ‘glassing’
Source – Metro
Date – 29th October 2008

This graphic image demonstrates clearly why we preach about Responsible Alcohol Retailing and why no one should be surprised if the government tighten legislation further in regard to the sale and supply of alcohol and put other measures into place to restrict ‘binge drinking’.

But even with a tightening of legislation it will still be the Licensed Retail Sector that needs to enforce standards and enforce the measures that will decrease the instances of alcohol fuelled violence. The frustration is that most alcohol retailers are already behaving responsibly and although licensing authorities recognise this, they seem powerless to deal with those that act irresponsibly without placing sanction on the sector as a whole.

From the local authority licensing officers we work with, we always hear the same story; they want to be more proactive and work more closely with the sector as a whole, but a lack of resources restricts their ability to do so. Our message to central government is not to consider more restrictive legislation, before they have resourced licensing officers to properly enforce the current ones.

This story is unfortunately not uncommon and even more tragically the incidence of violent women is on the increase and the level of the violence they use is also increasing. This means that those working in the Security Industry have to accommodate these changes and make proactive provision to deal with them. Where the risks are high, additional Door Supervisors, CCTV and the use of polycarbonate drinking vessels amongst other measures should be considered and implemented.

Cost consideration is a part of any business, but too many irresponsible alcohol retailers put cost before safety, which is not only a very short sighted business plan, but also inexcusable when such policies result in the horrific injuries sustained by this young woman.

Everyone working in the sector has a responsibility to do their bit to stamp out such assaults by whatever methods are available to them. Even one such incident is one too many. Think about this, if you have the opportunity to prevent it and you don’t, you bear some of the responsibility for it.

At Beyond The Blue we provide training in both the licensed retail sector and the security industry. Our Conflict Management and Resolution courses (CMR) and Physical Intervention (PI) Courses help our clients to adopt a proactive approach to aggression and Violence in the Workplace.

We also provide the National Certificate for Door Supervisors course (NCDS) for candidates wishing to apply for their SIA Door Supervisor Licence and a Consultancy Service for clients who need to implement new systems in order to combat problems they face with aggressions and violence in their workplace.

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www.btbl.co.uk

That’ll be two-thirds of a pint please, landlord

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Title – That’ll be two-thirds of a pint please, landlordSource – Metro
Date – 24th October 2008

Providing more flexibility can only be a good thing, but with flexibility comes the need for further education.

The high profile ‘Units’ marketing campaign has started the process of warning people not to trust the old method of calculating a single unit as a glass of wine, a half pint of beer or a shot of whiskey. It has made them aware, that with so many different measures now available and the wide variety of different strengths of products, it is now a little more complicated.

So introducing another measure means that staff selling or supplying alcohol need training more than ever and consumers need to be educated as to how this may affect their safe consumption of alcohol.

At Beyond the Blue we run a number of courses that highlight the method of calculating the number of units in any particular alcoholic drink. These courses include the National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) required by anyone wishing to apply for a personal licence; the Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) designed for front line staff and proactive employers who want to put their staff through a recognised half day qualification that gives them an additional due diligence defence in the case of prosecution relating to the Licensing Act 2003; and the Certificate in Alcohol Awareness (CAA) designed for young people to educate them in the short and long term effects of alcohol and the importance of responsible alcohol consumption. The CAA is a course that can be delivered in schools and colleges.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk

Bars facing ban on free alcohol / Ban on free drinks for women in bars

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Title – Bars facing ban on free alcohol / Ban on free drinks for women in bars
Source – www.bbc.co.uk / The Sunday Times
Date – 12the October 2008

You can’t say we have not been warning you, here is the first real indication that the Licensed Retail Sector is in for yet another round of regulation and this one could be expensive. For those responsible alcohol retailers it will seem like a very unnecessary burden at a time when the sector as a whole is desperately looking for ways to cut its costs, not add to them.

With this ‘leak’ of the proposals we are only given a flavour, but it has been obvious to me for a while that the building blocks have slowly been falling into place for the government to push through reforms; the KPMG Report, the ‘Evaluation of the impact of the Licensing Act’ and the relative ‘success’ of the SIA licensing process; in comparison to some of the failures associated with the ‘Grand-fathering’ of Personal Licences under the Licensing Act 2003.

The drinks industries own codes of practice are a very effective way to promote Responsible Alcohol Retailing and those that follow these codes will not mourn the regulation and effective banning of practices such as ‘all you can drink’ linked to entrance prices, minimum pricing per unit of alcohol and the uncompetitive promotions offered by the bigger competitors to squeeze out ‘local retailers’.

On the training front, the fear will be that the introduction of mandatory training is disproportionate or inappropriate. Responsible employers should already provide significant training to staff, not just because they realise the legal and moral responsibilities they have, but also because of the competitive advantage that well trained staff provide. As more people take up courses such as the Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) aimed at front line staff selling alcohol, they realise the benefits of this course. We would hope that if mandatory training is to be introduced then this would be the sensible approach.

The government would also take great steps if they finally clarified the existing rules and enforced them. For example there is still no definitive guidance on the role of Personal Licence holders regarding how much control and how actively involved they have to be in order to legitimately ‘authorise the sale of alcohol’, every licensing authority seems to take a different approach. If you need clarification on this matter please Contact Us and we will offer our opinion based on our work with licensing officers, legal advice received and extensive research into The Act and associated guidance.

The other question that must be asked of the government policy is; are they going to address the issue of the thousands of Personal Licence holders who gained their licence by virtue of being named on a licence under the 1964 act at the point of conversion? Our experience is that a substantial proportion of these licence holders believe they understand the new 2003 Licensing Act; but in reality when they send staff to attend our National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) course, start to realise they are out of date and out of touch and soon send themselves on the same course.

The problem with this information is in those rules that are proposed that seem senseless. Is wine-tasting really a social pariah that leads to drunkenness and crime and disorder, public nuisance or public safety issues? We know that new regulation brings with it the absurd and the ridiculous, we plead with the government think this through, consult with the industry and don’t punish the responsible retailers with punitive expensive measures because of the irresponsible minority; we ask them to consider the reality of where the problems actually lie regarding alcohol consumption; we know more alcohol is consumed in the home in uncontrolled environment than the on-trade and we know that the on-trade already deals (at great expense) with the problems that arise as a result of customers ‘pre-loading’; we ask them not to have a knee-jerk reaction to the myths and stereotypes that are out there. The original Act already reads in part like it was written by a politician from a small country village. If additional legislation is on the way look for effective solutions from within the sector, consult licensing inspectors and proactively consult real people not just those that have the time to attend town-hall meetings.

It looks like further regulation is on the way. Remember the Security Industry Act 2001 and the smoking ban; we urge our clients not to fall behind, get your house in order now and call us at Beyond The Blue.

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Two beers… and one for my pri-mate

Title – Two beers… and one for my pri-mate
Source – Metro
Date – 8th October 2008

We don’t always have to take life too seriously and I am certainly not going to go down the line of ‘if you pay peanuts…’, but having a Unique Selling Point is important in any business, you just need to ensure that you think it through and it is sustainable.

I think replicating this in the UK would present it’s own challenges, does the monkey need a personal licence or has the owner provided enough training in order to ensure that it will retail alcohol responsibly?

The question of what training staff require in order to act responsibly and how many personal licence holders a particular premises will require is one we discuss frequently with clients and we explore it during our National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) course and from the perspective of front-line sales staff (in both the on and off trade) during the Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR).

Train you staff proactively and effectively and your USP does not have to involve monkeys…

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Asda attacked for 90p lager 4-pack / Killed by vodka binge

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Title – Asda attacked for 90p lager 4-pack / Killed by vodka bingeSource – Metro
Date – 8th October 2008

If ever proof were needed as to why it seems to be becoming more inevitable that the government will intervene, then here is one example. If beer is being sold for 23p a can, the argument for minimum pricing really makes itself; even those within the trade will find it difficult to defend that. I have talked about pricing before in this blog, especially in regard to supermarkets; I know we are in the middle of a ‘economic downturn’ but even with all the arguments 23p a can is just a little more ‘value’ than is reasonable.

Following the leak from the Home Office, it seems inevitable that with time more regulation will be placed on alcohol retailers, including the possibility of minimum pricing, potentially based on a ‘minimum price per unit’ and possibly regulation in regard to alcohol promotion.

Much of the focus of potential new regulation seems to be on the on-trade, with references being made to ‘Happy Hours’ and ‘Sampling’. One of the questions should be; what constitutes a happy hour? We have a fair idea when it comes to the on-trade, but the happy hour is in effect just a price promotion for a specific period, so will this also affect the discounting in supermarkets that takes place before and on every bank holiday? Therefore are restrictions going to redress the balance between the on and off trade or make it more unbalanced?

It is not an easy balance to make, because although the on and off trade cater to similar markets and in part sell the same product, their business models are vastly different and the result of their actions are also very different. There is not a ‘one size fits all solution’ and any rash new regulation could easily tip the balance one way or the other resulting in more businesses failing, higher unemployment, less choice and less value for the customer, without actually substantially reducing the negative effects on those in our communities that drink excessively.

This article also covers the tragic death of a Warwick University Student following a bet that he could drink 20 shots (half a litre) of vodka in 20 minutes. This is the equivalent of 20 Units or more of alcohol, which is equivalent to the recommended weekly allowance for men; in just 20 minutes. Undoubtedly an extreme case, but from my experience in Universities not a unique one. No details of where this happened were given, so I will make no further comment, except to warn others and alcohol retailers especially, to be aware of the potential dangers of this type of activity and to do what they can to prevent it.

Beyond The Blue run the portfolio of BIIAB approved Licensed Retail Sector qualification including the Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) which is directed at front line staff to help them understand their legal and moral responsibilities in the sale of alcohol as well as the National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders (NCPLH) for those people working in the sector who require the qualification in order to apply for their Personal License to allow them to sell and authorise the sale of alcohol.

We also believe strongly in the BIIAB Schools Project which provides training in schools and universities to pupils and students which demonstrates not only the effects and potential effects of alcohol on the body, but also promotes the sensible drinking message.

Please visit our website please visit at

www.btbl.co.uk

Is it time the world forgot about cannabis in its war against drugs?

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Title – Is it time the world forgot about cannabis in its war against drugs?Source – The Independent
Date – 3rd October 2008

I have no intention of rehashing the arguments on the legalisation of cannabis; we have done that before in this blog and it is a subject the press come back to on an annual basis to fill some column inches. The fact is, it would be a very brave government that took that step anytime soon and there is simply not the will to address it at this time.

I have included this article for our clients as a matter of interest. Understanding the origins and nature of the drugs trade helps you to better protect your business or organisation from the negative effects of illegal drugs. Understanding the size of the industry allows you to appreciate the importance of zero-tolerance policies as well as the difficulty in enforcing them.

With 160 million cannabis users worldwide, cannabis is a very profitable business for drug dealers and as a restricted drug in the UK, business owners, managers and staff have a duty to ensure that their premises and workplaces remain drug free.

At Beyond The Blue we run bespoke drug awareness courses as well as industry specific courses such as the National Certificate for Licensees – Drug Awareness (NCLDA). Drugs awareness also features heavily in some of our other courses such as the National Certificate for Door Supervisors (NCDS) and our In-House Security Induction (IHSI) course.

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www.btbl.co.uk

Universities to probe initiations

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Title – Universities to probe initiationsSource – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 2nd October 2008

It is a sector of the Licensed Retail Sector we know intimately; Universities and Student Unions.

We have covered university initiations before in this blog (Sports Initiations Banned) and we have focussed the attention of many of our clients within this sector on the potential problems of this ‘tradition’

Having worked for many years in this sector, I have seen many an initiation ceremony, some I was in a position to stop or ‘control’, others were carried out in areas where we just did not have any jurisdiction; some were acceptable, others deplorable to the point of bullying.

So is there harm in these initiation ceremonies and should we be putting an end to these ‘traditions’?

My answer is yes and no. There is a great deal of peer pressure at Universities; trust me it is not just the rugby or hockey club initiation. First years are vulnerable; second years think they have the right to get their own back; third years on the whole start to realise that they have a lot of catching up to do and have to take life a little more seriously. There is peer pressure to drink, peer pressure to fit in, peer pressure to behave in a certain way and peer pressure to go to certain places. During this whole process first years are on their own, desperate not to be shunned.

The role alcohol plays in this is part of the ‘tradition’ remains unchanged, unfortunately the alcohol used is far from traditional…

15 or 20 years ago standard ‘cheap’ lager or bitter was the student’s drink of choice. With an abv of 3.5% there was a small degree of limitation, simply in the volume you had to be physically able to drink to absorb substantially excessive quantities of alcohol. In 2008 with the drink of choice being strong beers, flavoured alcoholic beverages (alcopops) and spirits (shooters & cocktails) the abv’s are much higher and the volume of drink consumed much more manageable. This means that while the ‘traditions’ may not have changed too much, the actual alcohol consumed during the ‘initiations’ has increased dramatically.

Those managers that do have control of those premises where these initiation take place have a duty to make sure they provide a control measure. They have to be the ones to break the cycle of peer pressure and it is not difficult to do. I can’t remember the number of times I stepped in to these situations and was chastised and called names and my team was often referred to as the ‘fun police’ (I even had the honour of having songs dedicated to my role). However when I stepped in to ‘protect’ those involved, as they chastised me it was obvious to see the relief on their faces having been spared the next round or the next ‘challenge’; they had been given a way out, without the need to lose face.

It is all about the balance and each and every person involved taking their responsibilities seriously. It is clear that with binge drinking a problem generally, adding in the extreme pressures that new students feel there is potential for real problems to occur. However we feel there is room for compromise and the silly games, forfeits and ‘traditions’ should not be brought to an end, but rather the emphasis on alcohol consumption curtailed and controlled.

To achieve this staff and management need to receive the appropriate training. Those that serve the alcohol have legal responsibilities to Retail the Alcohol Responsibly and who would benefit for the National Certificate for Personal Licence Holder (NCPLH) and the Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR). Security teams who are often on the front line would benefit from the National Certificate for Door Supervisors (NCDS) allowing them to apply for their Door Supervisor Licence and our In-House Security Induction course (IHSI). Beyond The Blue are specialists in providing solution to the unique challenges faced by Universities and Student Union’s around the country.

Please visit our website please visit at

www.btbl.co.uk