Glasgow to get tough on alcohol problems
A new multi-agency group has been set up in Glasgow to tackle anti-social behaviour caused by excessive drinking.
Glasgow City Council has joined Strathclyde Police, the city’s licensing board, Glasgow Housing Association, Glasgow Community & Safety Services and the Procurator Fiscal Service in the move, which aims to find “practical solutions” to issues such as under-age and binge drinking.
The Joint Action Group on Alcohol said that its focus would be on “enforcement and standing up for communities, not on education or treatment”.
It will be chaired by Councillor Gordon Matheson, leader of Glasgow City Council, who said: “Glasgow has a problem with alcohol – it’s no secret. It’s there for all to see.
“It’s time to close the drinking dens that blight our residents lives. It’s time to stop shopkeepers ruining our children’s futures for the sake of a few extra sales.”
He added that “ordinary people are clearly fed up”, and said: “They don’t want to wait for an education programme to deal with this kind of anti-social neighbour. They want us to deal with these problems and that’s what we’re going to do”.
Separate teams within the group will look at under-age drinkers, binge drinkers, problem drinkers, and antisocial behaviour and noise nuisance.
They will report back to the executive group by the end of August with detailed proposals.
