Drug and alcohol misuse
Accessing support locally
The South and Vale Community Safety Partnership works closely with the Oxfordshire Drugs and Alcohol Action Team http://www.oxfordshiredaat.org/ which is responsible for the commissioning of drug treatment services in Oxfordshire. The team offers advice on drug and alcohol issues – visit http://www.oxfordshiredaat.org/ or call 01865 260250.
Help for young people
Young Addaction is Oxfordshire’s Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Service. It is a confidential service which provides support for 10-19 year olds with complex needs and substance misuse issues. The service also works with young people affected by other people’s substance use and offers targeted outreach work across the county. To find out more, call Young Addaction on 01235 468405 or visit http://www.addaction.org.uk/
The Abingdon Bridge offers one-to-one support for young people with problems related to drugs and other issues. You can call them on 01235 522375 or visit http://www.theabingdonbridge.org.uk./
Other sources of advice and information
National Drugs Helpline - for free, confidential information and advice 24 hours a day.
Telephone: 0800 776600
Website: http://www.talktofrank.com/
Alcohol Concern - the national agency on alcohol misuse
Website: http://www.alcoholconcern.org.uk/
Alcoholics Anonymous
Telephone: 0845 7697 555
Website: http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/
Drinkline - a confidential helpline offering advice on alcohol related issues. Can offer help to people worried about their own drinking as well as support to the family and friends of people who are drinking.
Telephone: 0800 917 8282
Tackling alcohol related crime and disorder
Together with our licensing team and the police, we work with licencees in the district to help prevent and tackle alcohol related crime and disorder in our town centres.
South and Vale Nightsafe work with a number of partners to make the Vale of White Horse a safer and more enjoyable place to go out at night.
A Designated Public Place Order (DPPO) is a tool that local authorities can use to help deal with the problems of alcohol related anti-social behaviour in public places.
This order is not a total ban on drinking alcohol in public places. It just makes it an offence to carry on drinking alcohol when asked to stop by a constable or authorised officer. This allows them to deal with people who are behaving antisocially as a result of drinking alcohol.
If somebody fails to comply with an officer's request to stop drinking and surrender alcohol without reasonable excuse, penalties include:
- A penalty notice for disorder of £50
- Arrest and prosecution for a level 2 fine (max £500)
- Bail conditions can stop the individual from drinking in public
In the Vale of White Horse, the council has approved a DPPO in Abingdon town centre.
For more information about DPPOs, please download our leaflet from the right of this page (designed for Abingdon) or visit http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/.
Last reviewed: 21 - 05 - 2012
