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Speaking in response to the Government's announcement of new legislation setting a minimum alcohol price of 40p a unit in England, Nick Barton, Chief Executive of Action on Addiction, said:

"Over the past decades alcohol consumption has become increasingly ingrained across all sections of British society and social life, so there is almost a greater stigma against choosing not to drink than against drinking to excess.

"While we welcome this important public health intervention, as an addiction charity, our concern is that those who binge drink put themselves at much greater risk of developing dependence, with all the health and social problems that come with it.  Minimum pricing helps to reduce consumption and therefore that risk.

"In general we need to tackle our cultural over-reliance on alcohol.

"Venues like The Brink, which was visited by The Duchess of Cambridge last month, provide a vibrant, alternative space for everyone to enjoy a night out with a sense of occasion but without the pressures to drink alcohol.  We'd like to see more venues like this in every UK town to challenge assumptions that alcohol is always necessary for a good night out."

Action on Addiction opened The Brink, Liverpool's first dry bar, in September 2011. The venue works closely with Action on Addiction's SHARP Liverpool and offers a supportive social hub for recovering addicts as well as a relaxing alternative venue for members of the public.  The bar is professionally staffed including by people who have had problems with alcohol in the past, providing those in recovery with an opportunity to re-enter the workforce.

As well as serving locally-sourced fresh food and an exotic selection of non-alcoholic drinks, The Brink puts on a range of entertaining and educational events to showcase the talent of local artists, musicians and performers. 

The Brink is a social enterprise and as such all profits go directly back into the community to fund support for those who have suffered as a result of alcoholism and addiction.

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For press enquiries, please contact:

Amy MacLaren or Elisabeth Middlemas at Colman Getty

T: 020 7631 2666 | M: 07980 843 088 / 07910 706 786

E: amy@colmangetty.co.uk / elisabeth@colmangetty.co.uk

About Action on Addiction

Action on Addiction is the only UK charity working across the addiction field in research, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, professional workforce development, professional education and support for families and children.

One in three people suffer from an addiction. It breaks up families, damages communities and destroys lives. In some way it touches us all. At Action on Addition we believe that it is important to take an integrated and dynamic approach to improving the understanding of addiction and people's responses to it.

Action on Addiction has treatment centres throughout England as well as a specialist family support service and an expert training centre for the treatment of addiction. We fund important and innovative research into addiction, working closely with the National Addiction Centre (part of the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London) and the Mental Health Research and Development Unit at the University of Bath.

Action on Addiction has been helping people with addiction problems for 25 years.  In January 2012 HRH the Duchess of Cambridge became patron of Action on Addiction.

For more information on Action on Addiction, please visit our website: www.actiononaddiction.org

Action on Addiction centres in the UK:

Clouds House (Wiltshire)

First stage treatment centre (including detoxification) which has been helping people with addiction problems for 25 years

Hope House (Clapham, London)

Second stage treatment centre for women only. Many of the women who visit this centre have a history of difficult relationships and find an all-female environment a supportive place to work through issues and begin to recover

The Brink and SHARP Liverpool          

SHARP (Self-Help Addiction Recovery Programme) offers a structured day treatment therapy, relapse prevention, family support and aftercare. The Brink is an innovative recovery social hub with live music and events, all within a healthy recovery culture, located on the edge of Liverpool's bar and club scene

SHARP Bournemouth & Poole                                                  

Provides a structured day treatment programme as well as pre-treatment support for people hoping to change their behaviour, aftercare, work skills recovery, relapse prevention and social activities 

The Centre for Addiction Treatment Studies (Wiltshire)

Offers courses for specialists working in the addiction field, with qualifications awarded by the University of Bath