Representatives from organisations across Caerphilly County Borough met Wednesday to discuss alcohol abuse in the area and the problems it causes.
Agencies including Caerphilly County Borough Council, Gwent Police and the Aneurin Bevan Health Board met at Llancaiach Fawr for the annual Standing Conference.
Coinciding with Alcohol Awareness Week, the different public bodies discussed how they planned to work together to tackle drink-related problems.
Cllr Allan Pritchard, leader of the council, said: “Alcohol misuse impacts our society in so many ways. It can penetrate the very core of our families and communities, so it is important that we join forces to look at how we deal with the issues resulting from this drinking culture. The difficulty facing us is how we manage the accessibility of alcohol and its affordability and the way we change the culture of drinking that has developed over the years.”
Carmel Napier, Chief Constable of Gwent Police, said: “We need to work together and examine the way alcohol impacts our communities and how we can tackle key problems. We need to join up the various bits of our businesses to make our joint efforts far more effective in dealing with alcohol abuse.”
Andrew Goodall, Chief Executive of Aneurin Bevan Health Board, added: “A powerful message has emerged from the local Youth Forum saying that we should prioritise the way we deal with alcohol issues. It is clear that we have a major challenge ahead of us, but we have a duty to ensure our young people now and in the future, approach alcohol in a responsible manner so we can protect their health and wellbeing.”