01 October 2003

‘Alcohol Issues – A partnership Approach’, held at the National College of Ireland's new campus in the International Financial Services Centre in Dublin on the 1st October 2003, was the first of a series of annual conferences to be hosted by MEAS concerning the topic of alcohol and society.

The Conference aims were to:

• Promote an awareness of public order and alcohol issues and of some partnership initiatives undertaken in Ireland and the United Kingdom to address these issues.
• Promote an awareness of the social norms approach and its impact in the United States on alcohol abuse.
• Encourage informed debate on the issue of alcohol and public order.
• Promote best practice and strategic partnership approaches which best reduce public order offences.
• Identify key areas for further debate, analysis, and policy development.

Attendees at the conference were drawn from both Governmental and non Governmental organisations and had policy or management positions concerned with alcohol and public order. Attendees also included personnel with front line responsibility for service provision to the public. A broad range of sectors were present, including An Garda Síochána, environmental planning and transport service providers, the hospitality industry, healthcare, education, criminal justice, youth and community work, as well as academics, politicians and those who work in the media.