Drugs and Alcohol

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.

In addition we have improved access to drug and alcohol treatment in rural areas.  The introduction of a mobile unit delivers drug and alcohol services to smaller towns and villages. The bus visits fixed locations in the district, no referral is required and you can visit the service without an appointment. Please visit the SMART website  This link will take you to an external website... or call 01865 403151/07891 406701 for times and locations.

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/.

Didcot Train  offers support for young people with problems related to drugs and other issues. You can call them on 01235 519315 or visit http://www.didcottrain.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/ This link will take you to an external website...  

Alcohol Concern - the national agency on alcohol misuse

Website: 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 South Oxfordshire 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 South Oxfordshire, the council has approved DPPOs in Thame and Henley-on-Thames town centres.

For more information about DPPOs, please download our leaflet from the right of this page (designed for Henley-on-Thames) or visit http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk