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The conversation on alcohol begins
Greater Manchester is one of the best places in the world. But we believe it could be even better.
Evidence shows how drinking too much alcohol can affect our people and our communities. But what do these numbers really mean for Greater Manchester? What role does alcohol play in our daily lives? Is it really causing so much harm? And if so, what should we do about it? We’re holding The Big Alcohol Conversation to find out.
Let’s talk about alcohol. Join in The Big Alcohol Conversation now.

The Big Cost
Alcohol related harm costs Greater Manchester £1.3bn a year. That’s how much our services such as police and hospitals spend dealing with the impacts of the way we drink.
To put it another way, that’s £125,000 for every hour of the day, or £41 for every second.
So far in 2019 we've spent...
responding to harms caused by alcohol.
Think that money could be better spent? Have your say in our Big Alcohol Conversation survey.
We already have lots of information about our region’s relationship with alcohol. Some of the facts are quite surprising.
Alcohol is a contributory factor in 44% of accidental fire deaths in homes.
Almost a quarter of Greater Manchester residents (23%) say that, in their local area, there is a very/fairly big problem with ‘people being drunk or rowdy in public places’.
Nearly 2/3 of violent incidents in public spaces are perceived by victims as alcohol related.
Over 3/4 of victims of violence that takes place after 10pm perceive the offender(s) to have been under the influence of alcohol.
37% of ambulance service time is taken up dealing with alcohol related incidents.
89% of UK ambulance service workers believe that dealing with alcohol related call-outs placed an unnecessary burden on time and resources.
But these numbers only tell part of a complicated story. We want to fill in the rest. Join The Big Alcohol Conversation and help reveal the full truth about alcohol in Greater Manchester.
Catch the Big Bus Tour
The Big Alcohol Conversation is going on tour. Between now and the 26th February we’re travelling across all 10 of our boroughs to give as many people as possible the chance to join in the conversation.
Whether you live in Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford or Wigan – look out for The Big Alcohol Conversation bus in your area. Check out all the dates below.
If you can’t make it along, you can still join in our conversation online, through social media or with the dozens of partners we’re working with across Greater Manchester.