Listening, evidence and community leadership at the heart of Greater Manchester's approach to alcohol harm

In a recent blog for the Institute of Alcohol Studies, Jon Hobday, Director of Public Health at Bury Council and lead for the Greater Manchester Tackling Alcohol Harms programme, reflects on how Greater Manchester is taking a different approach to reducing alcohol-related harm.  

Built on A SAFER GM, the region's adaptation of the World Health Organization's SAFER framework, Greater Manchester's Alcohol Harms Strategy combines internationally recognised evidence with the voices of people most affected by alcohol harm.

A key feature of the work has been the emphasis on listening. Over 16 months, partners engaged with people experiencing alcohol dependency, individuals in recovery, families affected by alcohol harm, frontline professionals and community organisations to better understand the challenges people face and the support they need.

These conversations highlighted that alcohol harm is shaped by more than individual choices. Alcohol is heavily marketed, widely available and often inexpensive, influencing the environments in which people live, work and socialise. The strategy recognises that reducing harm requires action on these wider drivers, alongside improving access to treatment, recovery and support services. Prevention, compassion and community leadership sit at the heart of Greater Manchester's approach, with lived experience playing a central role in shaping action and driving change across the city-region.

Read Jon Hobday's full blog: Alcohol harm is not inevitable. But reducing it requires us to act differently - Institute of Alcohol Studies

Read the full strategy here: Greater Manchester Alcohol Harms Strategy 2025–2030