THE emergency services are joining forces with health teams this week to tackle alcohol misuse on Teesside.

The young and the old will be targeted in a campaign to promote safe and responsible drinking, which coincides with Alcohol Awareness Week.

Pubs and off-licences will be subjected to random visits by police, who will be checking on underage drinking.

Police and fire officers will be approaching drinkers to spread the Don't Drink and Drive and Don't Drink and Fry messages.

Cleveland Police, Cleveland Fire Brigade, Redcar and Cleveland Primary Care Trust and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council have organised a number of initiatives to educate the public about the dangers of drink.

However, enforcement will also be high on the agenda, and all licensed premises will be encouraged to serve customers responsibly.

Cleveland Police Inspector Andrew Bright, who is chairman of the violence and street crime task group, said: "The activities taking place across Redcar and Cleveland are an excellent example of a co-ordinated partnership approach. With a broad range of agencies coming together under the NightSafe banner, we aim to promote a sensible drinking message and reduce alcohol-related harm or disorder.

"Nationally, there are 1.2 million incidents of alcohol-related violence per year, in itself a sobering figure that is clearly unacceptable and reflects the darker side of alcohol when abused."

Lesley Hoyle, head of health inequalities at the primary care trust, said: "Alcohol Awareness Week is about highlighting the harm caused by alcohol misuse.

"This is not just personal harm through consuming too much alcohol, this is harm caused within our communities, or even within our homes, and harm inflicted on others.

"We are raising awareness of harm to young people from drinking while underage, and raising the issues of consumption of alcohol at home, when we don't carefully measure those units of alcohol we consume.

"We do not expect people to stop consuming alcohol, but to be aware of what safe consumption is and how to seek help and support if it is needed."

The Youth Inclusion Project bus will tour the borough, carrying out awareness sessions, and a Road Safety trailer will be delivering the Don't Drink and Drive message in Skelton, today, Redcar, tomorrow, and Guisborough High Street, on Thursday.