Alcohol Policy UK

Alcohol Research UK 2013 annual conference FEAD videos

Alcohol Research UK's 2013 conference took place on 12 March 2013, exploring alcohol and British society. Now videos of the conference have been made available via the the Film Exchange on Drugs & Alcohol (FEAD), and the presentations are also available.

The conference theme explored the role of alcohol in contemporary British society as key to targeting the harms it can cause addressing issues such as:

• Why alcohol harms are unevenly spread across different social groups
• How policy interventions impact on different communities
• Methods for the identification and prevention of harmful...

Presentations included:

1.

Robin Davidson on Alcohol Research UK

2.

Sir Ian Gilmore and Mark Bellis on health and inequalities

3.

Jonathan Chick and Dr Jan Gill on cheap alcohol and British society

4.

Paul Wallace and Stuart Linke on ten year experience with Down Your Drink (DYD)

5.

David Foxcroft on early development and adverse outcomes and different prevention approaches

6.	Keith Humphreys and Ilora Finlay, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff on science and developing alcohol policy in Britain

Events May - June 2013: FASD; history and future of drug and alcohol regulation & more

A number of upcoming events coming up shortly may be of interest:

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): Evidence, Policy and Practice

This week Middlesex University host a free evening seminar: Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): Evidence, Policy and Practice taking place on Thursday 16 May, 5pm- 7:30pm in North London. Guest speakers to this event include Professor Moira Plant, Professor in Alcohol Studies, University of the West of England, Bristol. See the flyer here.

Under Control? Alcohol and Drug Regulation, Past and Present

Coming up in June, 'Under Control?: Alcohol and Drug Regulation, Past and Present' is a three-day international conference exploring all aspects of alcohol and drug control costing only £150 or £75 concessionary rate for the full 3 days.

The conference will take place at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine from June 21st-23rd.  Keynote speakers include Professor Virginia Berridge (LSHTM); Professor Paul Gootenberg (Stony Brook University) and Professor James Simpson (Carlos III University, Madrid). There are over 30 confirmed panels, including papers on contemporary alcohol policy; temperance history; the social control of drinking in pubs and the home; alcohol and citizenship; intoxicated identities; and the international alcohol trade. There will also be a number of fringe events -see here for more.

Other events

This week also sees the RCGPs 18th national conference on managing drug & alcohol problems in primary care. It takes place in Birmingham on the 16 and 17 of May: full conference is £318 with day rates available.

Later this month, a Westminster Forum Projects event explores The Future of Alcohol Policy at a cost of £190+VAT (concessionary rates available). Next month Public Policy Exchange host an event 'Calling Time on Binge Drinking and Alcohol-Fuelled Violence: The Changing Role of Local Authorities' places currently priced from £156- £315.

Alcohol Research UK 2013 annual conference: health inequalities, prevention in schools and online approaches reviewed

The Alcohol Research UK annual conference recently took place at the Wellcome Conference Centre in London on 12th March, exploring Alcohol and British Society. Some of the key talks and presentations are available and highlighted below.

Professor Mark Bellis: Health and Inequalities

Professor Bellis from Liverpool John Moores University, examined some of the possible reasons behind the “alcohol harm paradox” - how the poorest 20% of people in Britain suffered twice the levels of alcohol related harm as the most affluent 20% – despite reporting similar levels of alcohol consumption.

Professor Bellis said, “There are a number of possible explanations... These include differences in drinking patterns, hidden alcohol consumption and a cumulative health impact from poor diet, housing and other health challenges that leave people more vulnerable to the damages alcohol causes.”

Dr David Foxcroft: Developmental Epidemiology and Prevention

Dr David Foxcroft discuss some of the latest research into alcohol education and prevention in schools, in particular the impact of programmes such as the Good Behaviour Game and the Strengthening Families programme.

Developmental Epidemiology and Prevention (PPT) David Foxcroft

Professor Jonathan Chick and Dr Jan Gill – A Tale of Two Cities

Professor Jonathan Chick and Dr Jan Gill discuss findings from their ongoing research into drinking behaviours in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Their research supports the evidence that those drinking at the most harmful levels purchase the cheapest alcohol – particularly white cider and cheap vodka.

A Tale of Two Cities (PPT) Jonathan Chick and Jan Gill

Paul Wallace and Stuart Linke: Ten Years Experience with Down Your Drink (DYD)

Professor Paul Wallace and Stuart Linke give an overview of the Down Your Drink online screening and brief advice website. The presentation describes how the intervention has been amended over time, and presents feedback from a number of people who have used the site.

Digital Approaches to Alcohol Problems: Ten Years Experience with Down Your Drink (PPT) Paul Wallace and Stuart Linke

FEAD (the Film Exchange on Alcohol and Drugs) will shortly be putting up videos from the day.

An Alcohol Research UK symposium on alcohol policy will be taking place at the forthcoming New Directions in the Study of Alcohol Group conference ‘Alcohol Spills Over' on 25th to 28th April 2013.

Events & dates: NDSAG 2013 conference

New Directions in the Study of Alcohol Group 2013 conference

New Directions in the Study of Alcohol Group (NDSAG) has announced its 2013 conference which will take place at the Copthorne Hotel, Birmingham, England from 25th April to 28th April 2013.

The conference will address a number of themes including alcohol and the family - see the 2013 conference flyer. Keynote speakers will include Professor Jim Orford, Dr. Alex Copello, Pip Mason, Professor John Booth Davies, Dr Jim McCambridge, James Nicholls, Mike Ashton, Sarah Galvani, Robin Davidson and others - see the draft conference programme here.

A call for papers is also open for presentations, and attendees can also apply to give poster presentations. The annual Ron McKechnie prize also offers a fully paid bursary place (including attendance, residential fees and meals) for the winner of the competition to submit a paper for publication in the New Directions in the Study of Alcohol Group Journal.

The conference will also feature the annual Alcohol Research UK (formerly AERC) symposium which this year will have a special UK alcohol policy focus. For more infromation visit the NDSAG site or blog, or download the booking form. For queries email trev.mcc@virgin.net.

Alcohol Research UK 2013 conference

Alcohol Research UK's 2013 conference takes place on the 12 March 2013. The one day event will take place at the Wellcome Collection Conference Centre, 183 Euston Road, London NW1. Click here to download a full version of the programme or download a booking form here.

Don't forget the Government alcohol strategy consultation closes 6th Feb 2013.

The Alcohol Research UK Conference 2013: Alcohol and British Society

Alcohol Research UK's 2013 conference has been announced to take place on 12 March 2013, exploring alcohol and British society:

Understanding the role of alcohol in contemporary British society is key to targeting the harms it can cause.  This conference presents some of the latest developments in alcohol research.  It will address issues such as:

-Why alcohol harms are unevenly spread across different social groups
-How policy interventions impact on different communities
-Methods for the identification and prevention of harmful drinking
-The role of science in developing alcohol policy.

Speakers include Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Professor Keith Humphreys and Baroness Finlay of Llandaff.

The conference will be of interest to academics, journalists, policymakers, service providers, and anyone interested in understanding the key debates in alcohol research today.

Click here to download a full version of the programme. Book before 10th January 2013 for early bird delegate rate of £50 - Download a booking form here.

The event will take place at the Wellcome Collection Conference Centre, 183 Euston Road, London NW1

Alcohol Awareness Week 2012 kicks off with 'time to talk about drinking' theme

The week of 19-25 November has been designated Alcohol Awareness Week (AAW) 2012 by Alcohol Concern.

The theme of "It’s time to talk about drinking" is intended to stimulate discussion and local activity to promote understanding of the risks and problems associated with alcohol misuse. 

A Twitter hashtag of #alcoholaware2012 has been picking up and a set of conversation starter cards and a poster are available to download. Alcohol Concern have also been promoting 'Dry January', an initiative challenging social drinkers to stay booze free for the month - see press release.

AAW is also prompting further debate around minimum unit pricing (MUP) called on by many health groups as an important step to help reduce alcohol misuse - see recent Telegraph report. The Government will shortly consult on a MUP following a pledge in the national alcohol strategy.

Regional and local activity

Many areas will be carrying out activity as part of the week, just a few highlighted below.

DrinkWise North West have produced a YouTube video 'I've paid the price for alcohol' to raise awareness of alcohol misuse and its impacts in the North West.

A series of events and activities will be taking place in Haringey led by HAGA, including a local service user activity fundraiser, awareness raising stalls and more as outlined in the press release.

In Southwark, activity will be focusing on increasing awareness of alcohol and older people. At the Yalding Day Centre, London Fire Brigade will host discussion around safety at home while drinking, supported by local health checks and care. In neighbouring Lambeth, three public events will offer interactive activities, information and IBA.

In Nottinghamshire, a special screening of The Lost Weekend, the 1945 Academy Award winning film which follows the life of a dependent drinker, will be shown at The Broadway Cinema on Monday 19 November, 5.30pm. An expert led panel discussion will follow. Contact for more info.

If you have any any Alcohol Awareness Week activity you would like us to highlight this week please drop us a short summary.

Events & dates Sept 2012: IBA; PbR; City Health; INEBRIA; Social Care

A Nottingham IBA event takes place on Monday 24th September in Mansfield. The event aims to explore and develop opportunities for the further deliver of Identification and Brief Advice (IBA) and is free to attend for alcohol leads, commissioners and practitioners. For more information and booking details see the event flyer here or email deryn@alcoholacademy.net.

An alcohol Payment by Results (PbR) event takes place on the 28th September in London. The event will explore PbR issues with commissioners and providers of specialist alcohol treatment services and review of the National Alcohol Payment by Results (PbR) projects due to complete in the autumn of 2012. The event costs £85+vat and is being organised by Alcohol Concern in partnership with Improving Health & Wellbeing UK and partners. Click here for further information and to book a place.

The City Health 2012 conference takes place in the City of London’s Guildhall on 22nd and 23rd October 2012. City Health 2012, delivered in partnership with the London Drug and Alcohol Policy Forum, will examine policy and practice in relation to public health in cities, with a special focus on health behaviours – including on diet, alcohol, sex, drugs, smoking, nightlife and entertainment venues. The 2 day full delegate rates costs £295 - download the City Health Flyer here.

The 9th INEBRIA conference on brief interventions will take place on 27- 28 September 2012 in Barcelona, Spain. The INEBRIA conference will explore From Clinical practice to Public Health: The two dimensions of Brief Interventions'. INEBRIA - the International Network on Brief Interventions for Alcohol Problems - brings together those working to develop brief interventions, also known as IBA in England, to share learning and practice.

An event for social workers, Alcohol and Drug use across the Life-course, will take place in Manchester on 21st November - details here. The BASW Special Interest Group in Drugs and Alcohol are hosting this event which is for social work and other social and health care professionals costing only £15 for non-members. 

Alcohol Awareness Week (AAW) 2012 will take place from 19-25 November - see details here. The aim of the the week, organised by Alcohol Concern, is to address the theme of "It’s time to talk about drinking". in order to help trigger  conversations about the health risks, social problems, stigmas and taboos associated with talking about the dangers of alcohol. A set of conversation starter cards are available to download.

Willing consumers? Alcohol Concern Cyrmu 2012 marketing conference presentations

Presentations from Alcohol Concern Cymru's annual conference on 6 September 2012 have been made available. The event explored 'how alcohol marketing promotes a positive image of drinking, and how we can effectively challenge it' and received coverage on Wales Online and the BBC.

Presentations included:

• Andrew Misell, Alcohol Concern Cymru Manager: Alcohol marketing in Wales
• Maran Waran, London School of Marketing: Marketing fundamentals
• Gerard Hastings, Stirling School of Management: Alcohol marketing
• Alan Tapp and Katie Collins, Bristol Social Marketing Centre: Social marketing techniques to achieve social good
• Tom Smith, Alcohol Concern Youth Policy Project: Young people challenging alcohol marketing
• Colin Shevills, Balance North-East: Sam's snaps: Hitting them where it hurts
• Conference agenda

Alcohol Concern Cymru have previously published a number of reports relating to Wales and alcohol.

A blog post 'The drip feed' by James Nicholls was recently published exploring alcohol marketing and it's history.

Tackling alcohol problems in the night time economy: guidance for local areas

A new resource has been released to support local areas in tacking alcohol problems associated with the Night Time Economy (NTE):

Download Tackling alcohol problems in the night time economy (pdf)

The guide has been released by the London Drug and Alcohol Policy Forum (LDAPF) in partnership with Department of Health and Greater London Authority following an event last year.

LDAPF will also be jointly hosting the City Health 2012 event in the City of London's Guildhall in October - download the City Health Flyer here.

A series of licensing changes are being brought about to help address alcohol-related NTE problems, including the late-night levy and early morning alcohol restriction orders (EMROs) as set out in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. See here for a series of factsheets on the licensing changes and supporting guidance. However a report last year warned enforcement alone wouldn't solve such issues.

An Alcohol Concern NTE factsheet is also available, or see the Alcohol Policy UK NTE category. See here for presentations from a previous London NTE event in 2009.

News & updates June 2012: Half a unit per day would save lives; 1 in 8 working age deaths alcohol related; welfare plans under attack; ASDA donates £1m to Addaction; diary dates

Headlines that half a unit a day would save thousands of lives have been triggered by a BMJ article which modelled the impact of changes in consumption. Lead author Dr Melanie Nichols said: “It is likely that government recommendations would need to be set at a much lower level than the current ‘low risk’ drinking guidelines in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for public health.” But the authors did not directly call for a lowering of the guidelines, which currently under review. See reports from the BBC, Telegraph, Guardian and an explanation from NHS Choices.

Headlines also reported that 1 in 8 deaths under the age of 64 are caused by alcohol, following comments from Professor Eileen Kaner who called for tougher policy action including a ban on marketing. A Newcastle University conference heard that European alcohol consumption is more than twice the global average - see Press Association and Daily Mail reports. However the source of the data has been questioned, meriting an analysis on FullFact.

Plans to dock benefits of drug and alcohol abusers who reject help have come under fire. Drugscope have written to Iain Duncan Smith to clarify welfare plans he is expected to announce shortly - BBC, Guardian & Drugscope statement. Meanwhile the Commons Speaker John Bercow has said more MPs are seeking help for alcohol problems as Parliament attempts to crack down on Westminster's drinking culture- Telegraph report.

Dedicated alcohol ambulances are to treat drinkers over the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, Olympics and European football championships - Daily Telegraph. Alcohol sensors should be in every car to cut drink-related road deaths and injuries, says the government's former chief drugs adviser David Nutt - BBC report.

Trade & industry news

Supermarket giant ASDA has pledged £1m to Addaction, a national charity that helps young people and families tackle problems with alcohol. The £1m will fund ‘Reach Out’, a new support programme run from Addaction services in Barnsley, Cornwall and Liverpool.

National Pubwatch (NPW) has launched an online mapping tool to help the organisation draw up a list of pubwatch schemes across the UK. SABMiller and the BII are set to launch a new scheme aimed at helping bar staff battle against alcohol abuse and under-age sales.

A licensed trade consultant has launched an e-petition calling on the Government to take action against under 18-year-olds who attempt to buy alcohol in pubs. The industry petition calling to end the beer duty escalator has hit 50,000 signatures - half way to forcing a debate on the issue in Parliament.

Tax duty stamps can be counterfeited, a HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) official admitted last week. A current inquiry into beer tax fraud is taking place.

Events & dates

A Drinkaware seminar on Influencing young people’s attitudes and behaviours towards alcohol at the University of Leeds, Thursday 14 June 2012, 9.30 – 1.30pm. Email kevans@drinkaware.co.uk to register. City Health 2012 will take place in the City of London’s historic Guildhall on 22nd and 23rd October 2012. See here for other events.

Applications for Middlesex University's MA in Comparative Drug and Alcohol Studies close on the 18th June.