Alcohol Policy UK

Alcohol Concern Wales: marketing messages & children; the role of local alcohol services

Recent reports published by Alcohol Concern Wales include:

Making an impression: Recognition of alcohol brands by primary school children

Alcohol Concern was keen to learn whether, and to what extent, the drinks industry’s marketing messages are reaching children, and what the potential implications of this might be. This briefing paper considers the findings of a brand and logo recognition study conducted amongst primary school children across Wales.

On the 6th September in Wales Alcohol Concern Wales will also host a national conference Willing consumers? Alcohol marketing and how to challenge it. Download the conference flyer and full agenda for the day.

Another recent Alcohol Concern Wales report explores the role of alcohol services in tackling alcohol misuse in Wales:

Everyone's problem: The role of local alcohol services in tackling Wales’ unhealthy relationship with alcohol

Unsurprisingly, given the current outlook for public spending, alcohol services in Wales have serious concerns about their own financial future. These concerns are intensified by the ongoing high levels of demand for alcohol treatment. Whilst recognising current public funding constraints, Alcohol Concern argues that the immediate and long term benefits of alcohol services to individuals, society and the public purse justify supporting, developing and investing in them.

A drinking nation? Wales and alcohol was published in 2010, with a follow up report in 2011. Another recent report 'Mixed messages' warned of possible dangers of mixing highly caffeinated drinks with alcohol. Alcohol Concern Wales’s Drink Wise Wales website contains an alcohol and energy drink counter outlining the amount of alcohol, caffeine and sugar in common energy drink cocktails.

See here for other policy reports and factsheets from Alcohol Concern.

Northern Ireland consultation on minimum pricing

A consultation on minimum pricing and other options for Northern Ireland is currently open. 

Northern Ireland's Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety are seeking views on setting a minimum price per unit of alcohol. A press release and BBC report announced the move earlier this year.

The survey "forms part of the stakeholder consultation process on minimum pricing of alcohol in Northern Ireland and provides an opportunity for comment on plans to crack down on the availability of cheap alcohol." It also includes questions on:

• banning 'below-cost' selling of alcohol
• banning sale of alcohol below level of Duty and VAT
• increasing taxation to address the harms of problem drinking
• considerations in relation to introducing a social responsibility levy

Views are sought from everyone including consumers of alcohol, trade associations, criminal justice workers or those who run or work in pubs, clubs, supermarkets or other outlets selling alcohol.

The submission period closes on 26 June 2011.

Tackling drink driving: lower limits for motorcylists (N. Ireland); naming and shaming (Grimsby)

• Motorcyclists in Northern Ireland will face a lower alcohol limit than car drivers, if proposals from Northern Ireland minister Arlene Foster become law. The new limit, which will only allow for 20mg of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, means riders will become law-breakers after just a half pint of lager, effectively making the proposals an outright ban on drink riding. The limit for drivers is set to be reduced too, but only to 50mg. A spokeswoman for Northern Ireland’s Department of the Environment said: "The proposed lower limit for motorcyclists reflects the greater vulnerability of bikers if involved in a collision and the greater potential for even the most minor error to result in a motorcyclist losing control with catastrophic consequences.  www.crash.net

• The Grimsby Telegraph is working with Police to tackle drink driving.  Whilst the Police have increased road side testing, the Telegraph is naming and shaming those caught drink driving, by publishing photos and names in the paper, here.

Tackling young people's drinking pt93: Strathroy educational summer programme; confiscations from 10 and 11 year olds, Darwen and Paisley; Strabane parents to blame

• A successful joint educational initiative between local alcohol and drug awareness agency, The E go Project and the Strathroy Community Association spent four weeks addressing the problems associated with under-age drinking and drug abuse. The summer programme was carried out during the month of July within the Strathroy Summer Scheme, with a total of 15 young people ranging in age from 10 to 14 years-old, addressing various issues related to alcohol and drug use, before then producing a project that raises awareness further in their areas or community.  Ulster Herald
  

• Alcoholic drinks have been seized from children as young as ten during a campaign to combat anti-social behaviour. Darwen police have confiscated hundreds of bottles and cans of lager, beer and cider from youngsters across the town. At least 300 items bottles and cans were found by officers as part of Operation Summer Nights, which targeted anti-social behav-iour over the summer holidays. Hotspot areas included Earcroft and Whitehall Park. Sergeant John Cisco said:

"Each year we have taken part in operation Summer Nights and there has certainly been an increase in the amount of alcohol we seize.  We have confiscated at least 300-plus bottles and cans. In the worst cases we have confiscated alcohol from children under ten, but not much younger than that. The under tens had been hanging around with groups of youngsters who were older.  Blackburn Citizen

• Schoolboys aged as young as 11 were so drunk that they were unable to stand up when police found them at a drinking den. A pile of cheap wine and cider bottles, most of them empty, were discovered just feet away from the youngsters. With them in a Paisley housing scheme were two other children, aged 14 and 15, who had downed so much booze that they couldn’t walk or talk. Now worried police chiefs are urging parents to help them tackle the teeny tippling culture that is putting the lives of Renfrewshire kids at risk. Paisley police boss Superintendent Alastair Neilson said:

“We have found some children in a terrible state through alcohol. It’s alarming and could end in tragedy.” 

The 11-year-old boys were among scores of youngsters rounded up during a clampdown on under-age drinking in Paisley and the neighbouring towns of Johnstone, Renfrew and Erskine. Mr Neilson revealed that more than 200 litres of booze was confiscated from drunken kids and poured down the drain. Some of the youngsters who were caught were taken home and, with their parents’ consent, have been referred to the Young Persons Advisory Project to help them kick the booze habit. Other offenders have either been reported to the Reporter to the Children’s Hearing or the procurator fiscal.  icRenfrewshire

• THE problem of underage drinking in Strabane is being aggravated by parents who choose to buy their children alcohol, a local off licence owner claimed this week. Licensee of Christy's Bar and Off Licence Raymond Barr made the revelation following the recent launch of an underage drinking crackdown by the Federation of the Retail Licensed Trade (FRLT). FRLT Chief Executive Stephen Kelly wrote to 1,000 publicans across the north to ensure they are doing all within their power to prevent underage youths accessing drink. In the letter, Mr Kelly reminded licensees that anyone caught purchasing alcohol for a minor could face six months in prison. This however doesn't appear to be deterrent enough in Strabane according to Mr Barr, who told the Strabane Chronicle that older people supplying drink to youths is a regular problem faced by both himself and his staff.  Strabane Chronicle