Alcohol Policy UK

Alcohol brief interventions in the workplace? Feasibility study finds opportunities for IBA at work do exist

A research project into the feasibility of alcohol brief interventions (or 'IBA') in the workplace has shown that opportunities to deliver IBA do exist - though may have limitations and are not without barriers.

A project delivered by the North London alcohol hub saw hundreds of workplace roles - ranging from senior managers to staff supervisors - trained in alcohol awareness and how to deliver 'Identification and Brief Advice' (IBA). Roles completed pre and post-training surveys to assess their attitude and knowledge around alcohol use.

An independent evaluation by the University of Middlesex (download full report here) found that the training resulted in many roles going on to deliver IBA, or at least discuss alcohol with colleagues or share information and resources.

However whilst some roles such as Occupational Health workers or health leads were readily able to integrate IBA into their work, many managers were not generally confident about delivering routine IBA with staff. Nonetheless, many did feel that training increased their confidence to discuss alcohol use and make use of opportunities such as through return to work interviews.

Another issue facing the success of the IBA training was managers focusing soley on existing alcohol problems within the workforce, such as where alcohol dependence was causing or linked to poor performance or absenteeism. The project in fact aimed to emphasise that whilst proper alcohol policies and responses were needed to address existing problems, IBA offered the opportunity to improve employees' health and prevent future alcohol problems in at-risk drinkers.

An event took place in Covent Garden in October to launch the report - presentations available here. A briefing paper on Alcohol & the workplace was also produced, highlighting the importance of early intervention and workplace policies in reducing the health and business impact of alcohol misuse.

South East's Big Drink Debate Manifesto out for consultation

The South East have launched a Big Drink Debate Manifesto and are encouraging local stakeholders and the public to indicate their priorities for tackling alcohol-related harm in the region.

According to the Alcohol Learning Centre:

"The manifesto, launched on 18 December by the Big Drink Debate, outlines a vision to address alcohol-related health and social issues. It is based on findings from research and public debates which took place in the South East in autumn 2009, and encompasses the views of many professionals and members of the public. It highlights the need to:

• Support police forces in tackling anti-social behaviour and alcohol related crimes
• Work to reduce family breakdown and domestic abuse linked to alcohol
• Explore whether minimum prices and restrictions on cheap alcohol sales should be introduced
• Make adult drinkers of all ages aware of health risks from drinking above guidelines, not just binge drinkers
• Help employers advise staff on potential effects of their drinking"

A findings report from the earlier consultation and research is also available.

BBC journalist: 'Pubs aren't dying - they are evolving'

The BBC's home editor has written an editorial examining evidence that whilst traditional pubs are closing at a rate of 52 a week, new licensed establishments are filling the gaps.

In his article 'Pubs aren't dying - they are evolving', Mark Easton shows that according to the national data, the number of premises licensed for on-sales has actually been increasing. However the types of premises is changing, 'wet-led' establishments i.e pubs that don't serve food, are being replaced by "branded pubs and café style bars" or even being re-catergorised as restaurants if they begin to sell food regularly.

Easton highlights that complex coding systems mean that the data can be easily manipulated, and the picture on what is really happening to the pub trade is complex. However he suggests that really it is only the old style smoky boozer that is on its way out;

"The 'night-time economy' is diversifying - instead of countless 'vertical-drinking' establishments (pubs where you stand and drink) there is a more mixed economy of cafes, bars and restaurants."

However whilst this meets objectives of the 2003 licensing act and national alcohol strategy, a more sinister trend may be revealed by a comment from Jon Collins of the leading industry analysts CGA Strategy:

"If your whole market is 50-60 year-old males who have two pints and a smoke in the boozer on the way home from work, you are going to struggle. Now those customers are buying four cans of cheap lager from the supermarket and having a cigarette in their own home."

With alcohol consumption trends increasingly shifting to the home over the last decade, should policy better recognise the hidden impact of alcohol consumption in the home?

New research reveals extent of alcohol misuse in Royal Navy

A report commissioned by the Ministry of Defence concludes that excessive alcohol consumption or binge drinking are "significantly more prevalent" in the navy than in the wider population. It also says high levels of drinking are now "likely to impact upon occupational efficiency". More needs to be done to deter sailors from excessive drinking and avoid the long-term health consequences, it says.

A survey of 1,333 male personnel from 12 operational ships found a quarter drank more than double recommended level of alcohol a week. The majority (92%) scored as hazardous drinkers while half (48%) reported binge drinking at least once a week and 15% were classed as problem drinkers. BBC News see also Daily Mail article.

The research was carried out by King's Centre for Military Research.  It follows their recent studies on alcohol use:

• Patterns of drinking in the UK Armed Forces
• Factors Associated with Heavy Alcohol Consumption in the U.K. Armed Forces: Data from a Health Survey of Gulf, Bosnia, and Era Veterans
• Cigarette and alcohol use in the UK Armed Forces, and their association with combat exposures: A prospective study

Jobs: 3 alcohol health promotion posts in Camden -18th of June deadline

Three alcohol Health Promotion Speciailists are to be recruited in the London Borough of Camden to deliver improvements in health and the reduction of inequalities relating to alcohol misuse. The posts wil lead on developing prevention and intervention campaigns, help co-ordinate education and support programmes and work with council colleagues and the alcohol industry to promote sensible drinking.

There are to be three specific areas for each of the jobs:

1) Alcohol and young adults
2) Adults and the workplace
3) Alcohol and children 

For further details please see the NHS site here

The deadlinr for applications is 18^th June 2008

Successful applicants selected for interview will be notified on Monday 23^rd June 2008

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Interview Date: 26^th June 2008

Alcohol number 1 threat to employee wellbeing?

A study by Norwich Union Healthcare has found that 77% of employers consider alcohol to be the number one threat to employee wellbeing and that it plays a large role in sickness absence. However only 9% of employees agreed that alcohol was the main threat, although 32% said they had been at work with a hangover and 15% said they had been drunk at work.

This may prompt more organisations including councils to introduce alcohol workplace policies that aim to ensure support and information is available to staff.  The Local Alcohol Strategy Implementation Toolkit encourages local partnerships to increase access to alcohol information at local levels.

Dr Douglas Wright of Norwich Union Healthcare, said

It seems that alcohol and the workplace often do go hand in hand. Sadly, alcohol use is associated with a number of medical conditions which can cause significant morbidity and therefore affect performance and attendance at work, costing UK plc. It's essential that companies have a robust Drug and Alcohol Policy and Procedure to tackle and, where possible, prevent any problems developing. This should include provision for support and, potentially, referral to appropriate facilities.

For an overview see the Institute of Alcohol Studies' factsheet Alcohol in the Workplace

Workplace alcohol policies need a boost: new survey

A new survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) exposes employers for failing to support employees with substance dependency problems. Just 38 per cent pay enough attention to the problem by co-ordinating rehabilitation support to help individuals with drug or alcohol problems return to work. The findings also show that four out of ten employers believe alcohol misuse is a significant cause of employee absence and lost productivity. One third says that drug misuse has a similarly negative effect in the workplace.

Despite the findings Ben Willmott, employee relations adviser for the CIPD and report author, said that little progress has been made in the last six years:

"Since 2001 the number of organsiations with drug and alcohol policies has remained around the same (58 per cent) and where organisations do have policies they are doing very little to actively promote them. Simply adding a policy to a rarely used staff handbook is unlikely to ensure the issue is seen as an ongoing priority."

In further evidence that prevention is better than cure, almost a third admitted to dismissing employees in the last two years due to alcohol problems because the problems had got out of hand. Willmott advises bosses to train managers in dealing with the issues. Currently only a third do so. The Health and Safety Executive currently estimates that up to 14 million working days are lost each year to alcohol related problems at an estimated cost of £2 billion each year. HRzone.co.uk

Download the report Managing drug and alcohol misuse at work

Workplace drinking culture research

A restrictive drinking culture at work curbs an individual's overall alcohol intake, including outside of work, suggests US research published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The researchers base their findings on a detailed analysis of workplace attitudes towards drinking and drinking behaviours in over 5,000 employees in 16 different organisations, representing a range of different sectors.

The employees were quizzed about how often they drank alcohol, and when and where they did so. And they were asked to reveal their attitudes to social drinking, including whether they thought alcohol boosted workplace morale, was good for business, alleviated boredom, improved their health, was harmful, or set a bad example. Their responses were tied in with those of their supervisors and managers who were also quizzed about the drinking culture in their respective divisions.

Overall, women employees who often attended religious services, and those who cohabited were less likely to drink.  Younger workers and smokers were more likely to do so.

Around one in five (19%) workers was classified as a heavy drinker outside of work (4 or more drinks in one day in men and more than three in women). A further 8% were classified as frequent drinkers (some alcohol on five or more days of the week) outside of work, and 11% were classified as drinking at work.

But rates of heavy, frequent, and workplace drinking were significantly lower in organisations that discouraged social drinking than in those that most tolerated it. After taking account of other influential factors, workers in organisations that most discouraged social drinking were 45% less likely to be heavy drinkers than those in workplaces with the most relaxed attitudes to drinking. They were also 54% less likely to be frequent drinkers and 69% less likely to drink during the working day.

The authors conclude that the workplace drinking culture is crucial for changing drinking patterns and preventing alcohol problems, and should be included in public health initiatives.   Medical News Today

Barrientos-Gutierrez, T ae al (2007)Drinking social norms and drinking behaviours: a multilevel analysis of 137 workgroups in 16 worksites Online First Occup Environ Med 0: oem.2006.031765v1.  Abstract

Alcohol in the news 8.2.07

• Britain's leading abortion provider carried out the highest number of abortions in a single month in January. Marie Stopes International (MSI) said Christmas drinking, leading to unprotected sex, could be to blame for the highest figure recorded in its 32-year history. A total of 5,992 abortions were carried out at the charity's nine UK clinics in January - a rise of 13 per cent on the 5,304 figure for January 2005. In total, 61,983 abortions were performed at Marie Stopes clinics in the UK in 2006.

Liz Davies, MSI director of UK operations, said: "It's too soon to say whether the figures we have recorded will be reflected across the country in official national statistics to be published later this year. It does seem, however, that we may be seeing the consequences of the festive season, when partying excess and alcohol consumption combine to increase libido and lower inhibition, with the inevitable consequences of unprotected sex resulting in unplanned pregnancies."  This is London

• Reducing harm from binge-drinking should be done for the UK’s health and not for economic reasons, it has been argued. Speaking at the Promoting Responsible Drinking conference in London, Ben Baumberg of the Institute of Alcohol Studies claimed that the economic burden of alcohol harm has been over-stated. He pointed to figures which suggested that £2bn would be saved if alcohol harm is reduced. But Baumberg argued that this cost would stay with the health service and go towards treating people for other diseases. “The difference reducing alcohol harm could make to the economy is really very small,” he told delegates. “This is not the reason to reduce alcohol harm, the harm itself is the reason to reduce it.” The Publican  Hear more from Ben Baumberg in the Alcohol Policy UK podcast epsisode 8; see Ben's report Alcohol in Europe

• Professor Ian Gilmore, the president of the Royal College of Physicians, has called for an increase in tax on alcohol to protect public health. Higher taxes were particularly needed on strong cider, other high strength drinks and booze aimed at young people such as alcopops, he said, adding that VAT on cider with an alcohol content of up to 7.5 per cent was too low. He also warned that the Government's failure to take public health into account when introducing 24-hour drinking would lead to an increase in alcohol-related illness.  Telegraph

• Police officers in Suffolk will face random drug and alcohol testing within the next few weeks it has emerged.The force has been working to introduce a substance misuse testing programme for the past year and is now in the final stages of agreeing who will administer the scheme. Home Office guidelines indicated that forces nationwide had to have a strategy for substance testing in place by January 1 and testing should begin soon after.

Superintendent John Everett, head of professional standards for Suffolk police, said: “We will be testing probationers (new officers), and those in what are designated as safety critical posts, things like response drivers, firearms officers and search officers. They can be tested for controlled drugs and those in safety critical posts can also be tested for alcohol on a random basis.”  Evening Star 24

• A major North Sea operator has sparked a storm of protest by introducing the first "zero tolerance" policy on alcohol for offshore workers in British waters.  Until now, an industry-wide alcohol curb was imposed - which barred workers from travelling offshore while over the legal limit for drink driving.  But employees at Canadian-based Nexen Petroleum UK have been warned they face a ban if they are found to have any trace of non-naturally occurring alcohol in their system during routine checks at the heliport.  Scotsman

Alcohol in the news 15/11/06

• Youngsters at a Preston primary school are learning about the dangers of alcohol after helping Lancashire scoop a national award.  Pupils at Lea Community Primary put their thinking caps on to help create a website about alcohol awareness for children their own age.  And the Lookout Alcohol website won second place at a prestigious national awards ceremony.  The interactive site has been produced by Lancashire County Council's Alcohol Project alongside the School and Community Partnership team and incorporates alcohol education, downloadable lesson plans for teachers, an information section for parents, and contacts for local services.  Preston Today  More info from Safer Lancashire.  Info about Lancashire's Young Person's Alcohol Project in this previous post.
  

• Britain’s top doctor has said that the off-trade is “fuelling” the country’s alcohol problems.  Professor Ian Gilmore president of the Royal College of Physicians, said alcohol was cheaper than ever before thanks to supermarket booze “loss-leaders” and vodka which “costs pennies when you take away the tax”.  Prof Gilmore told BBC Radio the UK was sitting on a “time bomb” of cirrhosis.  He said: ”Drink has never been cheaper in real terms in living memory especially in the off-trade.”  Drink has never been cheaper in real terms in living memory especially in the off-trade  Professor Ian Gilmore president of the Royal College of Physicians.  Prof Gilmore said supermarket would be selling crates of beer as loss-leaders over Christmas and added: “That is fuelling the problems we’ve got.”  Morning Advertiser

• Advertising campaigns which try to encourage people to drink less alcohol are a waste of public money, according to a leading expert.  Professor Martin Plant says politicians are picking out the least effective measures for cutting binge drinking and avoiding sensitive issues such as tackling the price and availability of alcohol.  Speaking ahead of a major international conference on young people and alcohol abuse, the director of the Alcohol & Health Research Trust at the University of the West of England in Bristol told the Sunday Herald there was no evidence that advertising initiatives worked. “Mass media campaigns and the kind of stuff we are getting at the moment are a complete waste of public money,” he said. “These campaigns do not discourage heavy drinking.  “They [the government] are ignoring the advice that has been given to them for several decades ... to control the price and availability of alcohol.” But Plant warned that any strategy will have little impact unless it tackles issues such as restricting the numbers of licensed premises.   The Young People and Alcohol conference, organised by the University of the West of England, takes place this Friday.   Sunday Herald

• According to the report  "Sponsorship in the Drinks Industry", sponsorship as a marketing tool has changed dramatically in recent years as companies have realized that associations with prominent events could lend visibility and credibility to their respective brands.  It plays a major role in today's world as we can see the brand logos on the overalls of the driver in a car racing championship, a football or a cricket match etc. Sponsorship's add to a company's brand value and are complementary and useful to the marketing mix. The report also discusses the corporate social responsibility issues which have intensified in the recent years. It also includes the case studies of the current drinks sponsorships undertaken by the major spirits, beer and wine brands like Diageo, Foster's Group, SABMiller, Remy Cointreau, Brown-Forman etc.  Presszoom.com

• The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) has published the findings of a major Behaviour & Attitudes opinion poll of public attitudes towards the problems of alcohol misuse. The poll examines the public’s views on who is to blame for the problem of alcohol misuse and on what they think should be done about the problem.  Barkeeper.

• A coalition of councils, probation boards and penal reformers has formed to lobby the Government to let local authorities play a greater part in tackling the UK's chronic problem of criminal reoffending and in rescuing its overloaded prison system.  The Coalition of Social and Criminal Justice, which has members including the Local Government Association (LGA), the Probation Boards' Association and the Prince's Trust, published a report this month that highlights the extent of the reoffending problem.  The coalition claims that local government involvement is key to managing the successful transition of prisoners to normal civilian life. It argues that the Government's target of reducing the reoffending rate by 10 per cent by 2010 can only be achieved with the involvement of institutions at local level.  In particular, these include local councils, which have a range of expertise in managing critical factors such as housing, education, employment, drug and alcohol treatment and family support.  The Lawyer  The report: Neighbourhood by neighbourhood: local action to reduce re-offending

• The ‘booze and drugs’ culture in Britain is having an increasingly harmful effect on businesses and the workplace, a new report has claimed.  Around 17 million working days are lost in the UK each year through alcohol-related sickness, according to the 'Guidance on alcohol and drug misuse in the workplace' report by the Faculty of Occupational Medicine in London. The report also found that 35% of people of working age had used an illicit drug.  Startups  More details here