Alcohol Policy UK

Tackling young people's drinking pt83

• A university has banned binge drinking games and alcohol-fuelled "initiation" ceremonies after one of its first-year students died last year. Gavin Britton, 18, had been out with the Golf Society when he was found dead in fancy dress in the centre of Exeter. Students' union president Jemma Percy said: "I think students realise we are not trying to stop their fun."  Sunday Mirror

I can't find any evidence of this ban on the Exeter University website - no doubt it's there somewhere - but the Uni's latest Students' Guild magazine Exepose sheds some (bad) light on students' drinking behaviour. 

Alcohol industry news for 13.2.07

• The Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) has cited responsible sale of alcohol and free proof of age cards as its top priorities for this year’s Scottish elections, calling on politicians to change attitudes and protect retail staff. The SGF Retail Manifesto 2007 – which sets out the demands of Scotland’s 6,000 convenience retailers – calls for MSPs to tackle spiralling retail crime, protect town centres and promote healthy eating.

SGF chief executive officer John Drummond said: “Despite these threats to the future of convenience retailing, policing the sale of alcohol and other age restricted products is the number one threat to our business. Tackling Scotland’s attitudes towards carrying ID and improving access to proof of age for youngsters will remove many conflict situations from Scottish convenience stores and support retailers.

“Incidents of threats, violence, racism and abuse are all too common when some customers are challenged about their age. Often the worst incidents occur when people of legal age take offence at a request for ID. Staff need and deserve the protection that a comprehensive proof of age scheme will provide. It is time to bring balance to the legislative burden placed on retailers. Industry initiatives can only go so far, Government leadership is crucial.”

The Scottish Parliamentary and local Government elections are held on May 3.

The SGF is calling for:

• A compulsory proof of age card to be free to all 15- to 25-year-olds in Scotland
• Strict targets to achieve 100 per cent coverage of all eligible young people by 2009, when the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 comes into force
• A public awareness campaign to encourage consumers to carry ID, to reduce the incidents of threats, violence and abuse when shoppers are asked to prove their age  Retail Week Online

• Major UK supermarket Marks & Spencer is predicting a drop in consumer interest in higher-alcohol wines – and will source more wines 'at 12% rather than 14% alcohol'. Predicting changes in future wine consumption patterns, M&S says it fears that in recent years the balance has tipped too far towards wines that are dominated by high alcohol. The supermarket's wine technologist Sue Daniels told decanter.com, 'High alcohol wines have had their day. We will be trying to source more wines at 12% alcohol, rather than 14% in the future.'

The company is also looking at offering wines that are sulphite-free and without unnecessary additives, for allergy sufferers. Alcohol levels in wine have risen markedly in recent years. The increases are due to a number of factors, including improved techniques in viticulture, rising average temperatures and consumer preferences for riper, easy-drinking styles.

According to lobby group Alcohol in Moderation (AIM), the average level of alcohol in Australian red wine rose from 12.4% in 1984 to 14% in 2004. In California reds, average alcohol reached a record 14.8% in 2001, compared to 12.5% in the late 1970s. Finding ways to limit excessive alcohol in wines while retaining flavour is becoming a major challenge to many wine producers.

David Gregory, head of technology at M&S, said, 'We are trying to anticipate tomorrow's problems. People want to drink responsibly.' The move come as M&S undertakes a wholesale reorganisation of its business via 'Plan A', announced by CEO Stuart Rose last month. This is a 100-point plan to reduce the retailer's 'carbon footprint' and to become 'a leading retailer in ethical trading'.  decanter.com

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome latest: calls for labelling;

• There are fresh calls for warning labels to be put on bottles of alcohol to spell out the dangers of drinking when pregnant.  Any alcohol consumed during pregnancy goes straight to the baby, but doctors say many women are not aware of the dangers.  The US, France and Finland already include health information on products. There is no safe limit for drinking during pregnancy and doctors say the only way to be sure your baby is not affected is to avoid alcohol completely. 

Excessive drinking has been linked to a range of physical defects in babies called Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and a study has also found that light drinking can cause subtle signs of brain damage. Lord Mitchell is hoping to put the measures through Parliament as a Private Member's Bill. He said: "The Americans have been doing this for some time and now the French have adopted it. Other countries are looking at labelling very seriously and I think we really ought to be at the forefront of this".  STV.TV

• Thousands of children in Scotland may be suffering the damaging effects of alcohol exposure in the womb, but most are undiagnosed, experts have warned. More than 300 babies a year could be born with impairments caused by their mothers' drinking during pregnancy. However, difficulties in diagnosing the condition mean that only a handful of cases are formally recorded in Scotland each year.

Now a major survey of paediatricians in Scotland is to assess the extent of the problem and set down guidelines for diagnosis. Some estimates put the number of children affected in Scotland at more than 8,000, suffering problems such as learning disabilities and hyperactivity, as well as physical difficulties.

Dr Maggie Watts, chair of the Scottish Association of Alcohol Action Teams, will discuss the problem at a conference in Edinburgh on Wednesday, organised by the charity Children in Scotland. She said Scottish estimates for foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) - the most serious damage caused by alcohol - and foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) were based on studies in other countries. These suggest that around 37 FAS babies are born a year in Scotland and 340 with FASD.  Scotsman

Treatment news: CBT for prisoners; AA outcomes better than CBT; drunk tank ditched

• Prisoners in Scotland are to be offered cognitive therapy to tackle growing problems with alcohol-related violence and health problems. The first study of its kind has revealed that two in five prisoners have problems with alcohol misuse, compared with one in eight people in the population at large. Traditionally, the focus in prisons has been on drugs misuse, but the report shows there is an urgent need to tackle the underlying causes of alcohol-related problems. Despite having almost no access to the substance within jail, 44% of prisoners were recorded as having problems with alcohol misuse. advertisement

The Scottish Prison Survey also found that 40% had committed their crime while under the influence of alcohol, and 46% were keen to get help with their drinking problems while in jail. The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) already assesses the health and substance misuse problems of every prisoner on arrival, and provides a range of interventions, including detox for drug addiction, counselling, and anger management programmes. However, psychologists are now developing a specialist cognitive behavioural programme to address those with particular alcohol misuse problems. Research shows that for every £1 spent on alcohol treatment, up to £5 is recouped for public services. The Herald

• Problem drinkers attending the faith-based Alcoholics Anonymous groups are 30% more likely than others to remain sober for at least two years, according to research published this month. The study, published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, found their treatment also costs 30% less than conventional cognitive behavioural therapy. According to lead researcher Dr Keith Humphreys, based at Stanford University, this is because it requires fewer hospital visits and admissions. Up to 80% of alcohol dependent patients start drinking again within six months of a hospital detox. So why do AA members have a better chance than average? Dr Humphreys told the BBC's Health Check programme that many AA members point to the spiritual component of their 12-step programme as crucial in fighting the urge to drink.  BBC News

• Edinburgh: Police chiefs' hopes of opening a "drunk tank" where the city's binge and street drinkers can sober up have been dashed by a cash crisis. The four-bed facility planned for the Salvation Army hostel in the Pleasance was widely seen as an ideal way of dealing with drunks who collapse in the street. But police chiefs have been left "disappointed" after being told there is no money available to open its doors.

The Edinburgh Drug and Alcohol Team had asked the city council for the £200,000 a year needed to run the operation. But the local authority says it cannot afford the funds, despite senior police officers' strong support for the project. The drunk tank was designed to take in vagrants and binge drinkers who consume so much alcohol they cannot look after themselves. Police say they are seeing a growing number of such problem drinkers. It was expected to take the pressure off the police and hospitals that currently deal with scores of drunks every week. Scotsman

Research news for 11.2.07

• Numerous cell, animal and human studies have shown that heavy drinking leads to bone loss. New research conducted in rats now suggests that vitamin D or the anti-osteoporosis drug Boniva (ibandronate) can prevent alcohol-related bone loss caused by regular binge drinking.

"We know that repeated binge drinking resulting in high alcohol levels over time results in osteoporosis," principal investigator Dr. Frederick H. Wezeman from Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois, told Reuters Health.

"We've been able to intervene and prevent this by higher doses of vitamin D -- an over-the-counter and convenient food additive -- as well as the bisphosphonates (like Boniva), which can be prescribed." In the rat study, Wezeman and colleagues observed that large quantities of alcohol, similar to those taken in by binge drinkers, led to a significant decrease in bone mineral density and bone strength.

"If you are an alcoholic, you are damaging your skeleton," Wezeman said.  Reuters

• Duane F. Reinert, John P. Allen (2007) The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test: An Update of Research Findings, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 31 (2), 185–199.

The authors conclude: Research continues to support use of the AUDIT as a means of screening for the spectrum of alcohol use disorders in various settings and with diverse populations.  Alcoholism

• Jorge Juárez, Barrios De Tomasi Eliana (2007) Alcohol Consumption Is Enhanced After Naltrexone Treatment Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 31 (2), 260–264.

Background: It is well known that alcohol increases opioid activity, which can contribute to the reinforcing effect of alcohol. Clinical studies have supported reductions in alcohol consumption among alcoholic patients during treatment with opioid antagonists (OAs) and its use is recommended for this purpose. Experimental studies have demonstrated opioid receptor up-regulation after several days of OA treatment, which increases the availability of these receptors. On this basis, the physiological conditions in the period immediately after the OA treatment could increase the reinforcing value of alcohol and in this way enhance alcohol consumption.

Conclusion: The results show that alcohol intake may increase after the Ntx treatment, particularly when alcohol is not available during treatment with the OA, and that this may be due to a higher availability of opioid receptors in that period.  Alcoholism

Drink driving in Dumfries & Galloway; new powers to seize sealed alcohol containers in Southampton

• Dumfries and Galloway Police have hit out at motorists over their "disregard" for the dangers of drink-driving. After its festive campaign, the force warned that it would continue to target the issue. A spokesman said the warning had fallen on "deaf ears" as 30 people were caught drinking and driving in January - up from 21 in the same month a year ago. Sgt Scott McLachlan urged motorists to "wake up" and recognise their responsibility to drive safely. He said it was disappointing to see drivers ignoring police advice. BBC News

• Police and council patrols in Southampton have been given extra powers to seize alcohol from street drinkers.  They will have discretion to confiscate both open and sealed drinks.  Police will be able to arrest those who refuse to hand over alcohol, while council and community support officers can request personal details.

The city council's licensing panel has agreed to extend a 2004 order which covers open drinks in the city centre's streets and parks.  Police and council officers already have powers to seize alcohol from under-age drinkers under separate legislation.  However, youths will no longer be able to hand sealed drinks to those older than 18 to avoid them being seized. It takes effect from May. 

A council survey found it had the backing of an overwhelming majority of clubs, pubs, hotels and other off-licences. Only the city mosque responded from 22 faith groups quizzed.  Southampton City Council antisocial behaviour manager, Derek Stevens, said the extension had been a success in other authorities such as Brighton, Westminster and Portsmouth.  This is Hampshire

Health impact of young people's drinking

• Doctors have warned of a "sinister" rise in alcohol-related brain damage in young people as new evidence shows Scotland is set to suffer the consequences of the explosion in teenage binge drinking. Clinics across the country are dealing with numerous drinkers aged only in their twenties and thirties but suffering from brain damage - a scenario one charity described as "the tip of a substantial and growing iceberg".

Dr Jonathan Chick, a consultant psychiatrist with Lothian Health Board's alcohol problem service, said: "For the first time, we are seeing people in their thirties and early forties with conditions such as Korsakoff's syndrome. "This is at least ten years younger than the patients with alcohol-related brain damage we used to deal with. This definitely reflects the growing trend for heavy alcohol consumption at an ever earlier age."

Symptoms of the condition include difficulty in acquiring new information or learning new skills, and lack of insight into the condition - even a person with great gaps in their memory may believe their memory is functioning normally. Others involve inventing events to fill the gaps in memory and apathy in some cases, or talkative and repetitive behaviour in others. The Scotsman

• Teenagers as young as 13 are being admitted to hospital requiring treatment for alcohol intoxication. New figures from Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust show that alcohol abuse has seen, on average, two youngsters a month admitted to Wansbeck Hospital in the space of a year.

The figures, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, relate to the number of patients aged 17 and under admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of alcohol abuse between April 1, 2005, and March 31, 2006. During this period 24 young people were taken to Wansbeck General requiring medical attention for alcohol intoxication.

The age with the highest number of admissions for alcohol abuse were 16-year-olds, with 11 needing hospital treatment. Figures from Northumbria Healthcare Trust for a three-month period last year revealed that six youngsters aged 17 or under were taken to Wansbeck with alcohol intoxication. Between April 1, 2006, and June 30, 2006, an average of two youngsters a month were taken to the hospital. Blyth and Wansbeck Today

 

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

Tackling young people's drinking pt83

• Wales: Police claim to have successfully targeted alcohol related violence and disorder during a month long campaign. Over the Christmas and New Year period officers in the Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly County Borough areas confiscated alcohol from under 18s on 95 separate occasions, preventing any further potential disorder. During the campaign extra patrols were on duty targeting such behaviour. 21 arrests were also made for various offences such as drunk and disorderly behaviour and other public order offences.  News Wales

• Police have published a picture showing just some of the booze that they took from teenagers last Friday night, in a blitz on anti-social behaviour in Dunstable and Houghton Regis.  A police team led by Insp Dave Boyle found youngsters, aged from 13 to 16, was out until 11.30pm.  Alcohol seized from the under-age drinkers including cases of strong lager and vodka-based alcopops.  Police immediately took many children home, and the youngsters were asked to explain themselves in front of their parents.  This was the second police operation of its kind in recent weeks.   Bedford Today

• Isle of Man: In line with the Chief Minister's Drug and Alcohol Strategy, year seven students are being informed about the dangers of volatile substance abuse, year nines about cannabis and year 10s about binge drinking. Students from each year group are being invited to take part in a competition to design a poster linked to the theme they are learning about.

Judged with the help of the Department of Health and Social Security's health promotion office, a winning entry in each category from each of the five secondary schools will be picked to be made into an official poster that will be displayed in schools and youth centres. Meanwhile a drug and alcohol education website for students is being developed by a year 11 student from St Ninian's High School, Douglas. The site will target under-18s and will include information, a monthly newsletter, details of where to get help and interactive elements. Isle of Man Today

• Off-licences in an area of Teesside have brought in a permanent ban on selling alcohol to people under 21. Five shops in Marske introduced the trial ban in August last year to try to reduce drink-related crime. Since the voluntary ban Cleveland Police said incidents of youngsters being drunk and disorderly had plummeted in the town. Traders also said their staff and customers were happy with the ban and had decided to make it permanent.  BBC News

Alcohol Statistics for Scotland - new compendium published

A compendium of previously released statistics was published on 30th January by ISD Scotland, together with new data on hospital alcohol-related discharges and alcohol-related deaths.

Latest statistics demonstrate the massive health and social cost of alcohol misuse in Scotland and illustrate why doing nothing is not an option, Deputy Health Minister Lewis Macdonald said:

• Between 2001/02 and 2005/06, the number of people discharged from hospital with alcohol-related injuries or illnesses rose from 35,445 to 39,061, an increase of 10%
• There were 2,372 deaths in Scotland in 2005 where alcohol was either the cause or a contributing factor, an increase of 15% since 2001

Download Alcohol Statistics Scotland 2007