Alcohol Policy UK

Cocaethylene 'use' may be rising, but is awareness still low?

Update: Cocaethylene brieing paper has since been published - access here.

Cocaethlyne, a unique compound produced by mixing cocaine and alcohol, is reported to significantly increase health risks such as heart attacks or liver damage. However based on anecdotal feedback, cocaethylene is largely unknown by drinkers and even amongst some proffesionals.

With the reported rise in the use of cocaine and cocaine-related A&E admissions, the impacts of cocaethylene probably merits significantly more attention. A recent drug trends study (BBC report here) found that a decline in the quality of street drugs was also increasing levels of poly-use. Martin Barnes, Chief Executive of Drugscope commented:

"The fact that older teens and young adults are increasingly combining substances including  ketamine, cocaine, cannabis and cheap high-strength alcohol is particularly concerning."

However a number of recent local projects have been aiming to raise awareness of cocaethylene. The website www.drinkingwithcharlie.co.uk was recently launched and earlier this year an award winning campaign Cocaethylene - Heart & Soul of the Party? was produced by Nottingham Trent University (downloadable leaflet and poster pdfs). Other campaigns include Southwark's leaflet and poster as an available resource.

A cocaethylene podcast has also been released to help raise understanding of the effects, part of the Hooked harm reduction audio series. Though interesting, I noted the podcast mentions the reported '21 times greater risk of heart attack' claim that is often attributed as an effect of cocaethylene. However having attended a cocaethylene practitioner's training course, drugs trainer Danny McGowan highlighted there was little evidence to corroborate this and more research was needed to explore the extent of increased risk factors. However practitioners should be able to identify and offer appropriate advice and interventions for alcohol and cocaine poly-users.

If you are interested in arranging training on cocaethylene, please contact us through the AERC Alcohol Academy.

BMA report: the damaging effect of alcohol marketing on young people

The British Medical Association has today published Under the influence: The damaging effect of alcohol marketing on young people  Here is the BMA's synposis:

Alcohol consumption in the UK has increased rapidly in recent years, not just among young people, but across society. The population is drinking in increasingly harmful ways and the result is a range of avoidable medical, psychological and social harm, damaged lives and early deaths. As consumption has increased, the market for alcohol has grown substantially. This has been driven by vast promotional and marketing campaigns with the UK alcohol industry spending approximately £800m annually.

Alcohol marketing communications have a powerful effect on young people and come in many forms. These include traditional advertisements on television through ubiquitous ambient advertising to new media such as social network sites and viral campaigns. The cumulative effect of this promotion is to reinforce and exaggerate strong pro-alcohol social norms. Beyond marketing communications companies use integrated consumer marketing strategies including pricing, distribution and product design to develop and manage brands. Stakeholder marketing, including partnership working and industry-funded health education, is also used by the alcohol industry as a means to influence policy makers and regulators.

This report examines the damaging effect of alcohol marketing on young people. It aims to identify effective ways of protecting young people from the influence of alcohol promotion and marketing, thereby redressing the excessively pro-alcohol social norms to which they are exposed.

Drinkaware's £100m campaign launched

The 'biggest ever campaign aimed at 18-24 year old binge drinkers' was launched last week by the Drinkaware Trust. A briefing for the campaign said posters and materials would be featured in pubs, bars, phoneboxes, supermarkets and off licenses across the UK. The campaign’s ‘Why let good times go bad?’ logo will also feature on 13 million products, including bottles, cans and multipacks, whilst server staff will be educated in alcohol awareness.

The briefing announced the campaign aims 'to challenge the perceptions and attitudes towards drinking and the social acceptability of drunkenness' by speaking to young people on a 'peer to peer level, encouraging people to think for themselves by giving them ‘tips’ about how to keep the good times good.'

Earlier this year we highlighted scepticism over the efficacy and motivations behind the campaign as Don Shenker, Chief executive of Alcohol Concern stated: "This new initiative appears to be yet another example of the drinks industry trying desperately to avoid mandatory legislation to pass on health information to consumers." Alcohol Concern have since released the report 'Message on bottle' which found that much of the alcohol on sale in supermarkets is poorly labelled with only 18% of products carrying information about sensible drinking levels and 56% carrying unit information.

The Department of Health have been funding alcohol and unit awareness campaigns and social marketing over recent years through the 'Know Your Limits' campaings, and has a stakeholders website contianing guidance and resources. Resources are also available for 'Alcohol Awareness Week' which will run from 19-15th of October.

'IBA Training the Trainer Workbook' released

A workbook resource 'Training for Trainers: Identification and Brief Advice to Reduce Risky Drinking' has been released by the Alcohol Learning Centre (ALC).  Identification and Brief Advice (IBA) is also known as screening and brief interventions (SBIs).

According to the ALC:

'Training for Trainers: Identification and Brief Advice to Reduce Risky Drinking', was used as for a series of national one day pilot courses organised by the Alcohol Improvement Programme and facilitated by Dave Tompson GP and Mark Holmes RMN Specialist practitioner. The training objectives and methodologies used are provided in detail and the workbook gives examples of a variety of teaching methods for delivering IBA including small group work, peer to peer discussion and sharing and microskills practice (role play). There are detailed sections on understanding and using IBA tools, facilitating behaviour change, delivery and sustainability.

The ALC website also provides an online IBA course aimed at General Practitioners.

Alcohol Concern: supermarkets keeping shoppers in the dark over alcohol information

Message on a Bottle a new report published by Alcohol Concern has found that much of the alcohol sold by supermarkets is poorly labelled, leaving customers in the dark when it comes to vital health information.

The report found that only 4% of products reviewed carried all five elements that make up the industry best practice label. Only 18% of products carried information about sensible drinking levels and 56% carried unit information. In 1998 a voluntary was reached between the drinks industry and the government to introduce unit labelling on all products. In 2008 the drinks industry made further promises to improve alcohol labelling but this research shows that many producers are falling short of their corporate social responsibility pledges.

In the light of this poor progress Alcohol Concern is calling on government to take decisive action to introduce mandatory health labelling on alcohol products and for supermarkets to only promote products that are clearly labelled. Knowing how many units are in alcoholic products and what sensible drinking levels are is part of the Government’s alcohol strategy to help consumers make informed decisions about their drinking similar to consumers being informed about calories and recommended daily allowances (RDAs) in food products.

The charity says that with regular alcohol consumption being linked to 47 different conditions or illnesses it is in the public interest that the government introduces mandatory labels which display, unit information, sensible drinking levels and health warnings.

Alcohol Concern looked at 10 promoted products in branches of five supermarkets, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose. It tested the packaging and labels of these products against five criteria set out by the Department of Health as the ideal components of an alcohol label: unit information, sensible drinking guidelines, information about drinking whilst pregnant, the Drinkaware website address and the ‘know your limits’ slogan.

Alcohol Concern also looked at supermarket own brand labelled products for comparison. With supermarket own label products almost always being better labelled, it is clear supermarkets 'are aware of good practice in terms of alcohol labelling yet continue to let customers down by promoting products which have poor labels'.

Public health strategist job, Camden PCT (focus on alcohol)

• Post: Public Health Strategist
• Employer: Camden PCT
• Salary: £44,076 - £51,676
• Closing Date: 10/09/2009
• Interview Date: 23/09/2009

Details here

Drinking banning orders come into force

The Government has taken the decision to implement Drinking Banning Orders (DBOs) on application. These orders came into force on 31st August 2009 and will be available to practitioners from this date. The Home Office has published guidance on DBOs on application.

Drinking Banning Orders are modelled on Anti-Social Behaviour Orders. The key aspects of DBOs are as follows:

• DBOs are civil orders. A DBO can be made against an individual aged at least 16 if he has engaged in criminal or disorderly conduct while under the influence of alcohol and the court considers that such an order is necessary to protect persons from further conduct by him of that kind.
• A DBO may impose any prohibition on the individual that the court considers necessary to protect others from alcohol related crime or disorderly conduct by him while under the influence of alcohol. The prohibitions must include whatever the court thinks necessary for that purpose with regard to the individual entering premises that sell alcohol.
• They can be made either on application to the courts by the police or local authority, or on conviction of an alcohol related offence. We are currently only implementing DBOs on application. This will mean that the police and local authorities will be able to apply to the magistrates' court (and county court) for the imposition of a DBO on an individual.
• Commencing DBOs on application only, will enable their effectiveness in tackling the problems of alcohol misuse behaviour to be proved before a wider rollout for criminal cases on conviction. It will give the courts a slower lead in time, and allow them to become more familiar with the legislation. We will monitor their effects closely before a decision is made on the commencement of DBOs on conviction.
• DBOs can last for between 2 months and 2 years - more of a "short, sharp shock" than ASBOs, which are designed with a minimum length of 2 years and aimed at covering the whole spectrum of anti-social behaviour. Under certain circumstances a DBO can be varied or discharged and appeals can be made against the making of a DBO. The Act also provides for the making of interim orders.
• Offenders who breach a DBO will be liable to a fine not exceeding level 4 (£2,500). There is no custodial penalty for breach of a DBO.
• The Violent Crime Reduction Act also enables courts to offer a "Positive Behaviour Intervention" course - on a voluntary basis - to the subject of a DBO, as a means to address their alcohol misuse behaviour. These courses focus on educating individuals about the serious social and health impact of heavy alcohol consumption. Successful completion of the course may lead to a reduction in the length of the Order.

Positive Behaviour Intervention course providers at the bottom of this page.

Court Not Caution campaign seeks justice for staff working in licensed premises

National Pubwatch's ‘Court Not Caution’ campaign is a response to what it sees as a continuing trend for assaults on staff working in pubs, bars, shops and other licensed premises to be dealt with by way of Police Caution or Fixed Penalty Ticket.  The campaign press release says:

"We do not know if this trend is driven by local practices or centrally sanctioned; whether it is a result of a performance culture or a need to reduce the burden on the court system. What is clear, however, is that people working in the licensing trade feel that the criminal justice system is not supporting them in their efforts to run their businesses in a socially responsible fashion.

"Quite rightly the Police, Licensing Authorities and the community expect that a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) and their staff should be held responsible for not only the sale of alcohol but also other legislation or regulations relating to the running of their premises. In fact much Police and Trading Standards enforcement activity has taken place over the last few years to hammer home this point. Failure to meet acceptable standards can have a significant impact on a business and the ultimate sanction is that people could lose their livelihood.

"We feel that it is a matter of balance therefore that individuals who, challenge a DPS or their staff’s efforts to run their business responsibly, by acting in violent or intimidating manner should also face significant consequences for their actions."

National Pubwatch are therefore calling for the following: ‘Any assault on a Designated Premises Supervisor or their staff which occurs in the course of exercising their responsibilities over the sale of alcohol or in relation to their responsibilities in relation to other legislation or regulation related to the licensed premises should be treated as an aggravating factor and that it should be in the public interest to prosecute the offender’.

The Court Not Caution has received parliamentary support, with Tory MP and National Pubwatch president Nigel Evans tabling an Early Day Motion — a petition for MPs — calling on the Government 'to ensure that the perpetrators of assaults on licensees are rightly pursued in the courts'.

National Pubwatch has created an E-petition on the Number10 website which runs until 15th January 2010, and there is a Facebook group set up by the Morning Advertiser's news editor John Harrington.

Proposed alcohol guidelines for children and young people supported by consultees

Recent consultation on alcohol guidelines for children and young people have shown significant support for current proposals, the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) has revealed in a recent press release.

The consultation asked how the government can best help young people make informed choices about alcohol consumption, and whether there was support for the Chief Medical Officer's (CMO) proposed guidelines. Consultation responses also showed strong support for advice and information for parents, and that the government did have a role to play in delivering this.

See here for a summary of the consultation responses (pdf)

The consultation formed part of the government's Youth Alcohol Action Plan (YAAP) which set out to ask parents, young people and other stakeholders their views about ‘safer drinking’ guidance.

The DCSF reports that:

'As a result of the consultation, the guidelines set by Sir Liam Donaldson will remain unchanged and will form part of a communications campaign later in the year as well as informing Sir Liam Donaldson’s final guidance document for professionals working with young people in the autumn.

The Government is working with schools, charities, the drinks industry and other agencies to develop a high impact campaign that aims to ensure that when a young person makes a decision to drink alcohol, that they drink less and are aware of the consequences of excessive alcohol consumption.'

Drinkers consuming more by 'stealth' as home drinking rises

The increase in strength of drinks and rise in home consumption have led to drinkers inadvertently drinking more units, research from industry market research specialists Mintel has revealed.

The report highlights that drinkers in the UK now consume 10% more by alcoholic strength than in 2000 as stronger world wines have significantly increased in popularity. Additionally the public smoking ban, tougher action against drink-drivers and the availability of cheaper alcohol in supermarkets has increased the appeal of home drinking as a 'way to relax'.

The research highlights particular concerns about middle-age and middle/higher social class drinkers as the appeal of binge drinking among younger people is falling. Findings from the report show that 55% of middle-aged drinkers consume alcohol more than twice a week, as opposed to 42% of teenagers and young adults. 63% of the professional 'AB' social class groups drink more than twice a week, compared with fewer than 50 per cent of other social class groups.

The senior drink analyst for Mintel, Jonny Forsyth, said:

“The over-45s are drinking more regularly but not thinking they’re in danger...They are drinking four, five, six days a week and it all adds up even though young people binge-drink more."

But the report also highlighted that 42% of survey participants believe binge drinking is part of Britain's culture, while 24% believe there is nothing wrong with drinking to excess.

See reports on the findings from the BBC, Guardian and the Telegraph.