Alcohol Policy UK

Board members sought for AERC Alcohol Academy

The AERC Alcohol Academy is looking for non-executive directors to sit on its board of governors. Directors will be expected to bring specific skills and experience to contribute to the strategic direction and management of the organisation.

The Academy's aim is to promote excellence in local alcohol harm reduction through working with and supporting local alcohol coordinators and strategic leads. The Academy is committed to evidence-based practice and is keen to develop work on key issues and challenges facing local alcohol strategy. Alongside its work with local alcohol coordinators (including seminars, networking and briefings), the Academy also provides a range of specialised alcohol training.

The Academy was set up with a 15 month grant from the Alcohol Education Research Council (AERC) and is now generating revenue through its training and development work. The Academy aims to be sustainable through this income and as a social enterprise profits are re-invested into achieving its aims.

See here for the person specification for the position of Academy non-executive director.

Prospective directors are asked to register their interest by the end of April 2010. For an informal discussion please get in touch.

See here for more information on the role of non-exec directors.

Alcohol Related Disease: Meeting the Challenge of Improved Quality of care and Better Use of Resources

A joint paper produced by key health organisations has called for further action on improving care and treatment of those with alcohol-related problems.

'Alcohol Related Disease: Meeting the Challenge of Improved Quality of care and Better Use of Resources' has been jointly produced by the:

The report makes 11 key recommendations for a typical British District General Hospital and says many of these 'can be implemented by intelligent re-organisation and coordination of existing alcohol services, while some require investment in people.'

The principal recommendation of the report is for a 'multidisciplinary “Alcohol Care Team” in each District Hospital, led by a Consultant, with dedicated sessions, who will also collaborate with Public Health, Primary Care Trusts, patient groups and key stakeholders, to develop and implement a district alcohol strategy.'

Download a pdf summary report or the full word document.

Budget: 10% cider duty rise sparks debate

The Chancellor has announced in the 2010 budget that duty on cider would increase by 10%. It was said the rise was to address 'a long-standing anomaly which has meant cider has been under-taxed in comparison to other alcoholic drinks.' It was also announced that the definition of cider will be changed in September 'to ensure specific strong ciders are taxed more appropriately'.

However the duty rise has prompted debate with particular dissatisfaction reported amongst the real cider industry. Cider has a lower tax rate largely to account for higher production costs for 'craft' or 'traditional' ciders, but the tax break has been enjoyed by larger brands ranging from Magners to 'super-strength' versions such as White Lightening. The 'supers' have been strongly linked to harmful drinking as they are some of the cheapest available alcohol by volume drinks, seeming to have little to do with apples (see here for past story on 'super' ciders).

Reaction to the duty rise from traditional cider makers, particularly in the West Country has been fierce as the reported cider row continues. Social networking site protest groups and an online petition to Downing street have been set up. David Cameron responded by highlighting the discrepancy between genuine cider and the super strengths. Speaking in Devon Cameron said:

"Taxing all cider so heavily is wrong...We need to address problem drinks with a dangerously high strength, like White Lightning, which have as much relation to an apple as I do with Gandhi."

However 400 smaller cider makers, producing less than 70 hectolitres, will not be affected due to a 'small cider makers exemption'. Others have backed the rise, such as this letter to the Guardian highlighting the duty on a strong still cider will still be  less than a regular strength beer (duty rates are cider up to 7.5% abv £31.83 and a 4% beer £65.88 per hectolitre) - others even said it has not gone far enough. 

Cider giant Magners have stated they will absorb the rise in duty. Last year White Lightening producers Heineken reportedly planned to de-list White Lightening to 'reinforce its stance on responsible drinking'.

The government also announced the continuend rise of 2% above inflation on duty for other alcoholic drinks as part of 4 year plan.

Alcohol and pricing: channel 4 news reports

Channel 4 news last week produced a feature report exploring alcohol-related harm and current national policy. The feature Boozing Britain: calling time on cheap alcohol questioned whether the government policy not to back minimum pricing was right after firm calls from the Health Select Committee.

The select committee had released its alcohol inquiry report earlier this year, but the government response last week said it would not yet impose advertising controls or adopt minimum pricing, but emphasised a range of other measures were being taken to address alcohol harm. Public Health Minister Gillian Merron told Channel 4 news that they hadn't ruled minimum pricing out and that further understanding of its impact was needed.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) are expected to come out backing minimum pricing after the approaching general election. The Conservatives have however vowed to increase taxes on 'super strengths' and ban supermarkets from loss-leading. Meanwhile the Scottish National Party (SNP) are still pushing for minimum pricing against what has been described by some as opposition based on political point scoring.

Scottish Youth Commission on Alcohol report

The Scottish Youth Commission on Alcohol have released findings from the a 12 month research project carried out by 18 commissioners aged between 14 - 21 years old. The Commissioners researched evidence into Scotland's relationship with alcohol to come up with their final recommendations. For further information see here on www.youngscot.net.

			Youth Commission on Alcohol - Evidence Document

			Youth Commission on Alcohol - Recommendations

Government publish response to Health Select Committee alcohol report

The government response to the Health Select Committee's alcohol report has been released, drawing media attention for rejecting calls to crack down on alcohol advertising.

Alcohol Concern labelled the Government's response as 'too complacent', Chief Executive Don Shenker stating:

“Whilst change cannot happen overnight – it certainly won’t happen if the government does nothing. Action on pricing, advertising and irresponsible promotions are the first step to reversing a drinking culture which has bought us to a point where average levels of teenage drinking is the equivalent of twelve and a half shots of vodka a week. The drinks industry will be delighted that Government are not planning any further action to independently monitor or regulate their practice"

The report individually responds to each of the Health Select Committee's recommendations. Whilst it agrees with many, it also rejects others and outlines ongoing work on the various issues. In respect of minimum pricing, a hot political topic over recent years, the government response states:

"Following publication of the Sheffield review, the Government committed
to taking forward further work to develop the evidence base on cheap alcohol.
The Home Office is now taking that work forward, with a view to developing a
better understanding of the wider implications that any action on price might
have on the economy, on levels of crime and disorder and on the public. We
anticipate that the research reports will be completed by the end of March 2010. The findings will then help to inform the Government’s next steps."

Last week MPs debated the Health Select Committe's report, with a response from the health Minister of State Gillian Merrion.

Consultation is currently open on whether the government should take further action on the industry to ensure labelling of alcoholic drinks.

HubCAPP awards winners announced

Winners of the first Hub of Commissioned Alcohol Projects and Policies (HubCAPP) awards have been announced.  The Alcohol Health Work project St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington  is the winner of the ‘HubCAPP Project of the Year’ 2009 award - read more here. ‘Stoke-on-Trent’s Commissioning capacity in alcohol treatment’ is the winner of the ‘HubCAPP Most Useful Project of the Year’ 2009 award. Read more here.

The Hub of Commissioned Alcohol Projects and Policies (HubCAPP) is an online resource of local alcohol initiatives throughout England. The Hub has a particular focus on capturing the policies, decisions and strategic history that enabled projects to come into existence. The HubCAPP Awards were launched in November 2009 and asked members of the public and professionals in the field to vote on a range of projects.

Alcohol Social Marketing For England: Further tools, support and guidance released

 

The Department of Health this week launched a range of materials, tools and guidance to support the development and delivery of alcohol interventions and social marketing for England. Download the 'Alcohol Social Marketing For England. Further tools, support and guidance' toolkit or access it and other resources from the Alcohol Learning centre Social Marketing page.

A particular programme of work has developed a 'market segmentation tool' to assist PCTs and commissioners understand, identify and target particular groups:

"...audience segmentation is an essential part of social marketing. Our campaign activity aims to target increasing and higher risk drinkers but in many areas, this could be a substantial proportion of the local population. There is no 'one size fits all' approach that will reach all of them.

The segmentation tool has been designed to help you identify your priority audiences by defining different segments and providing information about what they are like. You can search the data by PCT, segment and postcode, to find all postcodes in your PCT where priority segments are located. Use this to target each segment with the most cost-effective and appropriate communications which will greatly increase your chance of changing their behaviour."

New materials are also now available to order and download as part of the new Alcohol Effects campaign. Members of the public can also order a free alcohol information pack.

Campaigns updates as new materials released

The current NHS alcohol campaign 'Drinking causes damage you can't see' is backed by the release of a range of new materials. The materials will soon be available to order or can be downloaded as PDFs, including the key 'Your drinking and you' booklet (pdf).

The campaign, which includes two TV ads, builds on the previous units campaign and aims to raise awareness of the hidden health harm that can be caused by regularly drinking too much. Members of the public can also order a free alcohol information pack.

A recent survey conducted as part of the campaign suggests that more than one in five people who had ended up drinking more than they planned blamed peer pressure. However few said they pressurised friends; only 2% admitted pushing others to drink and only 1% said they thought less of people who drank less or refused a drink. Yet 39% of drinkers felt the need to make up an excuse or lie to justify refusing a drink.

The industry funded Drinkaware trust recently announced funding for a sports alcohol education project called 'side-stepping alcohol misuse'. The £100k project will deliver sports-based alcohol education to young people aged 13 to 19 as part of the Drinkaware grants programme.

Consultation is currently open on whether the government should take further measures to ensure better labelling of alcoholic drinks after poor adherence to the voluntary code was revealed.

For further campaigns resources see the Department of Health's alcohol Social Marketing page or further materials available to download here.

North East Alcohol Academy workshops - Alcohol and Older People and Cocaethylene

The first AERC Alcohol Academy workshops in the North East took place last month, covering key topics for the region of alcohol and older people and cocaethylene (combined cocaine and alcohol use). The Academy ran the workshops for alcohol leads and practitioners in partnership with Balance, the North East's regional alcohol office. 

Workshop 1: Alcohol and Older People presentations

• 'Alcohol and Older People: context, issues and the future?' James Morris, Alcohol Academy download here (pdf)
  
• 'Alcohol risk and harm in later life: A research study in collaboration with Age Concern South of Tyne and Wear' Dr Katie Lock, Newcastle University  download here (pdf)
• 'The White House Project' A pilot project for older people with alcohol needs, Mandy English, Debbie Peebles and Mark Stephenson download here (pdf)
  

Workshop 2: Cocaethylene presentations

• 'Cocaethylene: from pope to practioner' Chris Paling, Swanswell download here (pdf)
• 'Cocaine and the heart' Dr Stephen Murray, The Freeman Hospital download here (pdf)
• 'Cocaethylene: impact on the night time economy' Sergeant Tim Robson download here (pdf)

The Academy will shortly be releasing briefing papers on both topics and there are places available on the April cocaethylene training course for practitioners. Please contact [email protected] for further information.