Alcohol Policy UK

Licensing act reform consultation launched

The Home Office have opened consultation on government plans to overhaul the current licensing regime, following the Home Secretary's announcement earlier this week:

'Rebalancing the Licensing Act - a consultation on empowering individuals, families and local communities to shape and determine local licensing' [pdf]

The consultation page highlights the main commitments identified in reforming the Licensing Act, but stresses '... we're interested in what you think the implications of implementing the proposals will be, rather than your views on the commitments themselves:

AERC and NTA to change under Government review

The Alcohol Education Research Council (AERC) and National Treatment Agency (NTA) will no longer be arms length bodies following a Department of Health (DoH) review. The NTA will be abolished as a statutory organisation, and its functions will be transferred to the new Public Health Service, which was announced by the Secretary of State for Health on 7 July 2010. Ten other arms length bodies will be abolished, merged or have functions changed, with six likely to retain independent status. DoH press release here.

Licensing reform and Asda 'below cost ban': news and updates July 2010 pt.2

Following recent confirmation of plans to overhaul the Licensing Act in the Structural Reform Plan, a series of workshops will take place to seek views on forthcoming policy proposals.

Scotland progressing on brief interventions

A report indicates over 82,564 brief interventions [IBA] have been carried out in Scotland since 2008-09, with a target set by the Scottish Government of 149,449 to be completed by the end of 2010-11.

Latest HubCAPP projects: July 2010

The Hub of Commissioned Alcohol Projects and Policies (HubCAPP) is an online resource of local alcohol initiatives throughout England. The latest projects to be added include:

Lambeth | Pharmacy-based Identification and Brief Advice (IBA) Project

Alcohol Concern 2010 Annual Conference: 'Generation alcohol: is drinking damaging childhood?'

Alcohol Concern's 2010 conference 'Generation alcohol: is drinking damaging childhood?' will take place in London on Tuesday 02 November 2010.

Ethnicity and alcohol: a review of the UK literature and BME workshop presentations

JRF ethnicity and alcohol review

A literature review of evidence on drinking patterns among minority ethnic groups in the UK over the last 15 years and on service provision for this group has been produced by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. See the the report and summary page here.

Alcohol policy news and updates: legislation; licensing and 'pub is hub'

Future alcohol policy approaches were hotly debated at last week's Westminster Food & Nutrition Forum seminar, the Morning Advertiser (MA) reports. The event was attended by a range of high profile policy representatives including the new Minister for Public Health, Anne Milton.

Alcohol Awareness week England: 18th - 24th October 2010

This year's Alcohol Awareness Week will take place from Monday 18 to Sunday 24 October 2010 in England. Alcohol Concern are leading on the campaign and will provide further details in the coming months.

British Crime Survey 09/10

Findings from the British Crime Survey have been released in Crime in England and Wales 2009/10 [pdf]. In respect of drug and alcohol-related crime it reports:

'According to the 2009/10 BCS, victims believed the offender(s) to be under the influence of alcohol in half (50%) of all violent incidents, similar to the level in the 2008/09 survey.