Alcohol Policy UK

Taxation and pricing in the news: Alcohol Concern call for tax rise to help reduce harm

Alcohol pricing and taxation policy has been hitting headlines in the build up to Government consultations for tax (closing today) and Licensing (8th September). So here's a bit of a round up on what's been going on:

Alcohol Concern has said tax on alcohol should rise by 10% to reduce deaths, fund treatment and discourage the production of extra strong beer - see Telegraph report or Alcohol Concern press release. Chief Executive Don Shenker said:

“The current alcohol duty regime actually encourages irresponsible drinking, with strong ciders being taxed at a quarter of the equivalent rate for beer. Higher and more consistent alcohol taxes for stronger products would deter producers and consumers who would switch to lower strength beers, ciders and wines. The additional revenue raised is urgently needed to support dependent drinkers who are now growing in number. However, to ensure the full duty rate is reflected in the price, retailers would have to abide by a minimum price too.”

Super-strength beer and white cider under fire

An Observer feature focusing on the damage done by super strength lagers and white ciders claims 'Super-strength alcohol is killing more homeless people than crack or heroin'.

The feature comes as a leading homeless charity continue to warn against the damage caused by such drinks. It follows an article by Thames Reach Chief Executive Jeremy Swain in the current Big Issue in which he writes:

"The rise of the super-strength drinks is a relatively recent phenomenon. When I was a street outreach worker in the 1980s, they were virtually unknown..."

"Of course, alcoholism among the homeless is hardly new. But what is different is the speed of the deterioration caused by the super-strength drinks. Consuming them is akin to pushing the fast forward on your life."

Thames Reach are calling for the government to act by introducing a minimum price for alcohol. A spokesperson noted the danger of drinks such as White Ace cider which is ‘cheaper than lemonade’, and congratulated the drinks company Heineken for withdrawing White Lightening cider from sale. The brand had reportedly been nick-named 'white frightening' for its claimed tendency to induce paranoia. 

The Observer feature also explores how white cider is made, usually with "dry apple pulp left behind when the juice has been pressed out of it and this is usually fed to animals or used for making pectin" a cider expert wrote. "Other large manufacturers use apple concentrate from abroad and get most of the alcohol from the addition of glucose or corn syrup."

See our report last year on What awaits the white cider market as White lightning de-listed and tax rises loom?

Internet-based alcohol advice helps risky drinkers cut back

From the Findings drug and alcohol research database:

Internet-based alcohol advice helps risky drinkers cut back

'With other similar work, this Canadian study suggests that internet-based programs which offer feedback to risky drinkers on their consumption relative to the general population and on the risks they may be running can lead to drinking reductions of the same order as face-to-face advice.'

The website www.downyourdrink.org.uk is a British self-help online resource. A number of other internet based screening/self-help tools are also available including:

• NHS Alcohol effects: www.drinking.nhs.uk
• NHS choices alcohol page and self-assessment tool (AUDIT)
• Drinkaware unit counter and drinks diary

Guardian Focus podcast: The future of the British pub

Is there a future for the traditional British pub? Martin Wainwright investigates in:

Guardian Focus podcast: The future of the British pub 

'Dozens of pubs in Britain are going out of business every month. Squeezed by changing social habits, a crippling recession and fierce competition from supermarkets, some have questioned whether the British pub as we know it could soon be a thing of the past.

Martin Wainwright hears from brewers, publicans, landlords and patrons to hear what people want and expect from their pubs and what the future might hold.'

News and updates Aug 2010 pt.2: Taxation review; Middlesbrough minimum pricing; mandatory code 2nd phase due

Taxation and pricing - last few days to submit proposals or evidence to the Treasury as part of the current review. Submissions must be made before 31st August 2010.

Trade leaders were reportedly 'positive' after a recent consultation workshop as part of the taxation review - Morning Advertiser (MA). A BBPA spokesperson said 'we put the case strongly for beer and the need to re-balance the duty system towards lower strength products.' However a spokesperson from the ALMR warned that targeting problem drinkers through taxation was not straightforward. Workshops have also been held with health groups, breweries and retailers.

Meanwhile Middlesbrough has become the latest area to look at a local minimum pricing approach, the MA reports. the area is seeking to include a condition in its new licensing policy that premises should not sell below 50 pence per unit. The draft policy, which still needs approval, says 'where premises are found to be selling alcohol below this price, a review of the premises licence will be sought, if relevant representations are made.' Other local minimum pricing approaches have been sought in Manchester, Oldham and Portsmouth.

A Guardian letter has proposed a 'tin tax' as an alternative way to address binge drinking whilst also reducing the environmental impact of rubbish, packaging and containers.

The MA has also highlighted the second part of the mandatory code will come into effect on the 1st October after suggestions it would be reversed, though the Coalition may still later rescind it to make way for its licensing reform - also under consultation.

The Department for Transport has claimed there has been no decision yet made on whether a possible reduction in the drink drive limit will be scrapped, reports the Publican. There was recent speculation that the possible reduction had been ruled out. Earlier this year a Government commissioned report [pdf] called for the drink-drive limit to be reduced from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg.

AERC Alcohol Academy survey: 1st year review

The AERC Alcohol Academy is reviewing its first year and seeking feedback and suggestions for its future scope.

If you work in the alcohol harm reduction field in the UK and are familiar with the Academy, please complete the short online survey.

The survey should not take much longer than 5 minutes to complete and you can register to win an Amazon gift voucher. The survey closes on the 2nd September. 

The Academy's aim is to promote excellence in local alcohol harm reduction by working with and supporting local alcohol leads and strategy coordinators. It 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 leads (including seminars, networking and briefings), the Academy also provides training and helps keep Alcohol Policy UK up to date.

AERC Alcohol Insight 72 - Social norms in university students: effective interventions for change?

Alcohol Insight 72 has been released by the Alcohol Educations and Research Council (AERC): 

'Alcohol related social norm perceptions in university students: a review of effective interventions for change' 

The Insight highlights that:

'...students overestimate both the alcohol use and approval of drinking of others, thus producing elevated norms, which make excessive alcohol consumption seem common and acceptable. The approach suggests that changing these mis-perceptions through normative feedback should lead individual students to reduce their personal levels of drinking and social normative approaches have been increasingly applied to interventions to attempt to change undergraduate drinking behaviour.'

Read the findigns in the Insight summary or full report [pdf].

Search the AERC library or view previous Alcohol Insights.

Alcohol events and conferences: NDSAG and more

NDSAG Conference 2011

The New Directions in the Study of Alcohol Group 2011 conference takes place on Thursday 14th – Sunday 17th April in Lancaster. NDSAG are issuing an open invitation to submit to the New Directions Journal and win a bursary to the conference. For more see the NDSAG website and blog.

Other events & dates

The 7th INEBRIA (International Network on Brief Interventions for Alcohol Problems) conference will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden the 9th an the 10th of September 2010. In the conference website you’ll find updated information on conference.

Don't forget Alcohol Awareness week takes place from Monday 18 October to Sunday 24 October in England and Wales, and during the week beginning 4 October in Scotland.

Alcohol Concern's annual conference is taking place on 2nd November, London, details here. Pavillion's 'Aiming high for drug and alcohol treatment' takes place on 13th October in London - details here.

Check the Alcohol Learning Centre events page for more events.

2010 Drug strategy consultation: a 'joint approach' for alcohol?

The Home Office has opened consultation on the new drugs strategy to be published later this year. Though focused on illegal drugs, the consultation asks for views in respect of alcohol, especially where a 'joint approach is appropriate, particularly around prevention, treatment and recovery'. Questions are asked around four key themes:

• Department for Education: preventing drug (and alcohol) use
• Home Office and Ministry of Justice: strengthening enforcement, criminal justice and legal framework
• Department of Health: rebalancing treatment to support drug-free outcomes
• Department for Work and Pensions: supporting recovery to break the cycle of drug addiction

The document states "The overall focus and scope of the strategy will be all illegal drugs. However, for those activities where a joint drugs and alcohol approach is appropriate, this is recognised, particularly in the areas of prevention, treatment and recovery."

Further alcohol policy is expected to be outlined within the forthcoming Public Health White Paper, due this autumn. Current consultation is also underway on alcohol taxation and pricing and the licensing regime.

You can respond to the drugs strategy consultation by filling in the online form. You can also read the full consultation document and respond via email or post.

Closing date: 30 Sep 2010

NHS commissioning reform: consultation on proposals

The Government’s White Paper, 'Equality and excellence: liberating the NHS' set out proposals for putting local consortia of GP practices in charge of commissioning services, accountable to an independent NHS Commissioning Board.

The Department of Health has launched a consultation and engagement process on how it should implement these proposals. The document ‘Liberating the NHS: commissioning for patients’ [pdf] provides more detail on proposed arrangements and seeks views on a on a number of areas including:

• How GP consortia and the NHS Commissioning Board can best involve patients in improving the quality of health services
• How GP consortia can work closely with secondary care, community partners and other health and care professionals to design joined-up services that are responsive to patients and the public
• How the NHS Commissioning Board and GP consortia can best work together to make effective and efficient commissioning decisions
• How the NHS Commissioning Board can best support consortia and ensure they achieve improvements in outcomes within NHS resources

The commissioning reforms have significant implications for the future of alcohol treatment and prevention services. A Powerpoint summary is also available: Liberating the NHS: Commissioning for patients - [PPT]

The consultation closes on 11 October 2010.