Alcohol Policy UK

Cocaethylene YouTube video and resources

As part of a series of drug awareness clips, Oxfordshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) have released a YouTube clip to raise awareness of cocaethylene, a unique compound produced when mixing alcohol and cocaine. Earlier this year the AERC Alcohol Academy produced a Cocaethyene briefing paper [pdf].

Other information resources include the www.drinkingwithcharlie.co.uk website and Nottingham's 'heart and soul' campaign. For further drugs information see www.talktofrank.com or visit www.drinking.nhs.uk for alcohol advice and information. The OASIS website offers a 'self-help' approach for alcohol and cocaine users.

Call for papers - the economic efficiency of alcohol policy

The international peer-reviewed journal Applied Health Economics and Health Policy invites the submission of original manuscripts on the health economic implications of various alcohol policies, to be featured in a special issue on the economic efficiency of alcohol policy in 2011.

Manuscripts may be either methodological or applied pieces that range from assessments of the efficiency of current global alcohol policy to demonstrations of how economics may improve the situation.

Deadline for submissions is 31st March 2011. See here for further details on how to submit a manuscript.

Applications for alcohol policy research posts at the University of Sheffield close this week.

More than one third of young adults 'drink to get drunk' say Drinkaware

More than one in three young adults (36%) go out drinking with the intention of getting drunk, according to research by Drinkaware, the industry funded responsible drinking charity.

The findings are part of Drinkaware’s ‘Why Let Good Times Go Bad?’ campaign. The five-year £100 million campaign aims to 'challenge the attitudes and social acceptability of drunkenness among young UK adults, encouraging them to adopt tips for smarter drinking and to change their behaviour'.

Alcohol consumption declined 6% in 2009 BBPA reports

Figures from the the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) indicate the sharpest year-on-year decline since 1948, with a fourth fall in the last five years. In its annual statistical handbook, the BBPA reports a 6% decline in total alcohol consumption in 2009 and a 13% reduction since 2004. The role of the recession, alcohol interventions or other factors is uncertain.

Speaking to the BBC, Dr Stuart Flanagan remarked that although the figures were encouraging, they had to be seen in context of a longer term rise.

"Although we've seen a decrease year on year in the last few years, we've reached our sort of peak of alcohol consumption in 2004, so these are really baby steps in terms of how much alcohol reduction we're seeing across the board."

The figures came the same week as updated alcohol-related hospital admissions figures showed a 65% rise over the recent 5 year period. See here for Local Alcohol Profiles for England (LAPE).

For further information on alcohol trends and analysis see the following:

• Joesph Roundtree Foundation report 'Drinking in the UK: an exploration of trends'.
• Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) 'Alcohol - Drinking in Great Britain'
• Mark Easton's report 'The myths of boozed up Britain'
• The Alcohol Health and Research Unit's 'Future Proof' 2009 report

Alcohol Awareness week: 18th October 2010 - alcohol and childhood

England's alcohol awareness week runs from 18-24 October and addresses the theme of alcohol and childhood. Scotland's will run from the 4th October (see here).

A stakeholder information document has been made available to support action across England and Wales. According to Alcohol Concern, who are leading the campaign:

The theme for this year's Alcohol Awareness Week (AAW) 2010 is 'Alcohol and Childhood' which encompasses both the issue of alcohol use by young people, and the impact on children of parental drinking. The week provides an opportunity to raise awareness of all alcohol misuse issues and to highlight current public policy as well as the work of alcohol treatment service-providers across England and Wales.

The campaign calls for a number of actions to support the week including to support minimising harms, reducing risk and reducing marketing - see here for further details. 

Alcohol materials and resources can be found here and for general information and support visit www.drinking.nhs.uk. Further information can be found from Drinkaware.

45p minimum price sought for Scotland

The Scottish National Party (SNP) today announced they wish to see a 45 pence per unit minimum price made law as part of the forthcoming Alcohol Bill. Although opposition parties have supported the wider principles of the Bill, they have opposed minimum pricing and suggested other approaches.

Stage 2 of the Alcohol Bill is due later this month; likely to be the last chance for the SNP's minimum pricing plan. The Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon, backed by health groups, has previously called on opposition parties to 'rise above party politics' and accept minimum pricing as the most effective approach, even offering a 'sunset clause'. Sturgeon today announced the potential impacts of a 45 pence minimum price, including £83 million reduction in health care costs over the 10 year period. The Health Secretary also rejected claims that the measure would unfairly hit the poorest or punish responsible drinkers.

Earlier this week the Scottish Labour party called for a 'floor price' as an alternative, similar to the Coalition's proposals to ban below cost sales. But Sturgeon insisted such alternatives would not make an impact. She also suggested Westminster's below cost plans had been delayed because they 'not been able to come up with a fair definition of cost'. She also dismissed tax increases as a single alternative, suggesting cider duty would need to be increased by 200% to bring it in line with the proposed minimum price. Announcing the long-awaited figure, Sturgeon said:

'I believe it's crucial that we reintroduce realistic alcohol pricing. It cannot be right that a man can exceed his weekly recommended alcohol limit for less than £3.50.

Our proposals have already won backing from respected health professionals at home and abroad and I hope, for the sake of our nation's health, they will also win the backing of the Scottish Parliament.'

In a Morning Advertiser report, Wine and Spirit Trade Association spokesman Gavin Partington said:

'Setting a minimum price at 45p doesn't alter the fact that minimum pricing is wrong in principle. It won't tackle alcohol misuse but will punish families on low incomes and pensioners.

Surely Ministers cannot believe that making a hazardous drinker pay an extra £1.08 per week is going to solve the problem.'

A BBC page has a full list of responses to the proposals. The SNP have a minimum pricing page and the University of Sheffield have previously modelled the potential impact of minimum pricing. Alcohol Focus Scotland is the national charity seeking to reduce alcohol harm for Scotland.

Local Alcohol Profiles for England (LAPE 2010)

Updated Local Alcohol Profiles for England (LAPE 2010) were released today by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO). The profiles contain alcohol-related indicators for every local authority and primary care trust in England.

See the key findings here on the Alcohol Learning Centre. 

This year, key indicators in health care, criminal justice, benefits claimants, drinking patterns and life lost due to alcohol have been used in combination to identify and map those areas experiencing different overall levels of alcohol-related harms.

An Alcohol Concern press release highlighted a 65% increase in hospital admissions over five years.

East of England regional alcohol event 2010 presentations

As highlighted in the recent East of England 4th regional alcohol newsletter, presentations from the EOE Annual Conference on the 19 May 2010 have been published on the Alcohol Learning Centre including:

• Community Alcohol Partnerships - A new way of tackling under age drinking
• Alcohol Treatment Pathways - local routes Feb 2010
• Information Sharing from Emergency Departments to Prevent Alcohol Related Assaults
• Reducing Alcohol Harm and Violence: Sharing ED Data
• Strengthening partnerships to improve alcohol services
• Sexual Health in Essex -Teenage Pregnancy and Alcohol
• Implementing a response to Families with multiple problems
• West Suffolk Hospital Alcohol Project
• Licensing Tools
• Improving Health, Supporting Justice in the East of England
• Tacking Alcohol Related Violence in Suffolk

Substitution and Complementarity in the Face of Alcohol-Specific Policy Interventions

A paper published in the latest Alcohol and Alcoholism journal explores the implications of alcohol reduction policies within the broader context of substance misuse.

'Substitution and Complementarity in the Face of Alcohol-Specific Policy Interventions' has been written by Dr Simon Moore of the Violence and Society Research Group and is listed for debate.

Abstract:

Aim: Policy responses to the growing burden of alcohol-related disease fail to consider the interrelated nature of substance misuse and the potential for complex interactions in response to alcohol-specific interventions. This paper considers possible aggregate level responses to the alcohol policy and whether alcohol policy can be expected to reduce overall harm.