Alcohol Policy UK

Findings research bulletins: SMART Recovery offers alternative to AA

Recent research from the drug and alcohol Bank:

SMART recovery groups offer AA alternative to UK problem drinkers:

'Austerity plus recovery plus curtailed treatment equals more mutual aid is the formula for ways out of dependence in the post-credit crunch 2010s. But with only 12-step groups like AA, the offer is limited. What will it take for a cognitive-behavioural alternative to flourish in England was the question for this pilot project. Part of the answer was more money and more support while staying the right side of the not-too-clear line between support and co-opting what should be a user-led movement.'

SMART Recovery UK is a growing peer-led recovery group open to those aiming for abstinence from drugs or alcohol. A guidance document for setting up SMART Recovery is available, as well as guidance on SMART Recovery within prison and probation services.

Also recently from Findings, improvements in alcohol treatment saved lives in Sweden. Compared to usual treatment, the introduction of a comprehensively serviced female-only alcohol treatment unit in Sweden substantially extended the lives of its patients.

News & updates June 2011 pt 2: Alcopops most promoted drink; late night levy will be capped; young people and binge drinking risks

Pub, licensing and trade news

Supermarkets promote alcopops more than any other drink, reports the Telegraph. A survey found 47 per cent of alcopops had been on offer in the past year, compared to only 20 per cent of red wines and 10 per cent of after-dinner tipples such as port. The Health Secretary recently called on supermarkets to take further action on front of store sales as part of the controversial Responsibilty Deal.

Recent news from the Morning Advertiser (MA) includes a report on tensions between police and licensees in Yorkshire over an alleged “abuse” of power relating to closure orders. The issues are reported to be arising from a Home Office initiative known as the Alcohol Support Visits programme which includes police training and practical demonstrations through visiting licensed venues.

The Government plans a cap on the forthcoming late night levy to prevent councils charging excessively high fees. Peter Coulson proposes a separation of responsibility between alcohol licensing and public entertainment. New posts on the Politics of Drinking blog explore initiatives for pubs as libraries and a comment on the recent 1 million a year alcohol-related hospital admissions stats.

Another Tesco price glitch caused disarray with Security guards called upon to control shoppers after a computer error cuts cost of beers to £4 for 24 bottles. Budweiser has been named as the first US sponsor of the FA Cup in a three-year deal. Trading Standards in Swindon have been cracking down on counterfeit alcohol, including fake bottles of Jacobs Creek wine, reports the BBC. The WSTA is launching a fraud prevention unit to crackdown on fraud in the wine and spirits sectors.  

Other news and reports

Binge drinking damages young people's memory according to new research, the Telegraph reports. In another story, young people 'should avoid alcohol until 24'. See guidance and reports on alcohol and young people here. As alcohol-related hospital admissions rise to record levels, the experts stress it’s ordinary drinkers who may be risking their health, reports The Press and Journal UK.

In Ireland, supermarkets and off-licence sales now account for a third of all alcohol sales, reports the Irish Examiner.

WHO release guide to developing alcohol regulation

The World Health Organization (WHO) have released Government guidance on alcohol regulation:

Addressing the harmful use of alcohol - a guide to developing effective alcohol regulation

The guide is to 'assist government agencies and ministries in developing country-level legislation to implement, monitor and enforce effective alcohol policies'. It provides 'practical advice based on international experience about the implications of legislative options, steps to be taken to implement legislation and best practice on how to enforce legislation and support compliance'. 

Also released by the WHO:

• Global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol
• The Global status report on alcohol and health (2011)
• Handbook for action to reduce alcohol related harm.
• Evidence for the effectiveness and cost–effectiveness of interventions to reduce alcohol-related harm.

Older people advised to drink less than adult guidelines by Royal College of Psychiatrists

A report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists advises people over 65 should not drink more than 1.5 units of alcohol a day - at least half the standard adult daily guidelines. The reduced amount advised for older adults is the equivalent of about half a pint of lager (5%) or a small glass of wine.

See the full RCP report Our Invisible Addicts which states:

"Current recommended ‘safe limits’ for alcohol consumption are based on work in younger adults. Because of physiological and metabolic changes associated with ageing, these ‘safe limits’ are too high for older people; recent evidence suggests that the upper ‘safe limit’ for older people is 1.5 units per day or 11 units per week"

However the advice has caused some hostile reactions. Speaking on a BBC report, Emma Soames of Saga described the advice as "unbelievable", stating "the levels are so ridiculously low that I don't think people will take them seriously". However charities such as Age UK and Alcohol Concern backed calls for greater awareness and work to address alcohol harm amongst older adults. See further coverage from the Guardian blog and Daily Mail.

The report itself provides detailed insights convened from a older persons substance misuse working group. It includes a series of recommendations including further policy recognition and the development on specific drinking guidelines for older adults. Improved treatment and early intervention to address alcohol harm and further research and training are also advised, warning against misconceptions that alcohol problems are associated mainly with younger people.

The RCP have a leaflet outlining the key alcohol issues and risks for older people. An Alcohol Concern Wales briefing paper was released earlier this year and a series of presentations from an alcohol and older people event are available here.

Young people, alcohol and influences: JRF report emphasises parental influence

A new study into young people, alcohol and influences has been published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). The report explores the key influences on young people's drinking patterns and experiences of drunkenness. 

A JRF press release states that "family and friends have a strong influence on teenagers’ drinking patterns, and are stronger influences than some other factors – such as individual well-being, celebrity figures and the media." The report shows that the odds of a teenager repeatedly getting drunk are twice as likely if they have seen their parents drunk.

Key findings include:

• The most common age for a first drink was 12 to 13; usually when with an adult and celebrating a special occasion.

• 70% of Year 9 students and 89% of Year 11 students have had an alcoholic drink. Regular drinking is significantly lower amongst Year 9 than Year 11 students.

• Year 9 students are most likely to have been drinking alcopops, beer or lager. By Year 11, students are most likely to drink beer, lager, spirits or liqueurs. In both year groups, those drinking beer and lager are consuming much larger quantities of these drinks than any other type of drink.

A comment in the Guardian suggested the findings show that parents must accept greater responsibilty for the influences of their own drinking, the author reflecting she may have "role-modelled alcohol as a coping strategy from my daughter's earliest times." See reports from the BBC and the Mirror.

Drinkaware, the industry funded alcohol awareness organisation, has a web-page for parents. See here for a recent LMJU study on parent's perceptions of their children's drinking and other links, including the CMO guidance.

Inebria bulletin 6: Brief interventions terminology explored, pharmacy settings and Boston conference

The Inebria Bulletin nº6 has been released by the International Network on Brief Interventions for Alcohol Problems (INEBRIA). 

It includes information on the next Conference in Boston, which will take place on the 22-23^rd of September 2011, conclusions from a debate about appropriate EIBI terminology, a digest from 2010 conference on evidence and experience of delivering brief interventions in the pharmacy setting and further announcements. Past bulletins are also available on the Inebria website.

Resources for brief interventions, also known as 'Identification & Brief Advice' (IBA) in England, are available from the Alcohol Learning Centre.

Diageo funding for midwife training sparks controversy

Drinks giant Diageo is to fund alcohol training for 10,000 midwives as part of the Government's controversial Responsibility Deal. The training programme will be run by the National Organisation for Foetal Alcohol Syndrome UK (Nofas-UK) to encourage midwives to highlight the risks of drinking during pregnancy.

But the news made the headlines amidst criticism that the alcohol industry be funding such initiatives, with reports from the BBC, Guardian, Independent and The Daily Mail.

Don Shenker, Chief Executive of Alcohol Concern, said: "It is deeply worrying that alcohol education is being paid for by the drinks industry, as it is then unaccountable and not necessarily based on evidence or public health guidance." Professor Ian Gilmore said, "To really make a difference, education and information must be backed-up by tougher action on the price, availability and marketing of alcohol."

Simon Litherland, managing director of Diageo Great Britain insisted they were "passionate" about the issue, stating: "Educating midwives and mothers about the issues that can arise when drinking alcohol when pregnant or trying to conceive is hugely important as it will potentially save many babies from being born with foetal alcohol syndrome."

Anne Milton, Public Health minister, also backed the move: "Midwives are one of the most trusted sources of information and advice for pregnant women. This pledge is a great example of how business can work with NHS staff to provide women with valuable information."

See here for guidance on drinking during pregnancy and here for exploration of the evidence for light drinking during pregnancy.

Northern Ireland consultation on minimum pricing

A consultation on minimum pricing and other options for Northern Ireland is currently open. 

Northern Ireland's Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety are seeking views on setting a minimum price per unit of alcohol. A press release and BBC report announced the move earlier this year.

The survey "forms part of the stakeholder consultation process on minimum pricing of alcohol in Northern Ireland and provides an opportunity for comment on plans to crack down on the availability of cheap alcohol." It also includes questions on:

• banning 'below-cost' selling of alcohol
• banning sale of alcohol below level of Duty and VAT
• increasing taxation to address the harms of problem drinking
• considerations in relation to introducing a social responsibility levy

Views are sought from everyone including consumers of alcohol, trade associations, criminal justice workers or those who run or work in pubs, clubs, supermarkets or other outlets selling alcohol.

The submission period closes on 26 June 2011.

Report: Contributions of Alcohol Use to Teenage Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infection Rates

A report from the Centre for Public Health found expected higher alcohol related hosptial admissions amongst areas with higher teenage pregancy and STI rates:

Contributions of Alcohol Use to Teenage Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infection Rates [pdf]

However the report also finds some variations, suggesting further research and monitoring. Findings and recommendations include:

• The relationship between alcohol misuse and poor sexual health outcomes means there is an urgent need for the integration of health services for young people. It should be routine for professionals to address sexual health and alcohol issues simultaneously.
• Campaigns/services that aim to address teenage conception should include alcohol consumption in young men as well as young women, since alcohol misuse in both sexes independently predicts teenage pregnancy and sexual infections
• Attention needs to be paid to local factors that may play a role in enhancing risk of conception among groups of young people

Hidden harm? Alcohol and older people in Wales

Alcohol Concern Cymru have released a briefing paper on alcohol and older people:

Hidden harm? Alcohol and older people in Wales [pdf]

An Alcohol Concern page states:

'To make sure older people in Wales receive the support they need to enjoy alcohol healthily, Alcohol Concern is recommending that professionals working with older people need to be aware of alcohol misuse; better joint working is needed between local older people's services and alcohol treatment services; and research is needed into whether current unit guidance and screening methods for alcohol misuse are relevant to older people.'

A respected paper on the subject by Dr Karim Dar is available here - Alcohol use disorders in elderly people: fact or fiction?. Last year an alcohol and older adults regional event was held in the South West of England - see the presentations here. A leaflet on the subject has also been produced by the Royal College of Psychiatrists - content here.