Alcohol Policy UK

Latest Findings alcohol treatment research: opioid supplements; Scottish treatment exits; quality of life measures; blood dependency indicator

Recent research bulletins from the drug and alcohol Bank:

Opioid antagonists useful supplement in alcohol treatment Comprehensive synthesis of results from 50 trials finds that the opiate-blocking drug naltrexone does on average help more detoxified alcohol dependent patients avoid relapse, but effects are generally small and inconsistent. Useful, but not a magic bullet is the verdict.

Over half Scottish alcohol treatment exits were drop-outs In the mid-2000s over 50% of terminated alcohol treatment episodes in Scotland ended with the client or patient dropping out. Considerable variation between regions suggests there was room for improvement and with it improvement in the cost effectiveness of treatment.

Use quality of life yardstick to assess alcohol treatment If alcohol treatment is to compete for scarce healthcare resources, studies must adopt the same yardsticks of success as other healthcare interventions, contends this team of UK-based health economists; prime amongst these are quality of life measures.

Blood chemicals reveal who is dependent and who has managed to stop drinking Slovenian study identifies which chemicals in the blood best identify dependent drinkers in the sense of not missing those who are dependent, confirming when they have stopped drinking, and not falsely identifying non-dependent people as dependent.

Managing the Night Time Economy: LDAPF & GLA 2011 event presentations

A Managing the Night Time Economy event was held last month, hosted by the London Drug and Alcohol Policy Forum (LDAPF) and Greater London Authority (GLA). 

Presentations [pdf] from the day included:

• Overhauling the Licensing Act Mark Halton, Home Office
• Camden's NTE Jon Paris and Michael Hrycak, London Borough of Camden
• Havering NTE Deborah Houston-McBean, Havering London Borough
• Newham's Total Enforcement Sheila Roberts, London Borough of Newham
• TfL and the NTE Graham Daly, Transport for London
• Islington Community Alcohol Partnership John Hart, Islington Coucil
• LAS Soho Alcohol Recovery Pilot Brian Hayes, London Ambulance Service

See here for presentations from a previous London NTE event. An Alcohol Concern NTE factsheet is also available, or see the Alcohol Policy UK NTE category.  

Scotland ban on 'irresponsible promotions' as England introduce 'schooners'

New licensing laws came into force on 1st October 2011 for Scotland, including a mandatory challenge 25 scheme and a ban on irresponsible promotions. The changes are part of the Alcohol etc Scotland Act 2010 and are expected to be followed by plans for a minimum price.

However the changes have been attracting media attention as some retailers could change offers to apply to single drinks - for instance instead of three bottles of wine for £10 retailers may sell one bottle for £3.33. Tesco have reportedly advised Scottish customers that they can still benefit from cut-price deals if they shop online as it will be transported from England.

The Scottish Health Secretary, Nicola Sturgeon, expressed disappointment that some retailers would not be respecting the spirit of the law, but emphaised future plans for a minimum price. In the meantime, she believed the measures would still have some effect, stating: "...if somebody is going to buy one bottle of wine, as they intended to do when they went into the supermarket, instead of three bottles, that they are tempted to buy because it is on offer, then that is helping us reduce alcohol over-consumption."

The changes also pave the way for a social responsibilty levy, which aims to ensure retailers and licensed premises contribute to the wider cost of their activities on the community. Restrictions on the location of drinks promotions are also set out, and the Challenge 25 scheme means all licensed premises must have an age verification policy in place, including anyone appearing under the age of 25 being required to prove their age.

In England, a mandatory code was introduced last year to ban certain irresponsible promotions, such as banning ''all you can drink" deals. A new licensing amendment also came into force this month, allowing premises to now sell 'two-third' pint sizes, known as a 'schooner'. Some have suggested it may encourage responsible drinking, though bodies such as CAMRA have criticised it as unnecessary. Heineken have produced 500,000 branded schooner glasses for pubs across the country.