Selected media reports since the October roundup:
Amazon has halted sales of the 95%-alcohol vodka, Spirytus Rektyfikowany, that killed a girl at her 18th birthday party. The Polish liquor is still being sold in the UK through scores of internet shopping sites, along with other super-strength spirits, reports the Mirror.
Soaring numbers of older women are having treatment for alcohol dependency, reports the Daily Mail and Guardian, with over-60s now making up nearly one in ten of all women undergoing formal treatment programmes.
Severe damage inflicted on an unborn baby by her mother’s heavy drinking during pregnancy was equivalent to an attempt at manslaughter, the court of appeal has been told, reports the Guardian, whilst campaigners and doctors call for stronger warnings about drinking during pregnancy, says BBC News.
Lib Dem MP Norman Baker has said that the country should be "worried more about alcohol" than cannabis and policy should do more to tackle irresponsible sales, according to the Independent. Baker, who recently resigned from his role as Home Office lead on drugs, said "I’m in favour of evidence-based policy, and we underplay the dangers of alcohol."
A Tory Government will allow judges across the country to use alcohol abstinence orders or 'sobriety bracelets', if the party is returned to government next year, according to the Guardian. The scheme is currently being piloted in London and several other areas.
Trade news
As the on-trade diversifies pubs are now 'not all about alcohol' says the owner of All Bar One, reports The Telegraph. In some of its other chains, soft drinks now outsell alcohol as reaching out to non-drinking and business crowds becomes increasingly important.
Publicans with personal licences that expire early next year will need to complete an application form to renew their licence, the Home Office has confirmed. The Deregulation Bill, which removes the requirement for personal licences, won't be approved until Spring 2015 at the earliest, so the new application form is a stop-gap, reports the Morning Advertiser.
The Daily Mail picked up on recent research by the Royal Society for Public Health calling for calorie-content labelling on alcoholic drinks - a proposal criticised by the drinks trade, according to the Morning Advertiser.
The Government has promised to amend its Business Improvement District (BID) guidance to local councils to encourage areas with the scheme to be exempt from introducing a late-night levy, reports the Morning Advertiser.
Non-alcoholic beer is set to grow by 26% from 2013 to 2018, partly driven by health-conscious Western Europeans who want the beer but not the belly, reports the Daily Telegraph, despite, says the Mirror, its 'terrible taste'.
And finally, Snuffle, alcohol-free Belgian beer for dogs, has been launched in the UK.
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