Alcohol Research UK reports: pricing in Scotland, belief and environmental influences on drinking

Three new reports funded by Alcohol Research UK have been released:

Alcohol pricing and purchasing among heavy drinkers in Edinburgh and Glasgow

This study from Edinburgh Napier University/Queen Margaret University makes an important contribution to the debates on alcohol pricing and harm in Scotland. There are some key findings:

• the most harmful drinkers buy primarily white cider and cheap vodka;
• tax rises can lead to problem drinkers ‘trading down’ to white cider and vodka (unlike minimum pricing, which would raise the floor price of all alcohol);
• there is a ‘Glasgow Effect’ in alcohol harms (health outcomes being worse for people living in Glasgow).

See more here or for the Insight or full report.

All in the mind?

The University of Liverpool investigated the effect of beliefs about alcohol on alcohol binges.  For example, ‘we know that an initial priming dose of alcohol causes increased alcohol seeking’ and a pilot study revealed that priming participants to believe they had good self-control after consuming alcohol resulted in significantly reduced ad lib beer consumption.

See more here or for the Insight report. 

Development of context-aware measures of alcohol-related impulsivity
 
Edge Hill University’s study revealed that inhibitory control is affected by context (for example, environmental cues) and consequently, one’s ability to control consumption behaviour in alcohol-related environments may vary.

See more here or for the Insight report.