Alcohol Policy UK

IAS Alcohol Alert November 2015: MP calls for family support, Brits still high for binge drinking, alcohol business merger, Drink Driving in Scotland falls

The latest Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) Alcohol Alert: November 2015 is now available (here for PDF version). Read the editorial here and articles below:

• Liam Byrne: We must “break the silence” and help families suffering from alcohol misuse

• UK Government’s alcohol policies weaker than devolved nations, claims report

• Reading, fast and slow: another look at the last 10 years of the Licensing Act

• ‘More intense’ local licensing policies ‘appear’ to reduce alcohol-related hospital admissions

• Women ‘unaware’ of alcohol link with breast cancer

• OECD: Brits still among worst binge drinkers in the world

Ten years on from the 2004 Licensing Act: fit for purpose?

This week saw ten years since the 2003 Licensing Act came into force, inevitably prompting a retrospective on some of the media portrayals predicting '24 hour drinking' carnage.

Of course as time has shown, a proliferation of all night drinking venues and associated problems did not materialise - yet neither has a "continental café culture" emerged, as some politicians had claimed. More complex though is disentangling the various changes in alcohol consumption and other measures from the wide range of influences on drinking patterns.

Alcohol Awareness Week 2015 brief review: how valuable is AAW?

Alcohol Awareness Week (AAW) 2015 recently took place, running from 16-22 November. As in previous years, Alcohol Concern encouraged local areas and others to get people thinking about alcohol and its impact through a range of suggested activities.

How significant though is AAW at a time of increasing digital communication, improved overall recognition of alcohol harms, and the growth of other alcohol campaigns and resources? Indeed Alcohol Concern and many local areas have increasingly integrated the promotion of Dry January as part of AAW activities. Given the limited impact of 'awareness raising' activity on behaviour change, but promising evidence for the possible benefits of 'month off' campaigns, this shift may be welcomed by some.

'Four Nations' report highlights varied alcohol policy across UK

A new report released by the Alliance for Useful Evidence explores the extent to which alcohol policies across the UK nations are evidence-based.

Download 'Four Nations: How evidence–based are alcohol policies and programmes across the UK?' [pdf] or.

See here for a blog post by authors Niamh Fitzgerald (University of Stirling) and Colin Angus (University of Sheffield) discussing the reasons behind alcohol policy divergence across the UK.

Global Alcohol Policy Conference & SSA symposium presentations; NIHR webinar

Global Alcohol Policy Conference 2015

The Global Alcohol Policy Alliance's 2015 Conference, co-hosted by Alcohol Focus Scotland, recently took place in Edinburgh on the theme of 'Momentum for change: research and advocacy reducing alcohol harm'.

Over 100 presentations took place, many of which have been made available until the end of November 2015. Keynote presentations included [in pdf]:

Where next for alcohol brief interventions?

A new briefing paper warns the current position on alcohol brief intervention could be at a 'turning point', and makes a number of recommendations to improve delivery.

Download 'Alcohol brief intervention: where next for IBA? Lessons, ideas and actions for advancing alcohol brief interventions' [pdf]

Brief intervention - known as 'Identification and Brief Advice' (IBA) in England - has been a central component of national and local alcohol strategies across the UK in recent years. However despite its growing profile, IBA has proved difficult to implement effectively, with a number of key questions raised over whether 'success' will be achieved. Challenges include concerns over delivery in key Primary Care settings, whilst important questions around specific approaches and wider settings are yet to be fully answered.

IAS report 'slams' Responsibilty Deal - could national alcohol policy be abandoned?

The Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) have released a report 'slamming' the controversial Public Health Responsibility Deal, suggesting it has “worsened the health of the nation”. However with no word from the Government on its future and no indications of a new national strategy, the existence of any clear national alcohol policy in England looks uncertain.

The IAS report, 'Dead on Arrival? Evaluating the Public Health Responsibility Deal for Alcohol' [pdf], is largely based on recent research by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) as previously covered on APUK.

The IAS though say the 'report demonstrates the failings' of the deal, finding:

Findings bulletins: minimum unit pricing - politics & evidence, prevention effectiveness, brief intervention implementation

Recent bulletins from the drug and alcohol bank:

Politics and evidence on crucial UK public health policy [minimum pricing]

Eliminating cheap alcohol by setting a high minimum price per unit promises the greatest feasible health gains per alcohol policy £, but also risks the greatest political backlash. So much is at stake for opposing interests that evidence is disputed and the politics have swung under pressure from lobbyists and competing philosophies. This Effectiveness Bank hot topic delves in to the fire.
Click button to read more.

Prevention overview from EU’s drug misuse centre

Events and dates: Alcohol Awareness Week 2015, New Directions 2016, SHAAP seminars

Alcohol Alcohol Awareness Week 2015   

Alcohol Alcohol Awareness Week (AAW) 2015 takes place 16-22 November; according to Alcohol Concern, the theme is 'The Impact of Alcohol on Society', with its national conference taking place on Tuesday 17 November.

IAS Alcohol Alert October 2015: GAPC conference, Northern Ireland, depression & dementia research

The latest Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) Alcohol Alert: October 2015 is now available (here for PDF version). Read the editorial here and articles below:

• Majority of emergency service staff suffer alcohol fuelled abuse

• GAPC 2015 a success as Scotland’s First Minister reaffirms commitment to minimum unit pricing

• Comment on the Policy Innovation Research Unit’s evaluation of the Responsibility Deal Labelling Pledge