Alcohol Policy UK

Harmful drinking and dependence: PHE release resource

Public Health England (PHE) have released a new resource Health matters: harmful drinking and alcohol dependence - see PDF and links here.

The resource aims to support the 'commissioning and delivery of evidence based treatment interventions to address harmful drinking and alcohol dependence in adults', and includes infographics, video, a commissioning toolkit and a local service case study.

Findings bulletins: numbers in alcohol treatment, matching therapies, safeguarding

Recent bulletins from the drug and alcohol bank:

How many drinkers should be in treatment?

One of our selection of hot topics – important issues which sometimes generate heated debate over the facts or their interpretation. What proportion of the UK’s problem drinkers are in treatment, how far does that fall short of the number who should be – and how do we judge ‘should’? Depending on where you draw the line, performance ranges from abysmal to excellent.

Events and dates: Alcohol Research UK conference, New Directions, PHE treatment Q&A launch, SHAAP & BSA seminars

Alcohol Research UK conference and early career symposium

Alcohol Research UK's 2016 Annual Conference will take place on Wednesday, 16 March 2016 in Birmingham, exploring new evidence on patterns of alcohol use across the UK, alcohol risks and harm, developing interventions, and reflections on the relationship between alcohol research and evidence-informed policy.

Themes to be discussed at this year’s conference include:

News & updates December 2015: Ireland wants MUP, 'driets', stop and search, empty nesters

Selected media stories since the November roundup:

Alcohol policy 

News on the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling of the Scottish Government's plan for a minimum alcohol price and the intricacies of EU law was widely reported (eg Herald Scotland; see also our recent analysis). The Telegraph's Scotland Editor argued 'this is one battle the Nats should keep fighting.'

The Scottish government is to reintroduce stop and search of children (for alcohol), according to campaigners who fear could worsen Police Scotland’s already vexed relationship with young people reported the Guardian.

New recommended alcohol guideline confirmed for 'lower risk' drinking

The long awaited revised recommended guidelines for alcohol consumption have been released, confirming a lower limit for men of 14 units per week - the same amount as advised for women. In addition to the weekly guideline for regular drinkers, advice on limiting 'single occasion' drinking also highlights the risk of accidents and injuries in particular.

The announcement resulted in wide-scale media coverage and articles ranging from the expected accusations of 'nanny-statism', to analysis of the evidence and context of guidelines in public health terms. A Government consultation document [pdf] seeks views on various components of the new advice.

Report warns over growing burden of alcohol on hospitals

A new report by the Nuffield Trust highlighting the impact of alcohol on hospitals drew significant media attention last month. It warns that as the burden of alcohol on the NHS continues to mount, further preventative action and opportunities to identify problems within hospitals need to be taken.

The report focuses on trends in A&E attendances and alcohol-specific hospital admissions. Figures showing that alcohol-related poisoning attendances had doubled in six years in particular hit the headlines, as did a 64% rise in alcohol specific admissions over the last nine years. A Full Fact analysis verified the figures, whilst clarifying important distinctions between A&E attendances and hospital admissions (i.e. to a ward).

Scottish Court to decide on minimum pricing... but must prove 'proportionality'

Last month the European Court of Justice (ECJ) gave its ruling on Scotland's minimum unit pricing (MUP) case, largely confirming the preceding opinion of the Advocate General. The ECJ have ruled that it will be for the Scottish Inner House of the Court of Session to rule on MUP, but can only decide in favour if 'proportionality' can be proved; crucially that the aims of MUP cannot be better achieved by taxation rises.

However a further analysis by EU law lecturer Angus MacCulloch identifies that 'in many ways the judgement leaves as many questions as it answers'. As such the outcome is still 'very much to play for', and again both public health groups and industry opponents of MUP claimed the ruling as positive. News reports however tended to play to conjecture that MUP is 'illegal', demonstrating the highly politicised history of UK MUP tensions.