Two different accounts of the effectiveness of industry supported Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAPs) have been released in recent months.
Firstly the CAPs own evaluation 'Impact Report' [pdf] was released in November 2016 reporting significant reductions in underage drinking and associated problems, but this month a review of CAP evaluations by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) found little robust evidence to support the claims.
CAPs stated aim is 'to tackle underage drinking and the resulting harm to local communities', which it does through 'a combination of enforcement, education, engagement of the community and local businesses, and provision of appropriate positive activity'. An industry funded national CAP body exists to support local level CAPs which typically work to target areas where underage drinking appears to be a problem, usually through partnership approaches involving retailers and statutory agencies.
The CAPs first Impact Report highlights national falls in young people's drinking stating 'there is evidence that CAPs have contributed to these positive trends and are making a significant positive difference to local communities'. The Morning Advertiser reported a headline figure stating alcohol confiscations from underage drinkers had fallen 85%. However the LSHTM CAP evaluation states the available evaluations 'do not provide convincing evidence that CAPs are effective in reducing alcohol harms or [Anti Social Behaviour] ASB'.
LSHTM assessed available evidence according to a methodological criteria but describes robust data as lacking with only 3 out of 88 evaluations using controlled designs or comparison areas. Whilst LSHTM identified the CAPs appeared to positively affect public perceptions of ASB, it concluded that 'their main role may be as an alcohol industry corporate social responsibility measure which is intended to limit the reputational damage associated with alcohol-related ASB'.
Local areas: to CAP or not to CAP?
For many local areas, CAPs may be seen to address an issue which they are under political pressure to tackle. National alcohol policy is also supportive of local partnership and voluntary schemes, albeit to the dissatisfaction of public health groups who may be inclined to agree with LSHTM's conclusion that such approaches are a distraction from effective policy measures.
Whilst there may be differing views on the extent to which evaluations should or can be conducted according to rigorous scientific methodologies, the CAP Impact Report's case studies largely cover process rather than outcome evaluations. Whilst the Impact Report therefore demonstrates that CAPs can be implemented and appear to be well regarded by stakeholders, there is no reliable evidence to demonstrate significant outcomes compared to non-CAP areas.
Regardless of the extent to which CAPs do or do not reduce underage drinking in local areas, it is certainly a bold implication that they are directly associated with national declines in youth drinking. Whilst the Impact Report states there is evidence that CAPs have contributed to positive trends, it does report that consumption began to fall in 2003 - well before the first CAP was established in St Neots in 2007. CAP supporters might argue that the national trend in falling consumption increased as CAPs were introduced, but for national impact there is no evidence beyond a correlation.
Last year an IAS report examined the possible causes of declines in young people's drinking, concluding that improvements in parenting and the reduced affordability of alcohol were the most likely contributing factors. Whilst acknowledging evidence that legal enforcement - particularly of minimum purchase ages - has been stricter, it deduced this could only have a minor impact partly as only a small proportion of underage drinkers buy their own alcohol rather than obtaining it at home. A previous Demos report though suggested that awareness of health harms had been a key driver of declining youth consumption.
Partnerships in alcohol policy: here to stay?
The national CAP body received £363,500 in 2016 from alcohol industry funders and a further £15,000 from the Welsh Government, with 124 local CAPs expected to have been in place across the UK by the end of 2016. A second round of Home Office led 'Local Alcohol Action Areas' (LAAAs) are expected to be underway in 2017 with a strong focus on local partnerships including industry groups and local retailers.
In 2015 the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) released a report highlighting a range of 'responsible' retailing practices being undertaken by the pub and brewing sector. The report appeared not to claim any specific outcomes from the initiatives, although in the foreword the BBPA Chief Exec said the pub and brewing industry 'continues to challenge itself to do more to ensure that harms are minimised as much as possible'.
Clearly, CAPs and other industry-involved local partnerships are here to stay, and have the backing of national and often local policymakers. As such there arguably remains a pressing need for robust, independent evaluations of their effectiveness so that the extent to which #partnershipworks claims can be be better understood.
Recent Comments