Selected media stories since the March roundup:
The issue of alcohol sponsorship in sport has been highlighted in a report by the University of Stirling's Institute for Social Marketing suggesting alcohol producers worked to circumvent legislation designed to protect children during the UEFA Euro 2016 football tournament - Politics.co.uk. Richard Purves explains further in the Conversation.
Proposals by councils and health authorities in London to extend the smoking ban to beer gardens and al-fresco dining areas has been blocked by the Government after ministers warned they would infringe on people's freedom and lead to pub closures. Telegraph
Cheap alcohol-fuelled breaks have lost their allure, reported the Sun, with millennials now ditching them for foreign festivals, posh hostels and destination hotels – in short, whatever looks good on Instagram.
Health Minister Nicola Blackwood has written to Duncan Selbie, chief executive of Public Health England, confirming that the children of alcoholics would become a key priority for the year 2017/2018, reported the Express. The Government’s “Best start in life” programme will “support the development of a strategy to address the needs of children living with alcohol dependent parents.”
Health research in the news
More women in the UK drink alcohol while pregnant than the rest of Europe, reported the MailOnline. Researchers found that 28.5 per cent of women from the UK drink despite knowing they are pregnant, compared to just 4.1 per cent of Norwegian women.
Women can make their children more vulnerable to diabetes by drinking heavily even before they become pregnant, new research suggests. Binge drinking before conception could make children more likely to have high blood sugar and other changes in glucose function. Telegraph
Meanwhile leading experts say simply having a low GI, healthy diet and drinking alcohol in moderation may be enough to help sufferers overcome Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, which impairs fertility. MailOnline
Research undertaken at Munich's famous annual Oktoberfest found the odds of heart arrhythmia increased as beer consumption went up, reported the BBC. Most of the arrhythmias were "apparently harmless" sinus tachycardia, where the heart just beats faster than normal, but a few were not. See also NHS Choices' comments.
Research on crayfish explored how inebriated people have different responses to alcohol depending on their prior social experience, and suggested sociable people may be more likely to get drunk, reports the MailOnline.
Industry news
Buckfast has come under fire with calls to address the charitable tax breaks its makers receive. Buckfast Abbey Trust made a record £8.8m last year from caffeinated Buckfast wine, a drink which has been associated with problem drinking in Scotland, reports the BBC.
Are alcohol-free alternatives finally coming of age?, asked the Guardian as it runs through some of the trendy low and no alcohol options now available.
Consumers in the UK buy more alcohol online than anywhere else in Europe, bolstered by the rise of supermarket home delivery and Amazon’s on-demand delivery service, reported the Spirits Business.
John Timothy (pictured), recently the government relations head at Tesco will become the new CEO of the industry-funded Portman Group, on 19 June. PR Week
Meanwhile Tesco apologised for any offence from a beer advertisement that claimed "Good Friday just got better", reported the BBC. The ad ran in some newspapers to promote "great offers on beer and cider" in the run-up to Easter.
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