Alcohol Policy UK

Alcohol Research UK & NIHR grants open

Alcohol Research UK grants 2017-18

Alcohol Research UK's current grants programme is open offering a range of opportunities for researchers and relevant organisations. Applicants should read both the Research Strategy and appropriate Guidance for Applicants documents before developing proposals. 

Small grants of up to £8,000 are available for small projects lasting up to 12 months. The deadline for receipt of applications is the 13th September 2017. For full information and details of how to apply, please read the Guidance for Small Grant Applications.

Further calls for mandatory alcohol labelling: new AHA & WHO reports

The issue of alcohol labelling has been raised again as health groups claim that voluntary efforts are failing consumers and statutory labelling requirements should be set out.

The Alcohol Health Alliance has released a new report including a survey which found only 1 label out of 315 it reviewed informed consumers of the current low-risk weekly guideline of 14 units, despite the revised guideline having been announced 15 months ago. Seven products informed UK consumers of the Republic of Ireland unit guidelines (21 and 14 units per week for men and women respectively), whilst no products contained health warnings of specific illnesses or diseases. None of the products were found to include advice on spreading alcohol consumption over the week or having alcohol-free days, though nearly all products included pregnancy warnings.

What drives home drinking? YouGov report for pubs to win back drinkers

A new YouGov report explores the current push and pull factors behind home drinking, offering the on-trade insights to attract drinkers back into pubs and bars.

The report, 'Getting In-Home Drinkers To Go Out', is only available for a significant cost, but several trade publications have reported on key findings. CLH news reports that one in seven Brits (15%) almost always stay in to drink, whilst The Morning Advertiser highlighted the unsurprising finding that the proportion was highest for older adults, half of whom who mainly drink only at home. Home drinkers are most likely to be married women aged over 45, who are typically responsible for the weekly shop.

Events & dates 2017: UKCTAS, Alcohol & Sport, MCA, Early Career Researcher Symposium & More

Selected alcohol events and dates forthcoming in 2017:

Alcohol Policy in Practice 2017 

The UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies (UKCTAS) Alcohol Policy in Practice CPD course takes place on 18th - 21st September at the University of Stirling, Scotland. 

This year’s course will feature new inputs from Professor Mike Daube from Curtin University in Australia, and Professor Karine Gallopel-Morvan from the E-HESP (School of Public Health) in Rennes, France. Returning highlights include advocacy training from the Institute of Alcohol Studies & Balance Northeast; Prof Jeff Collin (Edinburgh) and Dr John Holmes (Sheffield). An International Workshop “The Ubiquity of Alcohol” will also focus on marketing, availability and industry influence. A reduced rate applies until the 16th June - further details and registration here.

Selected alcohol events and dates forthcoming in 2017:

Alcohol Policy in Practice 2017 

The UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies (UKCTAS) Alcohol Policy in Practice CPD course takes place on 18th - 21st September at the University of Stirling, Scotland. 

This year’s course will feature new inputs from Professor Mike Daube from Curtin University in Australia, and Professor Karine Gallopel-Morvan from the E-HESP (School of Public Health) in Rennes, France. Returning highlights include advocacy training from the Institute of Alcohol Studies & Balance Northeast; Prof Jeff Collin (Edinburgh) and Dr John Holmes (Sheffield). An International Workshop “The Ubiquity of Alcohol” will also focus on marketing, availability and industry influence. A reduced rate applies until the 16th June - further details and registration here.

Findings bulletins: 2003 Licensing Act review, drink-driving, binge drinking ABI, interventions & treatment

Recent bulletins from the Findings drug and alcohol bank:  

Realising the potential of the 2003 UK alcohol licensing act 

Seen as excluding health concerns and requiring an individualistic and ‘premises by premises’ approach, interviews with stakeholders and a revisiting of the 2003 Licensing Act for England and Wales suggest it could nevertheless be used to address public health and to implement licensing policies and decisions based on likely overall local impact.

Armed forces deploy brief interventions: will it work?

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) have released figures on an initiative to deliver alcohol brief interventions across the armed forces via dental check ups, identifying 61% of military personnel drinking at a risky or harmful levels.

The MoD has previously come under fire over a lack of action to address high levels of alcohol misuse amongst the armed forces. In 2015 Professor Neil Greenberg, lead on military health at the Royal College of Psychiatrists and a former Navy Commander, said an approach based education alone was not effective. Subsequently an MoD alcohol working group was instigated to "review policy and data to identify what more we can do to tackle alcohol misuse in the armed forces".

Back to nudge? Behaviour change and the drinking environment

The University of Cambridge has announced it will be leading a new large scale research programme to investigate ways to ‘nudge’ people towards healthier behaviours including alcohol use.

Many will note the nudge concept is not particularly new; policy initiatives focused on changing choice architecture to influence consumer's choices have been adopted across behaviours from tax payments to energy efficiency. Supermarkets and businesses have of course been studying and designing retail environments to alter consumer behaviour well before the buzz for nudge policy saw the establishment of a Governmental Behavioural Insight Team and Public Health Responsibility Deal in 2011.

News & updates July 2017: memory, diabetes benefit?, drunk in charge of a child, school exclusions & more

Selected news and media stories since the June roundup:

Supreme Court judges retired to consider the latest appeal against minimum pricing of alcohol in Scotland, reported BBC News whilst public health experts continued to put forward their case for the policy (eg in the Guardian and Independent). See our report here.

Alcohol deaths in Scotland: an unexpected rise?

A ten per cent rise in alcohol-related deaths in Scotland has triggered further calls for strong action to tackle alcohol harms as the Government awaits the Supreme Court's verdict on Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP).

In 2016 there were 1,265 alcohol-related deaths in Scotland, an increase of 115 (10%) compared with 2015. The definition of deaths used does not include fatal accidents involving alcohol and excludes some partially attributable causes such as certain cancers, but reflects alcohol-related deaths such as alcohol-related liver disease or poisoning.

IAS Alert July 2017: MUP, liver disease, armed forces, consumption & more

The latest Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) Alcohol Alert: July 2017 is now available (here for PDF version). Read the editorial here and articles below:

• TOP STORY: Supreme Court MUP showdown: Scots Govt versus Big Whisky
• Hepatologists make ‘financial case’ for action on liver disease
• Raised cancer risk for majority of moderate European drinkers
• DEFRA invites industry to roundtable
• Web retailers serve up poor ID test results
• MP pledges to equalise drink-driving law after boy’s farm death
• Mixed national outlook from local alcohol consumption data
• New National Drug Strategy released – but what about alcohol?
• Pocket money prices for alcohol continue one year on
• Majority of forces at increasing risk of alcohol-related harm
• White cider linked to premature deaths in Scotland
• ALCOHOL SNAPSHOT: New analysis reveals sociodemographic predictors of risky alcohol consumption