Selected news and media stories since the August roundup:
A survey by Evenbrite says millennials consume 'just five units' of alcohol each week, reported Mailonline. Some 90 per cent see getting drunk as 'uncool' and a quarter believe it is 'pathetic' and 'embarrassing' when someone has had too much.
Hospital admissions linked to liver damage have doubled in a decade, according to new figures which also show that people from Blackpool are nearly eight times as likely to die from liver disease as those from Norfolk, reported the Telegraph.
Alcohol-free drinks continue to be in the news. The Telegraph reported 'The best low-alcohol beers: craft brewers cut out the booze and boost the flavour', whilst the BBC and Guardian introduced the concept of 'stealth drinking' - when keeping up with your mates, drink for drink, won't get you drunk. Budweiser is due to launch its alcohol-free beer 'Prohibition' in the UK shortly. DrinksBusiness
New research suggests the alcohol industry is misleading the public by downplaying the risk of cancer through similar tactics to the tobacco industry, and using "denying, distortion and distraction" strategies to minimise evidence. Sky News
Facebook is testing a tool that lets people hide advertisements for alcohol. It is the first time a social network has let people pro-actively block adverts on a specific topic. BBC
A programme ‘Communities in Charge of Alcohol’ has been launched in Greater Manchester to combat the growing number of people who are drinking excessive amounts of alcohol across the city region. The project will be led by community volunteers called ‘Community Alcohol Champions’ who are being trained to help family, friends and colleagues to rethink their drinking habits. GMCA
Dementia could be prevented in one in three cases - if nine major risk factors including high blood pressure and alcohol are eliminated, reported the Express.
Tubs of gin-flavoured yoghurt - containing 0.25% alcohol - went on sale in Sainsbury's this summer, with more gin foods reportedly on their way. Gin's resurgence in liquid form has been dubbed a "Ginaissance", with sales of the spirit surpassing £1bn last year and micro-distilleries opening across the UK, said the BBC.
British publicans see cheap supermarket alcohol as the single greatest threat to their industry, and support government action to raise prices, according to a new Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) report, said politics.co.uk, whilst Christopher Snowden penned his discord in the Spectator.
Freedom of Information figures obtained by the Independent show that the 118 councils that replied are spending a total of £452m on alcohol and drug misuse strategies from public health grants this year, compared with £535m in 2013/14 – a cut of 15.5 per cent.
The MailOnline reported that Arbaclofen placarbil, which aims to allow drinkers to moderate their consumption, could hit the market by 2020. The manufacturers believe it could be beneficial to people who regularly exceed recommended limits, but don't recognise themselves as problem drinkers. Sound familiar?
Scientists have found that brain functions in young men and women are changed by long-term alcohol use, but the changes are significantly different in men and women, with men possibly more at risk of long-term harm. Express
Sir Anthony Seldon, vice-Chancellor of Buckingham University, said universities are turning a blind eye to freshers’ week “excesses”, and that first-year students should be offered alternative activities to parties and social events where heavy drinking and drug-taking are prevalent. Telegraph
Reading University has introduced a self-serve 16-tap "beer wall" at its onsite student union, allowing students to pull their own pints and buy beverages with a single tap of their debit or credit card. Somewhat counter-intuitively, Drink Command, which designed the system insists it "makes it easier for bar staff to monitor users’ beer consumption to ensure compliance with local responsible drinking guidelines". Telegraph
Meanwhile, the rising popularity of wine taps – or draught wine – in bars and restaurants is ushering in a more eco-friendly era for the drink, said the Independent
New YouGov Omnibus research shows that at least half of Brits agree on five key characteristics their ideal public house would have. It would serve meals (67%); have a beer garden (63%); a fireplace (52%), bar staff would know regular customers and take an interest in everyone (51%); it would sell snacks (50%).
However, a survey of 1,000 beer drinkers by the Campaign for Real Ale found that just 15 per cent believed pub prices were affordable. The campaign group warned that thousands of pubs could close, or beer prices increase further, unless the Government takes action to cut business rates. Independent
For the first time, Surrey has overtaken London as the most expensive area to buy a drink, with the average pint costing £4.40, reported the BBC. According to the Good Pub Guide, Herefordshire and Yorkshire have the cheapest pints at £3.31.
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