Selected news and media stories since the September roundup:
We are witnessing the rise of a 'soberocracy' suggested the Telegraph at the start of Macmillan Cancer Support's 'Go Sober for October' initiative, whose popularity, and that of Alcohol Concern's 'Dry January', make 'the seemingly ingrained British belief that nights out and nights in both require alcohol [look] increasingly anachronistic'.
Nationwide, HMRC's receipts from alcohol duty have grown by 73pc since 1999, reported the Telegraph. Regional analysis of the data shows that Wales has the lowest score of 140 and Northern Ireland the highest with 260.
Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) has been in the news again following Wales' recent move towards it. Some of the common arguments were highlighted by the BBC including a retailer claiming it 'not needed and could hit the poorest'. Health ministers however defended the move rejecting the 'nanny state' notion and arguing pubs were being 'hammered' by cheap supermarket sales.
A survey by the RAC suggested that 60 per cent of drivers in England and Wales back calls for the legal drink-drive limit to be lowered in-line with Scotland and some of Europe, as the 50th anniversary of the current law arrives reported This is Money as the Telegraph hailed 50 years of the breathalyser.
Professor David Nutt (pictured) is planning to launch hangover-free cocktails which will have the same effect as alcohol without leaving the drinker feeling unwell the next day. The Evening Standard reported that he is now seeking funding for the final round of tests before embarking on his plan to open more than 100 hangover-free cocktail bars in the next decade.
Meanwhile, Lidl's new "hangover-free" organic prosecco (ABV 11%) went on sale with expectations of it quickly selling out, said the Telegraph who also asked whether hangover free drinks would actually ever exist.
Professor Nutt was in the news elsewhere, as a part of a team of scientists claiming that alcohol is one of five of the 'most addictive substances on the planet'. Independent
A police report has highlighted how a "blight" of alcohol-related anti-social behaviour continues to affect licensed premises in the Scottish Borders. It said the problem increased during common ridings and festivals in the region. BBC
BBC drama Doctor Foster has been attacked by campaigners and viewers for encouraging irresponsible boozing, as it regularly shows people knocking back large glasses of wine, beer and spirits - 'despite the lead character being a healthcare professional', reports the The Sun while a blog on British Sociological Society takes another perspective.
A new drinking game, Gin Pong, is here, said the Independent. Following the popularity of 'beer pong', the aim of the game is to throw a ping pong ball into your opponents' cup to require them to take a drink.
The Independent explored consent laws after a criminal barrister said men should not sleep with women who've drunk any alcohol.
Spending on residential rehabilitation services for drug and alcohol users in England has been slashed by nearly a quarter over the past four years, the Independent claimed. New figures show that eight local councils have had to reduce budgets for the service by more than half since 2013.
Research
new study has found that students are spending less on alcohol than ever before, and on average spend more on health and fitness than any previous generation, reported Metro. However, at the other end of the age scale, some British retirees are using their “pension freedoms” to fund alcohol and gambling binges before falling back on the government for help, MPs on the Commons work and pensions committee have been told. Changes to pension rules introduced in 2015 gave people over the age of 55 the liberty to spend their pension savings as they wished. Equitables
Pregnant vegetarians are three times more likely to have kids who abuse drugs and alcohol, reported the Mail Online. Researchers claim to have found a link between substance abuse at age 15, and diet of the child's mother during pregnancy. But it is far from clear that avoiding meat in pregnancy "causes" substance abuse in teenagers. NHS Choices
A study exploring the “popular belief that alcohol improves the ability to speak in a foreign language” found that drinking has a positive impact on people’s grasp of foreign pronunciation, but had no such impact on grammar, vocabulary and argumentation. Telegraph
Industry news
Low overheads, shortened opening hours, a stripped-down offer and DIY approach has encouraged many enthusiasts to open their own micropub, said the Morning Advertiser
UK alcohol trade bodies have joined with their European counterparts to form a united front on Brexit. In the position paper, the groups urge the EU and UK to reach a negotiated settlement on Brexit that preserves trade flows and avoids border tariffs. It also says that a "no-deal" exit from the EU, which would see the UK take on WTO rules, is "an unacceptable outcome from negotiations". Just Drinks
Alcohol industry groups have again calling for duty cuts. The Scotch Whisky Association are calling for the duty on spirits claiming sales in the UK have fallen since the UK government increased dduty in the spring budget, said the BBC. Rates of alcohol duty are expected to rise by 3.4% in the November Budget in line with RPI, reported the Drinks Business, and the Wine and Spirits Trade Association warns that further tax hikes could weaken the UK’s bargaining power as the government begins to negotiate post-Brexit trade deals.
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