Alcohol Policy UK

Alcohol policy questions for the UK ahead of Scotland's MUP date

As Scotland's 1st May 2018 Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) implementation date fast approaches, debates on the role of pricing and other alcohol control policies is again receiving increased attention.

Writing in the Scotsman, Alcohol Focus Scotland's Chief Exec Alison Douglas says MUP’s 'positive impact on the nation’s health will be felt in a matter of months' and the 'life saving measure' is a ‘starting point for even more ambitious policies aimed at further tackling Scotland’s problematic relationship with alcohol'. The Scottish Government is shortly due to release a new national alcohol strategy to follow its former strategy and MESAS evaluation.

Older adults: RCP urges action for 'Our invisible addicts' 2018

The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) has released an updated report on substance misuse problems amongst older adults, calling for further training, treatment investment and policy recognition of the complex issues involved.

Download the full document 'Our invisible addicts' [pdf] here.

The report updates a previous publication by the RCP in 2011 which advised people over 65 should not drink more than 1.5 units of alcohol a day - around half the former daily recommended guidelines - based on physiological and metabolic changes associated with ageing.

Findings bulletins: treatment figures, domestic abuse, brief interventions lessons & prison recovery

Recent bulletins from the Findings drug and alcohol bank:

Drug and alcohol treatment in England 2016/17

Analysis of the performance of England’s drug and alcohol treatment system up to 2016/17. With the help of 21 charts, it examines the falling numbers, ageing caseloads, the puzzle of waning success with opiate users but increasing with drinkers, the steep drop in new young opiate patients, and how deeply treatment has penetrated the population of dependent opiate users and drinkers.

Interventions at the intersection of heavy drinking and domestic abuse

Alcohol labelling politics across the EU: clarity for consumers?

The Government is currently consulting on 'how best to continue to communicate information about low alcohol products to the public once the current legislation expires'. See here for further details - closes 10 May 2018.

Health and consumer groups in England and the EU have been re-iterating calls for mandatory alcohol labelling of health relevant information including calories, criticising the latest proposal from alcohol industry bodies for self-regulation.

SpiritsEUROPE has set out a common umbrella voluntary commitment, proposing its members to voluntarily provide ingredient and nutrition information 'either on or off-label' by 2022, favouring a 'digital solution'. Certain health groups however have claimed that the 'industry does everything to avoid providing information to consumers at the point of sale in an easily accessible manner', with Twitter hashtags such as #RightToKnow and #ClarityForConsumers calling for a range of information and labelling related changes.

Alcohol Research UK and Alcohol Concern merger consultation

Alcohol Research UK and Alcohol Concern are consulting on the future direction of their merged charity and are seeking responses from those involved in the alcohol sector. The two organisations officially merged last year after announcements that prompted debate about the future role and implications.

Stakeholders are being invited to share your thoughts and ideas by visiting their website and completing the short online form, making a comment on their discussion board, or mentioning them on social media @AlcoResearchUK and @AlcoholConcern. The consultation closes on 27 April 2018.

News & updates February 2018: pricing, Baclofen, admissions & new UK Hospitality industry body

Selected media stories since the January roundup: 

"Hazardous or harmful" drinkers must get the help they need if minimum unit pricing is introduced, Alcohol Concern Wales has said as the Welsh Government seeks to follow Scotland with a minimum 50p unit price in law. "I think we've known for quite sometime a lot of the alcohol in this country is consumed by those where alcohol is a problem not a pleasure" said, Andrew Misell, director of Alcohol Concern Wales. BBC

Alcohol resources and policy for 2018... and beyond?

Public Health England (PHE) have released a listing page of information and other resources to support commissioners, service providers and others providing alcohol and drug interventions. 

The resource will mainly be of use to those involved in the treatment sector, though includes an updated 'Alcohol: applying all our health' resource to support preventative activities and recent 'why invest?' resource. A full range of NICE alcohol guidance can be found here whilst Alcohol Research UK have a set of links and resources on identifying the evidence base.

IAS Alert February 2018: Parental Alcohol Misuse, cancer, drink drive figures, affordability & more

The latest Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) Alcohol Alert: February 2018 is now available (here for PDF version). Read the editorial here and articles below:

• TOP STORY – Government urged to put an end to Parental Alcohol Misuse
• Euro Commission allows UK alcohol ads on Swedish TV
• Scotland: One in four alcohol-related deaths due to cancer
• Drinking worsens your thinking
• Low ABV drinks marketed as soft drink substitutes?
• Liverpool to measure drinking by the doughnut
• Industry: alcohol cancer risk more like 'burnt toast'
• England: Alcohol-related admissions rise again
• Drink drive progress spins into reverse
• Major new report reveals what we think about drink
• EU alcohol interlocks must be compulsory – ETSC
• Alcohol a 'major risk factor' for dementia
• Regulator gives carrot ad the chop
• Wales: Hazardous / harmful drinkers consume most
• Scotland set for 50p minimum unit price
• Australia: MUP comes to the Northern Territories
• ALCOHOL SNAPSHOT: Affordability of off-trade beer has nearly tripled in 30 years