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
Liberal Democrat peer Lord Rennard (pictured) urged the government to follow suit and introduce minimum unit pricing in England. Writing in Politics Home he said "I want to see that ministers are taking the issue of cheap alcohol seriously. With each day that the Government equivocates on this, 65 people die from alcohol-related causes. This is a step that must now be taken."
Nine out of 10 councils in England have cut their budgets for alcohol and drug treatment services, despite referrals continuing to rise and 2.6 million children in the UK suffering at the hands of heavy-drinking parents. The Express
The Institute of Alcohol Studies had found that beer sold across the UK’s supermarkets and off-licences is almost 188 per cent more affordable today than it was three decades ago. The study also shows that affordability has risen by 22 per cent since 2012 alone. Independent
Edinburgh Airport became the first UK airport to sign up for the Best Bar None scheme responsible retailing scheme. Bars, restaurants and cafes at the airport are working with Police Scotland and Best Bar None Scotland to encourage safe consumption of alcohol. Travel Weekly
Health
Balance, the North East Alcohol Office has carried out the first ever report into the “state of the region” when it comes to the North East’s relationship with alcohol (see infographic). “How We Drink, What We Think” found that eight in 10 people in the North-East think the UK’s relationship with alcohol is “unhealthy”, and nearly six out of ten (58 per cent) of people quizzed also believe the Government is not doing enough to tackle the problems society has with alcohol, such as ill health, violent crime, domestic abuse and anti-social behaviour. Northern Echo
The number of people being admitted to hospital due to problems with alcohol has hit a record high in England, reports the Independent. Alcohol-related admissions have risen by more than two-thirds in a decade, with the figure now standing at more than 1.1 million in 2017, according to data released by Public Health England (PHE). See APUK's analysis of the latest figures.
Public health officials in Liverpool are abandoning the use of alcohol units in their struggle against heavy drinking and are instead now talking about calories. The Drink Less Feel Good initiative focuses on the fact that three pints of beer contains 510 calories - the equivalent of two burgers - while drinking three glasses of wine is the same as eating three doughnuts. LocalGov
Research
New research found powerful evidence that people who drink enough to end up in hospital are putting themselves at serious risk of vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. More than a third – 38% of 57,000 cases of early-onset dementia included in the study – were directly alcohol-related and 18% had an additional diagnosis of alcohol use disorders. Overall, alcohol use disorders were associated with a three times greater risk of all types of dementia. Guardian
Low-alcohol beer and wine promotions risk fuelling day-time drinking, suggested a new study by Cambridge University, which found the messaging may encourage consumers to use low-strength beer and wine as a replacement for soft drinks, such as at lunch, rather than as a replacement for normal strength alcohol. Telegraph
Oesophageal cancer has been linked to drinking alcohol and smoking in the past, but scientists in China have discovered that the risks are greatly heightened with the addition of daily cups of ‘burning hot’ tea. Metro
Researchers have pinpointed exactly why and how people get aggressive after drinking alcohol. Brain scans from volunteers who had two vodka lemonades showed alcohol affects the prefrontal cortex - the area of the brain that controls aggression whilst a placebo triggered no such changes. Daily Mail
Researchers from the University of Liverpool have found that Baclofen, a medication which has been used since the 1970s as an anti-spasticity treatment and more recently as a treatment for alcohol use disorders, is ineffective as a specific drug treatment for alcohol use disorders.
Industry news 
A new 'powerful voice' for the hospitality sector has been created by the merge of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) and British Hospitality Sector. UKHospitality will now represent more than 700 member companies and 65,000 venues. The body is to be headed by Kate Nicholls, formerly of the ALMR, who has often spoken against public health calls for minimum pricing or further regulation of retailers. The Morning Advertiser.
Sections of the alcohol industry have continued to call for duty cuts, claiming he UK pays the fourth highest duty level on spirits and third highest duty rates for wine and beer, highlights Miles Beale, chief executive of the WSTA. Prices have been affected by Brexit’s impact on the pound, rising inflation and the 3.9% inflationary duty rise on alcohol imposed by the chancellor at his Budget last March. The Spirits Business
Rising demand for beer containing little or no alcohol in Europe has helped brewing giant Heineken buck the wider industry’s moribund growth. The Dutch company said drinks such as Heineken Light and Heineken 0.0 now meant low- and no-alcohol represented almost a third of the brand's total volumes at 12.5m hectolitres. Telegraph
An advert for discount retailer Aldi’s selection of alcoholic drinks has been banned by the regulator after one viewer complained that it might appeal to children as it features a walking, talking carrot named Kevin. Independent
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