Selected media stories since the March roundup:
Significant media attention to minimum pricing was seen in the run-up to Scotland's implementation date on the 1st April 2018, the Guardian headline reading 'Scotland awaits alcohol minimum pricing with mixed emotions'. See APUK analysis here.
Research from the University of Cambridge and the British Heart Foundation, which looked at 600,000 drinkers across the world, was reported as anything more than five glasses of wine a week, or pints of beer, is dangerous to health, and could be knocking years off a person’s lifespan - the Telegraph. A useful summary from NHS Choices reviewed the research and coverage and concluded that the study adds weight to the recommendations that both women and men drink within the UK limits of 14 units of alcohol a week. APUK analysis here.
Experts are urging countries across the world to use taxes to deter people from eating, drinking and smoking habits that will damage their health, reported The Guardian, whilst the BBC News set out the evidence, asking Will paying more for alcohol and sugary drinks make us healthier?
The rising popularity of non-drinking was discussed in the Guardian's Time, please: is drinking becoming as socially unacceptable as smoking? It argues 'drinking in the UK has a spirited history, stretching back thousands of years ... through to the peak modern drinking period of the 90s and early 00s' but 'over the past decade, that culture has shifted'.
John Lewis is being urged to sweep the shelves of boozy greetings cards promoting “harmful levels of drinking”. Lucy Rocca, of Soberistas said "We know that this is just the tip of the iceberg and these kind of cultural messages are everywhere....“But you have to start somewhere, and...we think this is as good a place as anywhere." The Express
For many British Punjabis, alcohol abuse is an open secret according to a BBC report which . It reports alcohol consumption is glamorised across different aspects of Punjabi culture and shame stops many seeking the help that they need, though specialist projects in places such as Birmingham are seeking to offer engage and support Punjabi drinkers.
All alcohol bought at airports could be placed in sealed bags in a crackdown on disruption by drunken passengers, to enforce a possible ban on travellers drinking their own alcohol on flights. Ministers are also considering introducing tougher penalties for drunkenness on aircraft and overhauling licensing laws for airside premises, as part of a new Aviation Strategy. The Scotsman
Scientists in California have created a tiny new sensor that can continuously monitor levels of alcohol in the blood. The device, which measures roughly one cubic millimeter, is injected beneath the skin and can be linked up to a smartphone. MailOnline
Bedfordshire police force has been making 'drunk' volunteer actors in order to test whether local pubs and clubs will sell them alcohol. Testing locations in Dunstable, including pubs, clubs, and newsagents, they noted that all the sites made sales to the actors displaying signs of excessive drunkenness. The Guardian. See the APUK analysis on 'sales to drunks: tackling a culture of intoxication?'.
Industry & trade
Alcohol has retained its position as the top selling consumer goods category in the UK, worth £16.1bn in 2017, according to new figures. Despite alcohol consumption declining steadily worldwide, a reduction in supermarket special offers, fewer price cuts, and the ongoing 'premiumisation' of everyday drinks has helped alcohol to keep its place. The Drinks Business
A BBC World Service programme Booze Free Boom looked into why sales of alcohol-free products aimed at traditional drinkers are surging.
Pub giant JD Wetherspoon hit the news after announcing it was to terminate its social media accounts. It said its decision had also been influenced by concerns regarding the "misuse of personal data" and "the addictive nature of social media". BBC
Only 43% of beer drinkers ever check the alcohol content according to trade mag Checkout. However 69% of wine drinkers checked the strength at least sometimes. The ABV was least likely to affect purchase of spirits, with 76% saying it had no bearing on their purchasing
Bestway has completed the buyout of the retail divisions of Conviviality in a £7m deal that will see the food wholesaler gain control of Bargain Booze, Wine Rack, WS Retail and Select Convenience. Sky News
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