Alcohol Policy UK

IAS Alert June 2018: MUP in Wales, labelling, cancer, research & more

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

• COVER STORY – Welsh Assembly passes MUP
• Texts fail to moderate binge drinking
• Holyrood to make ‘wholesale’ changes to MUP
• Andriukaitis on labelling – consumers have a right to know
• Alcohol and cancer awareness link needs prompting
• Time To Deliver in 2018
• Abstinent workers off sick more than moderate drinking ones
• New tech gets tough on drink-drivers
• French support alcohol price rise to boost health
• Cancer risk lowest for light alcohol drinkers
• MESAS: weekly alcohol sales exceed guidelines
• Irish alcohol bill passes committee stage
• Canada: Committee calls for content, labelling, and marketing restrictions
• ALCOHOL SNAPSHOT – How heavy drinking varies by income

UK alcohol consumption trend flat: MESAS 2018

The latest data on UK alcohol sales has been released by NHS Scotland, showing consumption appears to have stabilised since 2013 in England and Scotland.

The report states:

'After increasing over the 1990s and early 2000s, the volume of pure alcohol sold per adult in Scotland stabilised at around 11.6 litres per adult between 2005 and 2009. Following a period of decline to 2013, the volume of pure alcohol sold per adult has remained broadly stable and in 2017 was at a level similar to that seen in 1994.'

Tackling alcohol-related anti-social behaviour: new powers, old issues?

A new report released by Alcohol Concern/Alcohol Research UK explores the current use and issues over legal powers available to address alcohol-related Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB).

Download 'Tackling alcohol-related anti-social behaviour through Civil Injunctions and Criminal Behaviour Orders: A missed opportunity?' [pdf]

The Government estimates that alcohol misuse costs the criminal justice system £11bn every year, though the report states this is likely to be a significant under-estimation. Indeed the figure has been used since the 2003 Cabinet Analysis estimating total costs to society of £21 billion, though has since been subject to repeated calls for a comprehensive update.

Alcohol & Health: DDN special issue

The latest issue of Drink and Drugs News (DDN) includes a special feature on alcohol and health, aimed at raising awareness and understanding amongst professionals and individuals.

Supported by Alcohol Research UK, the introduction states:

'...heavy drinking can cause more than liver damage. Its impact on mental health, hypertension, and cancer risk are only now becoming widely recognised. The revised ‘low risk’ guidelines of 14 units per week for men and women reflect this growing awareness and are based on a comprehensive analysis of the full range of conditions associated with alcohol consumption. Of course, many people reading this supplement will be dealing with individuals drinking at far higher levels than those set out in the guidelines, and here the risks become very significant. However, the signs of harm are not always obvious, which is why a guide such as this is so important.'

Alcohol interventions and support within hospital settings: PHE & CLAHRC resources

Two new resources supporting the commissioning and delivery of alcohol interventions and support within hospital settings have been released.

Developing pathways for referring patients from secondary care to specialist alcohol treatment

The new Public Health England (PHE) resource to support the development of pathways for referral and care and for alcohol dependent patients. Given the recently initiated CQUIN to incentivise routine alcohol screening via Identification and Brief Advice (IBA), hospitals will expect to identify a proportion of dependent drinkers and should ensure they can offer the best possible referral and support.

The main sections of the resource include:

News & updates May 2108: treatment cuts, small measures, new strategy, MUP 'loopholes'

Selected media stories since the April roundup:

Analysis by the BBC found £162m (18%) has been cut from drug and alcohol treatment budgets in England since 2013-14, with budgeted spending falling from £877m in 2013-14 to £716m in 2017-18.

Severe funding cuts and a loss of qualified staff have pushed England’s alcohol treatment services to crisis point, a report published by Alcohol Concern warned. Problems could further worsen from 2020 due to the end of ring-fenced public health funding. LocalGov and APUK analysis.