Events & dates 2018: DARC framing risk, European Alcohol Policy, MCA, SSA, Club Soda & more

Forthcoming alcohol conferences and events in 2018:

[update] Putting communities in charge of alcohol: a health champion model

On the 6 November in Manchester, an event will explore a current project developing community capacity through Alcohol Health Champions (AHC's) across Greater Manchester. The project is led by the University of Salford and others with support from the Econonomic & Social Research Council (ESRC). Drawing on the lay expertise of the audience, it will explore the barriers and facilitators to implementing an asset based community development (ABCD) approach to improving health outcomes. Further information and booking here.

[update] 'Dying for a drink': SHAAP report launch

On Friday 26 October in Edinburgh, an event organised by Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) will launch its report: 'Dying for a drink' on alcohol mortality in Scotland. There were 1,235 alcohol-related deaths in Scotland in 2017, and 3,705 alcohol-attributable deaths in 2015. The report was compiled over several months by an expert group and delivered to the Scottish Government in September 2018; it will lead work to enhance understanding of alcohol-related deaths in Scotland. See here for registration.

Forthcoming alcohol conferences and events in 2018:

[update] Putting communities in charge of alcohol: a health champion model

On the 6 November in Manchester, an event will explore a current project developing community capacity through Alcohol Health Champions (AHC's) across Greater Manchester. The project is led by the University of Salford and others with support from the Econonomic & Social Research Council (ESRC). Drawing on the lay expertise of the audience, it will explore the barriers and facilitators to implementing an asset based community development (ABCD) approach to improving health outcomes. Further information and booking here.

[update] 'Dying for a drink': SHAAP report launch

On Friday 26 October in Edinburgh, an event organised by Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) will launch its report: 'Dying for a drink' on alcohol mortality in Scotland. There were 1,235 alcohol-related deaths in Scotland in 2017, and 3,705 alcohol-attributable deaths in 2015. The report was compiled over several months by an expert group and delivered to the Scottish Government in September 2018; it will lead work to enhance understanding of alcohol-related deaths in Scotland. See here for registration.

Alcohol and Public Health: Framing and communicating risk

On 20 November Middlesex University's Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (DARC) is holding a conference aiming to explore how complex research findings on risk factors are translated into public communication and related issues. It will also explore factors which influence how public communication is framed and the ethical dilemmas that may arise in the processes of selection and interpretation of research findings for public communication. See here for the Alcohol and Public Health: Framing and communicating risk conference programme 2018 [pdf]

European Alcohol Policy Conference

The 8th European Alcohol Policy Conference (8EAPC), ‘Enlightened Alcohol Policy for the 21st Century’, is to be held in Edinburgh on 20 and 21 November. SHAAP (Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems) and Eurocare (The European Alcohol Policy Alliance) are the organisers of the conference, which 'draws on the city’s tradition for evidence-based forward-thinking rooted in the age of Enlightenment, and is aimed at stimulating debate and policies linked to a variety of modern alcohol-linked problems'.

It is anticipating around 300 delegates, and presentations will be made by Government ministers and officials, representatives from the World Health Organization, the European Commission and leading NGOs, as well as top academics and authors. See here for further details.

Medical Council on Alcohol (MCA) 'Risky Drinking' Symposium

On 14 November 2018, the Medical Council on Alcohol is holding a symposium on 'Risky Drinking' in London. The programme will include Professor Roger Williams on the Lancet Commission on the Liver, Clive Henn from PHE on public health and the PHE’s CQUIN programme, Professor Ketan Patel on the recent elucidation of the molecular basis of alcohol in cancer causation, Dr John Holmes on risk, guideline development and implementation and Professor Colin Drummond on alcohol treatment services. The 2018 Max Glatt memorial lecture will be given by Dr Jane Marshall, consultant psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. See here for more information or details on the programme and booking.

Yorkshire & Humber alcohol symposium

On 16th October a regional event for Yorkshire & Humber hosted by Public Health England explores 'Alcohol: affordable, available and widely acceptable. So what’s our problem?'. The event is 'the first in a short season of events exploring the current extent and nature of damage to our communities fuelled by alcohol, what’s already happening to reduce harm and opportunities for joint action'. See here for further details and event registration.

International & other

Club Soda's first Mindful Drinking Festival in Scotland takes place on Saturday October 13th at The Briggate in Glasgow. The event will see over 25 brands, a cocktail bar, celebrity panels and workshops. Read more about the event on Facebook or at www.mindfuldrinkingfestival.com.

The Society for the Study of Addictions (SSA) annual conference takes place from the 8-9 November 2018 in Newcastle including a keynote on How the use of new technologies changes the treatment of alcohol use disorders (AUD). See here for more information and booking. The SSA is also seeking nominations for a new SSA-supported project on Women and Addiction.