Two recent reports have been released by Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP), a body guided by the Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland seeking action to reduce alcohol harm.
'Dying for a drink'
Last month SHAAP launched a new report, 'Dying for a drink’ [pdf], commissioned by the Scottish Government, exploring alcohol deaths in Scotland and recommendations for future action. There were 1,235 alcohol-related deaths in Scotland in 2017, and 3,705 alcohol-attributable deaths in 2015. Whilst deaths had peaked at around 1,500 in the mid-2000s and declined until around 2012, three of the four years to 2016 saw increases, with 2017 rates roughly double those of 1991.
The report was compiled by an expert group and delivered to the Scottish Government in September 2018 and aims to lead work to enhance understanding of alcohol-related deaths in Scotland. It includes a rapid literature review and also draws on interviews with those affected to highlight the personal tragedies of alcohol-related deaths. It also calls for more ‘professional optimism’ to recognise that people can recover from alcohol problems and to support that process.
Alcohol Occassionals 2013-2018
A report compiling 'Occasionals' lectures from 2013 - 2018 [pdf] has been published, covering a range of themes including:
- Alcohol and Young People (2013/14 seminars)
- Alcohol and Mental Health (2014/15 seminars)
- Alcohol, Europe and the World (2015/16 seminars)
- Alcohol and Health Inequalities (2016/17 seminars)
- Alcohol and Social Justice (2017/18)
Forthcoming Occassionals for 2018/19 cover the theme of 'Recovery', aiming to showcase innovative research on alcohol use and provide the chance for researchers, practitioners and policy makers and members of the public to hear and discuss alcohol related topics. Next week sees the 8th European Alcohol Policy Conference (8EAPC), ‘Enlightened Alcohol Policy for the 21st Century’, is to be held in Edinburgh.
Last year SHAAP released a 'top 20 manifesto' for policy action on alcohol with a particular emphasis on price, availability and marketing action, and have previously published a range of other reports such as the impact of alcohol on the adolescent brain. New national alcohol strategies are expected for both Scotland and England.
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