Alcohol Policy UK

Drinkaware Monitor 2018: insights into UK drinking and behaviours

Drinkaware, the industry funded alcohol awareness charity, has published new findings from its series of Monitor reports aiming to explore drinking behaviours, attitudes and other insights amongst drinkers in England.

The latest Monitor 2018 report [pdf] focuses on drinking behaviours, lifestyle and moderation. Whilst other national statistics and various research explores a range of drinking prevalence and attitudes, the 2018 Monitor report gathers insights based on an online sample of 8,906 UK adults aged 18 to 85, using segmentation and other measures not used elsewhere.

CMO guidance for children and young people: an overlooked issue?

Issues around children and young people's drinking (CYP) are never far from the headlines, and certainly well-publicised declines in CYP's drinking have continued to attract media attention. However efforts to further protect CYP from alcohol harms appear to remain a policy priority despite challenges over evidence gaps and communication challenges.

This week Scotland's new national alcohol strategy was released, promising to 'put the voices of children and young people at the heart of developing preventative measures', whilst in the North East of England a new campaign was launched by Balance warning parents about the risks to their children from alcohol. The 'What's the harm' campaign, launched during Alcohol Awareness Week 2018, encourages parents to delay when children first start to drink, citing evidence on the harmful effects on early-onset drinking and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) guidance released in 2009 advising an alcohol-free childhood as best.

New Scottish national alcohol strategy framework 2018 published

The Scottish government has published a new alcohol framework 2018, outlining 20 key actions that seek to 'reduce consumption and minimise alcohol-related harm arising in the first place'.

The strategy has three key themes including 'reducing consumption', 'positive attitudes, positive choices' and 'supporting families and communities', and coincides with the latest figures on alcohol-related hospital admissions in Scotland of 35,499 in 2017/18. 

The strategy follows on from the implementation of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) earlier this year after a long running legal challenge by sections of the alcohol industry. The Ministerial foreword says that while MUP "will contribute towards the step-change we need to see in Scotland’s levels of alcohol-related harm, we have always been clear that it was not a ‘silver bullet’".

Alcohol Change UK launched as new national charity to reduce alcohol harm

The new charity formed as a merger of Alcohol Concern and Alcohol Research UK has ben announced as Alcohol Change UK. The charity says its vision is 'a world free from serious alcohol harm' and launches its new profile as Alcohol Awareness Week 2018 kicks off.

As part of the launch, the charity has released the Alcohol Change Report, which makes the case for 'change being not only needed, but possible'. The report sets out the charities approach to 'alcohol harm and how we will work with government, public bodies, organisations, charities and individuals to reduce it', and states it has three core values in doing so: 'Truthful: we seek and tell the truth', 'Compassionate: we care deeply about everyone seriously harmed by alcohol, whoever they are', and 'Ambitious: we are optimistic and determined'. Setting out how change happens, the report covers a number of key areas including:

SHAAP 'Dying for a Drink' & Alcohol Occasional seminars 2013–2018 reports

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.

Government consultation on airport alcohol sales

The Home Office is seeking evidence on 'alcohol-related disruptive behaviour at our airports and the impact airside alcohol licensing could have on reducing this problem'. Consultation document here [pdf].

The aim of the consultation is to allow the government to assess:

• the true scale of the problem of drunk and disruptive passengers at international airports in England and Wales
• the extent to which airports and airlines use effectively the existing statutory powers and other measures to address the problem
• the impact of these interventions as well as the proposed application of the Act

News & updates October 2018: Budget 2018, rehabs closing, sober months & pubs

Selected media stories since the September update:

News reports on the decline in young people's drinking were widespread following a new report to launch a new Sheffield research project. Almost a third of 16 to 24-year-olds in 2015 said they didn't drink, compared with around one in five in 2005, reported the BBC and. The Telegraph reported "getting drunk is no longer cool" and the BBC released a short video suggesting health-conscious ways of socialising are displacing drinking occasions. An NHS 'behind the headlines' review said the reasons behind the decline are not really known, whilst 28% of young people still reported drinking above adult recommended levels on at least 1 day in the week and the lack of change in drinking habits among young people who smoked was also notable.

Alcohol treatment in 2018: PHE inquiry explores continued falls

Public Health England (PHE) have released the latest national statistics for substance misuse, confirming a further fall in the number of people receiving alcohol treatment despite no significant change in estimated prevalence.

The new 2017/18 figures show 75,787 people received alcohol only treatment in England, down 6% from 80,454 on the previous year and down 17% from the peak of 91,651 in 2013/14. An additional PHE release also updates the estimated number of people with alcohol dependency deemed in need of treatment, indicating little change in national prevalence of 589,101.

IAS Alert October 2018: Budget freeze, liver disease, CSR & more

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

• COVER STORY – Budget freeze on beer, cider and spirits tax
• Liver disease still on the rise in England
• EU audiovisual law adopts light touch approach
• Even a little daily tipple raises mortality risk
• Just the tonic, thanks: More young people shun alcohol
• Pregnancy warning labels mandatory for all alcohol
• French medics demand help to fund alcohol prevention
• Cross-party parliamentary group publishes its Alcohol Charter
• Ireland passes Public Health (Alcohol) Bill
• Majority support higher alcohol taxes to fund public services
• Pre-watershed moment for alcohol ads ‘common’
• Alcohol industry CSR may do more harm than good
• SHAAP report examines Scottish alcohol mortality
• Number of 24-hour licensed premises creeps up