Selected media stories since the October update:
News reports on Scotland's Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP), implemented earlier this year, have been telling various stories about its impact. The Herald led with a headline that a 'surge' in the notorious 'tonic wine' Buckfast had resulted from MUP, leading to criticisms of the policy. However the article states 'the reality appears to be more complex, however', pointing out that while Buckfast sales rose by around 17%, Frosty Jacks white cider sales 'slumped from an average of 240 a day in 2017 to around 24 per day in 2018', as also reported in the Scottish Sun.
The Herald also included quotes from Colin Angus of the Sheffield Alcohol Group who said a more relevant comparison would be with England where MUP is not currently in place, and where alcohol sales "rose by substantially more over the same period, suggesting that in the absence of MUP we might have seen a bigger rise in drinking in Scotland." However Angus also warned that it was too early to draw conclusions on the impact of MUP, and that " the real test of MUP will be in how drinking in Scotland changes over the next few years".
Drink adverts in Scotland could be banned on TV before the 9pm watershed the BBC reported following Scotland's new national alcohol strategy. However marketing regulation is reserved to Westminster, so the Scottish government need to ask the UK government to act or devolve powers to Holyrood. Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said the UK government was already committed to introducing a 9pm watershed for unhealthy food product advertising, and he would press for this to be extended to include alcohol.
Cuts to drug and alcohol treatment budgets has led to a 'desperate crisis', reported the Guardian in response to the latest figures on the numbers of people receiving drug and alcohol support. “The situation in terms of funding has been very tough for quite a few years and it’s time to protect and invest in alcohol treatment services” said Steve Moffatt, public policy manager at Addaction.
Treatment cuts are also hitting hospital alcohol services, reports the Nursing Times. Challenges are also being presented by the merging of alcohol and drug services, potentially putting alcohol service users off, whilst the pool of nurses in England is drying up, leading to substance misuse treatment providers facing additional challenges in recruiting.
Letting children try alcohol at home won’t deter binge drinking, reports the Guardian. The warning comes from health campaigners in the north-east of England, who have launched a campaign aimed at parents called What’s the Harm, aims to raise awareness of CMO guidance that an alcohol-free childhood is best. Only 1 in 20 parents are aware of it according to Balance, whose Director Colin Shevills says "People mention the French way of giving children alcohol – but France actually has twice the rate of alcohol dependence of the UK.” See the APUK analysis here.
The headline 'how to curb your drinking on winter nights' appeared in the Guardian, reporting on a study identifying a correlation between heavier drinking and lower temperatures and fewer sunshine hours. However academics cautioned drawing conclusions from the findings on, highlighting the wide range of influences on drinking behaviours, including price and cultural factors.
Young workers in Scotland believe not drinking alcohol can hinder their career prospects as they can no longer socialise with their bosses after work, reports Glasgow Live. Over a quarter of Scottish workers aged 25-34 said they thought abstaining from booze dented their hopes of promotion.
A pilot who was ten times over the limit attempted to fly a passenger jet from Heathrow was jailed for 10 months, reports the Independent. The pilot was stopped before flying after showing signs of and was reportedly caught gargling mouthwash to cover up the smell of alcohol on his breath.
Alcohol poisoning amongst children is on the rise in Northern Ireland according to the BBC. It says over the last six years 300 children were treated, up almost a fifth since 2013, despite a 40% drop in overall admissions.
A historical exploration of 'booze and bad behaviour' is explored in a Wellcome Collection article on alcohol policy and drinking changes. 'The human love of alcohol – although not of its most destructive effects – has a long history, and we’ve always found ways round efforts to ban or control consumption. But after 9,000 years, there are signs that booze might finally be getting a little boring.'
Drinks and industry
There will be no changes to the descriptors for low and no alcohol products, the Department of Health has ruled according to Drinks Retailing News. This follows a consultation held earlier this year as current rules expire, but the decision to keep to the existing definitions was criticised by the Portman Group as "retaining outdated and confusing product descriptors".
Brewdog, the ever-growing maverick beer brewer and venue company, is now moving into whisky and rum, reports the BBC. At least 50 distilleries recently opened or are planned to open in Scotland, whilst many are producing gin as a way of gaining cash while whisky is being matured.
The invention of gin baubles 'make our lives complete', reports the Independent. Several companies are producing versions of the Christmas tree decoration filled with gin, with one reportedly producing 'more than a million gin-filled baubles ready for the festive season'.
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