Selected media stories since the December 2018 round up:
Airlines are not serious about tackling alcohol-related problems on flights, according to research by Which?Travel, which puts Ryanair top for disruptive behaviour. Which? say one in ten passengers experienced bad behaviour on flights in the past year, yet many flight companies still seek to maximise onboard alcohol sales.
An easyJet flight attendant spoke to Which? anonymously, saying airlines only pay ‘lip service’ as airlines encourage staff to push alcohol sales, whilst reporting drunk or disorderly behaviour can mean unpaid hours of sitting around waiting to fill in additional paperwork. Closely behind Ryanair in the bad behaviour table was Thomas Cook, followed by Tui then Easyjet. The government is currently consulting on whether airports should remain exempt from the Licensing Act.
Health & Dry January
'Dry January: What are the benefits and drawbacks?, explored a BBC article asking a number of key academics. A month off can lead to tangible health benefits by the end of the month, according to some research, whilst others emphasised the importance of year-round drinking patterns in minimising risk. Meanwhile an article in Forbes on What the pros learned about Dry January suggests its popularity may also be on the rise in the US. See our post on Dry January in 2019.
A leading dental surgeon backed Dry January, or at least cutting down, highlighting the risks of regular drinking to oral health issues. “Drinking too much alcohol has been linked to an array of oral health problems including oral cancer, tooth decay and tooth erosion", according to Professor Michael Escudier.
The rise of low and no alcohol drinks was explored in a recent BBC radio 4 feature 'Weak, small and free: How no and low alcohol is finding power without strength'.
The issue of children affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) is a 'national emergency', according to a report in The Times (£). It calls for urgent action to address the issue of a lack of awareness amongst not just the public, but staff too. See here for recent FASD guidance.
Do people tell the truth about their drinking? Results from a YouGov poll suggests a quarter of Britons (27%) say they have told someone that they drink less alcohol than they actually do or did, versus six in ten (58%) who say they haven’t. Among those who have ever lied about drinking, two thirds (60%) lied to their GP – one in six (14%) have done so more than 5 times. However the survey methods may well raise some questions; indeed the British Social Attitudes survey, arguably considerably more robust, suggests 95% of people are either 'fairly' or 'very' comfortable talking to GPs about their drinking.
The launch of the Liverpool Centre for Alcohol Research, which included a talk from Adrian Chiles, was reported by ITV news, stating in 2010, there were 270 thousand years of life were lost (deaths under 75 years) due to alcohol.
Trade & industry
Pubs have been a regular news feature, as highlighted in our recent post on pubs and policy in 2019?. One BBC report asked Can pubs stand more Dry Januarys?, with one industry groups saying the campaign 'has hit pubs and breweries hard'. However other pubs had different takes; JD Wetherspoon said it "doesn't worry" about Dry January, noting its best-selling drink is Pepsi, with others saying they "embraced" Dry January, offering a wider selection of non-alcoholic beers, ciders and spirits. Another BBC article explored areas where pubs are 'bucking the trend' with numbers rising. See here for more on the picture of pubs in the UK.
Figures suggest 66m bottles of gin were sold last year, a 41% annual rise, according to the Guardian. It has fuelled a spirit-making boom that has led to the number of distilleries in England overtaking Scotland for the first time. The latest HMRC figures show that 54 new distilleries opened across the UK last year, with eight closures, taking the total in operation to 361.
"Violent street-drinkers have left people living in an area of Leeds afraid to go out", according to a BBC report claiming residents are living 'in fear'. The claims were part of an objection to an application by Krakus off-licence in Yorkshire to extend its alcohol sales to 24 hours a day. The decision is due to be made on the 15 January.
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