A recent BMJ study exploring the level of harm people experience from other people's drinking has attracted widespread media coverage.
The findings, based on data from the Alcohol Toolkit Study, indicate one in five people in England have been harmed by others drinking over the past year. Whilst being kept awake at night (8%) or feeling anxious/uncomfortable at a social occasion (nearly 7%) were the most common harms, these problems could still contribute to health issues, whilst nearly one in 20 people reported experiencing threats or acts aggression.
Most harms occurred less than monthly but some harms were experienced daily or almost daily (5.2%). Men (5%) were slightly more likely than women (4%) to experience violence or aggression while women were about twice as likely as men to say they had experienced emotional harm (5% v 2%). Friends and strangers were perpetrators for around 46% of all reports, whilst work colleagues were the least reported perpetrators (3.7%).
A range of factors were identified as associated with a greater risk of harm, including younger age, risky or harmful drinking, being white British, being educated, and living in private rented accommodation. Having children in the household was associated with lower levels of harm from others, as was being retired compared to being employed. Having a disability was also associated with experiencing any harm including aggressive harm, reportedly the first study to identify this association, although wider evidence indicates those with disabilities are more commonly victims of harm from others in general.
A comment piece in the Guardian explored the issue in the context of observations about Britain's drinking culture and high profile personal stories from those such as John Ashworth MP. The piece called for a clearer understanding of the ways in which alcohol can impact our and our loved one's health and wellbeing, concluding that 'a more open and honest conversation about it would be a good start.'
Prof Ian Gilmore stated, “The Government needs to take action and introduce a range of targeted, evidence-based measures, including minimum unit pricing, which would raise the price of the cheapest, strongest alcohol products and would go some of the way to reducing the alcohol-related harms people are suffering.”
An overlooked issue?
Whilst the latest study strengthens the evidence base concerning harm to others, the issue has featured in previous calls for action. In 2015 a report released by the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) said the extent of alcohol harms experienced as a result of other people's drinking costs the UK economy more than £15bn each year, identifying similar themes for the North East and Scotland as the latest study.
A recent BMC blog, following a study on alcohol's harm to others in Germany, highlighted possible policy responses with a concluding emphasis on the need for further prevention. In 2009 then Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson called for minimum pricing by highlighting alcohol's harms to others, which he termed 'passive drinking', whilst alcohol's harm to others earned it the title of most harmful drug in the 2010 drug rankings by harm.
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