Selected media stories since the March roundup:
Lloyd's of London is setting out a new code of conduct 'calling time on drink and drugs', reports the BBC. It states the long established insurance firm 'is regarded as the last bastion of the financial district's boozy culture', but following further reports of inappropriate behaviours, anyone deemed under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be barred from the building.
More than 1 million older motorists admit to driving while drunk, according to The Independent. Research by Direct Line Motor Insurance also found that the problem could be more widespread, with a further 3.6 million drivers over 55 admitting they thought they could have been over the limit while behind the wheel.
Minimum unit pricing has delivered 'a hammer blow to white cider in Scotland' since it was introduced on May 1, 2018, reports Drinks Retailing News. The BBC asked 'Have new laws changed alcohol habits?', based on a familiar selection of anecdotes. The Scottish National said 'we are a healthier country' one year on, whilst a range of media queued up to declare MUP 'hasn't worked', omitting a number of notable issues. More here [pdf] via SHAAP's weekly media round up.
A judge gave a serial drink-driver a chance to avoid jail because she is a woman, reported the BBC. Victoria Parry, 30, hit three other cars after drinking a bottle of wine. The Judge Sarah said Parry, who had escaped an abusive relationship, would have gone "straight down the stairs" to jail if she were a man and was given three months to address her issues. The case is facing a judicial review.
Health
Former Wales football international David Cotterill has revealed he has been battling problems with alcohol and depression, reports the BBC. Alcohol, he said, was a means for him to cope with the pressures of professional football. "There are so many emotions going on and I found thought drinking was helping my situation but it made things a lot worse", he said. Cotterill is launching a foundation to promote greater awareness within football.
Teachers are turning to alcohol and prescribed drugs to cope with workplace bullying, reports The Independent. Four in five teachers have been victims of bullying in the past year, the NASUWT teaching union said, results from the poll of nearly 2,000 teachers revealed.
Heavier drinkers are more likely to pair up and stay with other heavy drinkers, also more commonly sharing a gene linked to heavy drinking, according to research as reported in the Mail. However, the researchers point out that variants of ADH1B is also linked to other factors that could influence our choice of partner including the variant being linked to being from a poorer background.
A team of alcohol researchers and clinicians from South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) have won the mental health team of the year award at the 2019 BMJ Awards. The team developed an ‘alcohol assertive outreach’ service at SLaM that helps alcohol-dependent patients and in turn cost savings for the NHS.
Pubs, drinking & industry
Pubs are continuing to close, with 900 lost in 2018, reports the Guardian. Although this represents a slowdown in decline from 2017, the total number of pubs in England and Wales was 41,536 on 1 January 2019, representing a fall of 1,530 since April 2017. The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) said business rate increases were forcing publicans to lay off staff, increase prices and hold off investment.
A BBC Timeshift documentary on The Rules of Drinking, is available on Iplayer, which digs into the archive to discover the unwritten rules that have governed the way we drink in Britain, from 1940s pubs and clubs to drinking at home or at work.
'Why is everyone suddenly such an alco-bore?', asked a comment piece in the Telegraph. 'If you are ...sober, part time sober, drinking more mindfully – you’ll certainly be letting people know about it, because there is now kudos in being aware of your intake and limiting it' the piece states, ostensibly satirising the rising popularity of mindful and health conscious drinkers.
A sign for the alcohol-free section in a Welsh Asda store was incorrectly translated to "free alcohol" in Welsh, reports the BBC. The sign - which should have read di-alcohol, instead read alcohol am ddim.
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott has apologised for drinking a mojito on public transport in London, reports ITV. A photograph of the Labour frontbencher on an Overground train with a premixed cocktail was published on The Sun’s website. Transport for London (TfL) introduced an alcohol ban on all public transport in the capital in 2008.
A whisky advert showing a man leaping off a cliff has been banned for promoting "risky behaviour", reports the BBC. The Macallan ad showed the man falling towards the ground before sprouting wings and flying away, but the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the advert was irresponsible.
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