Alcohol Policy UK

Newly defined at-risk drinkers following the change to the UK low risk drinking guidelines: who and what to do?

In this guest blog, Philippa Case, a researcher at University College London, explores findings from a new study on ‘newly defined at-risk drinkers’ following a change to the UK’s low risk drinking guidelines.

Alcohol guidelines have existed in the UK since 1984 in various forms.  These guidelines exist to help people make informed choices about drinking alcohol by highlighting potential alcohol-related health risks. Guidelines also help health care practitioners assess and advise patients around their alcohol consumption as alcohol brief interventions have become a popular component of alcohol strategies in the UK and beyond.

Hangovers cost society £1.4 billion says IAS

A new report from the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) says the cost of hangovers is up to £1.4 billion a year, with as many as 89,000 people may be turning up to work hungover or under the influence of alcohol every day.

Download 'The cost of workplace hangovers and intoxication to the UK economy' [pdf]

Key findings from a survey of 3,400 British workers that found:

News & updates May 2019: Love Island new alcohol rules, binge drinking, 'boozy' sports fans, Bristol alcohol ban protest & more

Selected media stories since the April roundup:

A range of media reports covered Scotland's minimum unit pricing (MUP) one year after it came into force. The BBC asked if the new alcohol laws had changed drinking habits, whilst others including The Times implied the policy was not working owing to rises in consumption. Others however reflected nuances, including larger consumption rises in England coinciding with the hot summer and football world cup, and big hits on drink types such as white cider in Scotland. See APUK's analysis MUP one year on: speculation, spin & evidence?.

Britons 'get drunk' more often than 35 other nations, The Guardian and others reported, following Global Drug Survey 2019 findings. Britons get drunk an average of 51 times a years, compared to an average of 33 times across all respondents. Britons also topped the table for cocaine use, with Harry Sumnall, of Liverpool John Moores University, warning of the harms from the drug 'especially when mixed with alcohol'. See APUK analysis of the GDS findings here.

Alcohol harm to others: 1 in 5 experience harm in the last year

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.

Preventing binge drinking in nightlife settings: lessons for the UK?

A new guidance resource for reducing alcohol-related problems in nightlife settings has been released, based on findings from a pan-European project including partners in England.

Download 'STAD in Europe: a manual for communities preventing alcohol related harm' [PDF].

The STAD (STockholm prevents Alcohol and Drug problems) project involved seven European pilots following the original Swedish community-approach to address binge drinking in nightlife settings, first developed in Stockholm in the late 1990's.

'Count 14' NHS Scotland campaign & debate on the future of alcohol guidelines

NHS Scotland has launched a new campaign to promote awareness of the recommended guidelines, whilst the journal Addiction has published a set of open access commentaries debating how drinking guidelines should be developed and communicated.

The new 'count 14' campaign follows several years of regular debate about alcohol health risks and their communication since the revised guidelines of 14 units per week, spread over three days or more, were announced by the Chief Medical Officer in 2016. Whilst based on epidemiological evidence indicating drinking at around the guideline level broadly reflects a 1% increased risk of dying from an alcohol-related condition over a lifetime, issues raised range from the interpretation of the available evidence itself through to how such messages should form policy or behaviour change approaches.

Portman Group release new code of practice: labelling changes ahead?

The alcohol industry body the Portman Group, which oversees aspects of alcohol marketing self-regulation, has published the sixth version of its Code of Practice on the Naming, Packaging and Promotion of Alcoholic Drinks.

The code applies to alcohol promoted or marketed by producers in the UK and joint promotions with retailers from September 2019. Changes to the code include an overall principle of not appealing to vulnerable groups, whilst products should not cause serious or widespread offence, suggest any association with illegal behaviour, or claim to have mind-altering qualities or suggest that it will change mood or behaviour.

Alcohol-related violent crime 2018: still a national priority?

The latest figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) 2019 indicate victims of crime believed the perpetrator(s) to be under the influence of alcohol in 39% of 561,000 violent incidents (218,790) for the year 2017/18. See here for an IAS thread summarising the key figures.

The proportion is similar to the previous year when 40% of victims believed the perpetrator(s) to be under the influence, but lower than the 53% in 2013/14. Last year we speculated as to whether such falls could be linked to the decline in consumption since 2004, but the complex picture behind the overall trend includes extensive changes in definitions and recording of crime.

Statistics on Alcohol England 2019

The annual Statistics on Alcohol for England 2019 has been released, detailing national data for key alcohol-related indicators and health harms including the latest Local Alcohol Profiles for England (LAPE) data update and reported by The Independent and The Guardian.

The 2019 national statistics are no longer available to download as a report, but mostly compiles data from previously released data summarised in web page sections on:

• Part 1: Alcohol-related hospital admissions
• Part 2: Alcohol-specific deaths
• Part 3: Alcohol-related prescriptions
• Part 4: Drinking behaviours among adults
• Part 5: Drinking behaviours among children
• Part 6: Road casualties involving illegal alcohol levels
• Part 7: Expenditure and affordability

News & updates January 2019: airline 'double standards', pubs, Dry January, gin & more

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.