Alcohol Policy UK

Events & dates 2017/2018 & Alcohol Research UK Research Innovation Grants programme

Forthcoming events & dates

On 12 December 2017 an event 'Tackling alcohol and addictions through applied health research' is hosted  by King's College London and NIHR CLAHRC South London. The half-day conference will showcase current work iand provide a platform for PhD students to discuss the challenges of completing a PhD and  present their projects. Further details and registration here.

On Tuesday 23rd January 2018 the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) and Centre for Mental Health is hosting an event on 'Alcohol and mental health'. The event will highlight new research findings and the issues facing alcohol and mental health services. The event is invite only but if you are interested in attending contact Kellie Donaldson (e-mail [email protected] / tel 02072224001.

News & updates November 2017: minimum pricing green light, research in the news, alcohol free wines & more

Selected media stories since the October round-up:

Minimum Unit Pricing in Scotland

Big alcohol policy news in November came with the Supreme Court's judgement to allow minimum unit pricing (MUP) in Scotland. As the Guardian put it: The UK supreme court has backed the Scottish government’s plans to introduce a minimum price . After a five-year legal battle against the plans led by the Scotch Whisky Association, the court ruled that minimum pricing was legal on health grounds under EU law. The seven judges unanimously agreed it was “a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim”. See our coverage here and an Alcohol Concern explainer here.

News & updates October 2017: soberocracy, hangover-free prosecco, gin pong, rise of the micropub

Selected news and media stories since the September roundup:

We are witnessing the rise of a 'soberocracy' suggested the Telegraph at the start of Macmillan Cancer Support's 'Go Sober for October' initiative, whose popularity, and that of Alcohol Concern's 'Dry January', make 'the seemingly ingrained British belief that nights out and nights in both require alcohol [look] increasingly anachronistic'.

News & updates September 2017: Gin trends, stealth drinking, millennials, draft wine, pubs

Selected news and media stories since the August roundup:

A survey by Evenbrite says millennials consume 'just five units' of alcohol each week, reported Mailonline. Some 90 per cent see getting drunk as 'uncool' and a quarter believe it is 'pathetic' and 'embarrassing' when someone has had too much.

Hospital admissions linked to liver damage have doubled in a decade, according to new figures which also show that people from Blackpool are nearly eight times as likely to die from liver disease as those from Norfolk, reported the Telegraph.

News & updates March 2017: moderate drinking benefits?, marketing to children; labelling; fraud; & the Brexit booze cruise

Selected media stories since the February roundup:

The question of 'Is moderate drinking good for the heart?' returned to the headlines following new research finding non-drinkers were more likely to need treatment for certain cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, heart failure and angina, compared to people who drank alcohol within the previous weekly guidelines of 21 and 14 units per week for men and women. An NHS 'behind the headlines' analysis though emphasised such studies cannot prove alcohol consumption or lack of it is a direct cause of cardiovascular disease as non-drinkers were more likely to be from deprived areas, to have diabetes or be obese.

Alcohol Research UK funding calls & new Alcohol Research Grapevine

Alcohol Research UK funding calls: research grants & studentships

Applications are open for the 2016 Alcohol Research UK Research Innovation Grants programme, which must be received by 1 November 2016.

DCLG report on 'Alcohol Fund' project to tackle binge and underage drinking: money well spent?

Findings from a £1 million project to support ten key areas to tackle alcohol-related problems have been released by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG).

Not to be confused with the Home Office led Local Alcohol Action Areas (LAAAs), the ten main 'alcohol fund' areas were announced in 2012 as a two year project led by Baroness Newlove, the Government's Champion for Active, Safer Communities and pledged in the Government Alcohol Strategy. 

Download the The Alcohol fund: end of project report slides [pdf]

The overall aims of the project were to 'develop sustainable community-based approaches to tackle problem drinking' and 'test innovative ideas' involving partnership approaches to:

• Education & awareness raising (incl. youth education work)
• Youth work – outreach & diversionary activities
• Youth work – targeted work for those already with alcohol misuse issues
• Targeting hardened drinkers / street drinkers
• Police led operations
• Responsible retailing of alcohol
• Night-time economy
• Better use of data / info-sharing

Expected outcomes according to the end of project report were a 'direct measurable reduction in anti-social behaviour' and evidence of partnership working. However the 2012 announcement also detailed outcomes including fewer A&E admissions, reduced consumption by young people and reduced proxy sales. The report does acknowledge 'accessing A&E figures has been an issue for some areas'.

Evaluation, evidence and effectiveness?

The report gives a summary of the activity undertaken in the participating areas as well outcomes (or output) data. The summaries capture a range of activity relating to the various work strand areas, with young people focused educational activities appearing the most common.

Critics of the project might be keen to point out the limited evidence to support education or awareness based approaches, as well as the sparse detailing of actual outcomes or 'innovative ideas which can be disseminated more widely'. Questions also exist over partnership working as a valid focus of activity in itself, and one might expect more of a report following £1million worth of activity (assuming there is nothing further to be released).

On the other hand, demonstrating the impact of alcohol action is indeed difficult, and work to support and engage young people may have broader value than just its possible impact on alcohol use. Activities to reduce alcohol-related crime and disorder too can be valid for addressing both actual or perceived levels of crime, whilst making local alcohol action happen does indeed tend to require partnerships and resources. The report identifies that the project kick-started local action in some areas and levered in extra funding in others. 

However the project may still be prone to the same criticisms as the 2012 Government Alcohol Strategy that announced it; a heavy focus on crime and disorder and young people may be seen as alcohol policy influenced more by politics than evidence.

Events & dates: New Directions 2015; Where next for IBA; GAPA 2015 & studentships

New Directions 2015 conference  

The New Directions in the Study of Alcohol Group (NDSAG) has announced its 39th Annual Conference 2015 [pdf] which will take place in London on 21st and 22nd of May.

The conference will explore a range of areas, including the headline theme 'Addicted to Recovery?', looking at the latest research on alcohol addiction in the context of the recovery agenda, related addictions, policy, and practice.

Confirmed speakers are to include: Prof. Keith Humphreys (Stanford University, USA), Prof. Anne Lingford Hughes (Imperial College, London), Prof. Marc Lewis (Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands), Prof. David Best (Sheffield Hallam University and Monash University, Australia), Prof. Colin Drummond (National Addiction Centre, Kings College London), Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones (National Problem Gambling Clinic, UK), Tim Leighton (Action on Addiction, UK), Alistair Sinclair (UK Recovery Federation), Clive Henn (Alcohol Policy Team, Public Health England), Dr Niamh Fitzgerald (University of Stirling, Scotland) and more. 

See the New Directions website for more details and future announcements including the annual Ron McKechnie prize which offers a full conference bursary.

Alcohol brief intervention: where next for IBA?  

The Alcohol Academy are organising a national conference to explore key issues facing the delivery and implementation of 'Identification and Brief Advice' (IBA) in the UK. The event will take place on Monday 20th April in Birmingham. Formal registration will open shortly but you can register your interest by contacting [email protected] or see the event flyer [pdf] for more information. 

Global Alcohol Policy Conference 2015 

The Global Alcohol Policy Alliance (GAPA) and Alcohol Focus Scotland are to co-host the next Global Alcohol Policy Conference which will be held in Edinburgh from 7-9 October 2015.

'Momentum for change: research and advocacy reducing alcohol harm' will look at key themes including: Implementing Effective Alcohol Policies; Barriers to Implementing Effective Alcohol Policies; Building Support for Protecting Children’s Right to Grow Up Free from Alcohol Marketing & Building a Global Network.

Prospective presenters are encouraged to submit abstracts in relation to new research, effective advocacy approaches and national or global policy. The abstract submission deadline is 6 March 2015. For more information and booking (from late January) visit the conference website: www.gapc2015.com.

BSA alcohol research methods event 

The British Sociological Association (BSA) are holding Alcohol Explorations: A Research Methods Workshop which will take place at in London on Friday February 27 2015. The event is aimed at academics interested in alcohol research methods, exploring issues such as 'how can sociological research help us to understand the complex subjective, embodied and sensory experiences of drunkenness and intoxication?'. See the flyer here or contact Dr. Thomas Thurnell-Read for more details.

Research & studentships

Alcohol Research UK are inviting universities to apply for one of three jointly-funded research studentships for studies commencing in the academic year 2015/16. Each studentship will offer £7,000 per year match funding for three years, to enable a student to undertake research in the alcohol field leading to a PhD. Please see the prospectus for full details. The deadline for receipt of applications is 26th January 2015.

The Centre for Public Health at the Faculty of Education, Health and Community, Liverpool John Moores University, is organising its first Public Heath PhD Symposium and doctoral students are currently invited to submit abstracts.

Big Lottery Fund awards £25 million to address alcohol misuse amongst older people

The Big Lottery Fund has announced £25 million to support alcohol-related harm prevention and awareness programme for the over fifties, in partnership with Addaction.

The funding will be part of a 'Rethink Good Health' programme, a UK-wide initiative which aims to 'help inform policy and practice about preventing alcohol-related harm in later life, improve health and wellbeing of people aged 50 and over who are at risk of developing alcohol problems and help build more effective services aimed at alcohol-related issues'. 

The seven year programme will include 'flagship' work taking place in Glasgow, Sheffield, Devon, South Wales and Northern Ireland - Addaction are currently recruiting for roles in Devon and Glasgow.

Simon Antrobus, Chief Executive of Addaction, said:

Problem drinking doesn’t happen in isolation – there are always other factors involved. This is especially true for the over 50s who can end up drinking at harmful levels as they face challenging life transitions such as retirement, the loss of a loved one or loneliness.

A recent report from Keele and UCL explored influences on older adult's drinking as an area of increasing significance within an ageing population. In 2012 an Alcohol Research UK report on working with older drinkers explored alcohol problems and treatment needs need amongst older adults whilst last year an Alcohol Concern briefing warned of a 150% rise in hospital admissions for over 60’s with alcohol related mental health problems. A report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists advised over 65's should not drink more than 1.5 units of alcohol a day and have a leaflet outlining the key alcohol issues and risks for older people.

A recent Telegraph report warned over the 'hidden toll of alcoholism among elderly middle class women, partly fuelled by the growth of online shopping delivery services.'

A channel 4 news report also looked at alcohol problems in older adults, and commissioned a poll on the reasons why the over 60s drink versus under 30s. See it's report on one older drinker's battle with alcohol dependency.

See all Alcohol Policy UK Older People posts here.

Alcohol Concern report asks questions over local funding for alcohol services under new commissioning systems

A new Alcohol Concern report looking at the impact of the public health transfer suggests the local strategic prioritisation of alcohol may not be being matched by investment in services. It found that although most local authorities say they expect alcohol funding to stay the same or increase, many treatment providers were concerned or had recently experienced cuts.

The report, 'A measure of change: an evaluation of the impact of the public health transfer to local authorities on alcohol', documents findings from a first wave survey sent out to 30 of the 152 upper tier local authorities. The findings aim to explore the levels of prioritisation and funding of alcohol across areas with various levels of harm. The survey was also sent to Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and treatment providers in the same areas.

Tom Smith Policy Programme Manager at Alcohol Concern said:

“As may have been expected, spending on alcohol services remained unchanged in many areas in the first year after the public health transfer to local authorities but there are anxieties, certainly from treatment providers, about the future.

“It is a real concern for the future that those local authority areas battling against the worst levels of alcohol-related harm are the least likely to expect increased funding for alcohol.

“Alcohol misuse has a huge impact on local communities so it’s vital that local authorities recognise this and create joined up strategies to address all the issues. Both treatment and prevention services need to be given clear prioritisation and responsibility must not be allowed to fall between the gaps of local bodies and service’s remits.”

The report follows a recent survey by Alcohol Concern that found that although most key local needs assessment documents recognised alcohol, most did not go far enough to address the full impact of alcohol misuse.

Indeed it seems that whilst many areas identify the need to address alcohol harms as a priority, a mixed local picture looks set to remain the norm. Issues such as funding constraints, the recently uprooted commissioning landscape, and arguably no central pressure or targets may be considered the current key challenges - many others have been previously identified in this 2009 research on the Orientation and Integration of Alcohol Policy.

Last year Alcohol Concern also published a Guide to Alcohol for Councillors to help them address alcohol harm within the new landscape. NICE has a comprehensive set of alcohol guidance and quality standards, including alcohol pathways and further tools. NICE have also released Public Health alcohol guidance for local authorities.