Alcohol Policy UK

Public Health and licensing in Scotland: tackling 'overprovison'?

New research exploring the experiences of public health professionals involved in local Scottish licensing details the complexities and challenges involved in efforts to see health considered in licensing decisions.

Uniquely, Scotland has a public health objective within its licensing legislation, which applies particularly to the concept of  'overprovision' of premises in a given area. However, experiences on the ground reveal challenges in both interpreting and applying the legislation, including the extent to which public health evidence is seen as relevant in the context of local decision-making.

Local Alcohol Profiles for England 2017: sales, premises & drinking data

Further data has been released for the Local Alcohol Profiles for England (LAPE), providing geographical data on off-sales, licensed premises and adult drinking. Public Health England recently released LAPE data on hospital admissions and mortality to support local level activity.

Key findings include:

• 25.7% of adults in England regularly drank over 14 units per week in 2011-2014.
• 15.5% of adults in England abstained from drinking alcohol in 2011-2014.
• 16.5% of adults in England were binge drinking on their heaviest day from 2011-2014.
• 10.6 units of alcohol per adult per week were sold through the off-trade in England in 2014.

IAS Alert January 2017: marketing, high strength, women in the media, labelling & more

The latest Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) Alcohol Alert: January 2017 is now available (here for PDF version). Read the editorial here and articles below:

• TOP STORY: Alcohol marketing rules failing to protect our youth

• Community Alcohol Partnerships “likely to be ineffective”

• Alcohol marketing in Africa violates industry's own marketing codes

• Number of festive drink drivers in Scotland up

News & updates November 2016: MUP, remote monitoring, tax debates, video games, AlcoPatch & more

Selected media stories since the October roundup:

News & policy reports

Sections of the alcohol industry have prolonged the fight against Scotland's plans for minimum alcohol pricing (MUP). The Scotch Whisky Association said it had a "strong view that minimum pricing is incompatible with EU law" and would appeal, but Health Secretary Shona Robison said the decision was "deeply disappointing". BBC news and APUK analysis.

At least half of the alcohol sold in Scotland is below the sought 50 pence MUP, a survey suggests. More than two-thirds (69%) of the spirits currently sold fall below the 50p per unit threshold, according to analysts Nielsen - BBC news

Licensing figures 2016: number of licensed premises continues to rise

The Home Office recently released 2016 statistics on alcohol and late night refreshment licensing in England and Wales, showing a further small but steady rise in the total number of licensed premises. Reviews of premises potentially causing problems have continued to decline, though the reasons behind this are unclear.

As of 31 March 2016 there were 210,000 premises licences in England and Wales, an increase of 3% (up 5,500) compared with 31 March 2014 when the data was last submitted by Local Authorities. The Home Office reports this is a 'broadly increasing trend seen since 31 March 2010' when 202,000 premises were recorded.

Second phase of 'Local Alcohol Action Areas' (LAAA) open

The Home Office has written to Local Authorities inviting them to apply to take part in the second round of the Local Alcohol Action Area (LAAA) project. Up to 40 areas in England and Wales may be chosen to receive support from 'central government and, where appropriate, the alcohol industry' - see the LAAA round 2 prospectus here [pdf].

The second round was announced earlier this year in the Government’s Modern Crime Prevention Strategy which emphasised local partnership approaches, particularly relating to initiatives to reduce alcohol-related crime and disorder. Local areas applying will be required to 'tackle one or more of a core set of challenges focused on preventing crime and disorder in the night time economy' that include:

BBPA 'sales to drunks' posters - enough to change behaviour?

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has "rejuvenated" its poster campaign which aims to help raise awareness of the laws prohibiting selling alcohol to or on behalf of someone intoxicated - BBPA press release.

The BBPA says it has worked alongside Drinkaware and National Pubwatch to create the campaign, which "aims to support staff in upholding these laws and ensuring a safe and sociable drinking environment".

However the extent to which posters can change the behaviour of either bar servers or customers is uncertain; indeed posters designed to promote responsible drinking have been shown to potentially have the opposite intended effect.

News & updates August 2016: Olympics sales boost as sponsors criticised, alcohol and flying, healthy choices, 21 pubs a week close & more

Selected media stories since the July roundup: 

The British Olympic team's Strongbow sponsorship deal came under fire from alcohol and health groups in a letter to the Guardian, warning over 'strong evidence that exposure to alcohol marketing leads young people to drink at an earlier age'. Strongbow featured official Team GB branding on its products and spent several million pounds on a “supporting the supporters” campaign in Britain. Heineken, who own the brand, defended the partnership stating it would be 'exclusively focussed on the adult fans' and 'Strongbow will not be sold or promoted at Games venues, feature in TV coverage, or be linked to any individual member of Team GB'.

Findings bulletins: nalmefene questions analysed, licensing policy intensity impacts harm, mental health & more

Recent bulletins from the drug and alcohol bank:

Nalmefene: marketing ploy or alcohol treatment breakthrough?

‘A pill for every ill’ is the gist of attacks levelled at the approval of nalmefene under the trade name Selincro. Market positioning as a breakthrough which extends the benefits of pharmacotherapy to non-physically dependent drinkers has been criticised as medicalising psychological dependence. Controversy is heated: is Selincro just a clever marketing ploy, or are there real benefits? We conducted an in-depth assessment.

Intense licensing policies help to curb alcohol-related harm

News & updates June 2016: MUP, Euro 2016, Heineken F1 deal & research in the news

Selected media stories since the May roundup:

Minimum unit pricing (MUP) was in the Scottish media as the legal case returned to the Court of Session in Edinburgh for the first of two further hearings.

MUP was also being further politicised by being dragged into the Brexit debate; leave campaigners claiming the failure to implement was an example of a lack of sovereignty, despite the case yet to be concluded. The Scottish Licensed Trade Association also wrote in to the Herald to highlight not all sections of the industry were against MUP; indeed they were supporters of it to 'stop it being used as a loss leader in major supermarkets', and that 'alcohol should not be just another "pile it high, sell it cheap” commodity'. A final decision is expected shortly.