Alcohol Policy UK

Drink Free Days evaluations: a worthwhile partnership?

Two evaluations have been released assessing the 'Drink Free Days' (DFD) campaign launched last year as a partnership between Drinkaware and Public Health England (PHE), prompting controversy.

Drinkaware, the alcohol industry funded education charity, jointly launched the DFD campaign in partnership with Government body PHE, with the aim of encouraging at-risk and harmful middle-aged drinkers to take more days off from drinking.

'Are we kidding ourselves?' Balance North East alcohol report

Balance, the North East's regional alcohol office, has released a new report warning 'many thousands of people in our region are risking health problems and an early death from alcohol without being aware of the necessary information around units.'

Download Alcohol: Are we Kidding Ourselves? here [pdf].

The report says around 550,000 North East adults are drinking above the recommended guideline of no more than 14 units a week, but most of those drinking above this believe they are moderate or low risk drinkers.

Dry January in 2019: still in vogue, but still facing questions

It seems 2019 is to be another strong year for Dry January, with over four million people expected to take part according to Alcohol Change UK. However the campaign continues to face criticisms from some perhaps unexpected quarters.

Alcohol Change UK emphasise that going dry for the month leads people to drink less year-round, responding to the commonly raised issue of whether taking part may lead to more drinking pre or post January, with some arguing year round moderate drinking messages are preferable. Alcohol Change UK say new unpublished data on 2018 participants bolsters previous research by the University of Sussex which suggested 70% of risky drinking participants were still drinking less six months on. Participants also reported a wide range of other health and social benefits including saving money, better sleep and losing weight.

News & updates July 2018: flying and boating; University AA, alcoholocks, marketing & more

Selected media stories since the June update:

A government-backed campaign to prevent inebriated passengers from boarding airplanes is being rolled out at ten airports – Gatwick, Stansted, Birmingham, East Midlands, Manchester, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Southampton, Bristol and Newcastle. The One Too Many initiative, where passengers will see warnings about alcohol consumption posted on digital display screens, will be shown in duty-free shops and leaflets handed out by the police. Telegraph

NUS Wales president Gwyneth Sweatman said Cardiff University's successful Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings means they should be rolled out across all universities, reports the BBC. An AA trustee said the number of younger attendees at meetings was rising each year. However Professor Tony Moss Tweeted the article missed two important points; firstly that not all alcohol problems are dependence, and secondly that AA is just one form of support drinkers might seek.

Fit for purpose? Report calls for review of alcohol marketing self-regulation

A new report released by Alcohol Concern explores the role of the Portman Group in the self-regulation of alcohol marketing and promotion, urging the Government to review the current "ineffective" framework as part of its forthcoming national alcohol strategy.

Download 'Fit for Purpose? An analysis of the role of the Portman Group in alcohol industry self-regulation' [pdf]

The Portman Group's Independent Complaints Panel adjudicates on complaints against the naming, packaging and promotion of alcoholic drinks in the UK according to its ‘Code of Practice’, which aligns with the relevant codes developed by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

Wine nation? Industry insights into drinking motives and trends

A major player in the UK wine market recently released a 2018 UK wine report, detailing insights into the nation's wine drinkers and what it sees as opportunities for developing the market.

Wine volume sales are down, but the value of spending is up. The report attributes this 'premiumisation' trend (in which quality is increasingly prized over quantity) to more health conscious consumers. However, the majority of off-trade wine is still sold for under £6 per bottle, and the largest 'segment' of wine drinkers are identified as 'newbies': those who 'know very little about wine and want to be guided when they shop'.

News & updates February 2018: pricing, Baclofen, admissions & new UK Hospitality industry body

Selected media stories since the January roundup: 

"Hazardous or harmful" drinkers must get the help they need if minimum unit pricing is introduced, Alcohol Concern Wales has said as the Welsh Government seeks to follow Scotland with a minimum 50p unit price in law. "I think we've known for quite sometime a lot of the alcohol in this country is consumed by those where alcohol is a problem not a pleasure" said, Andrew Misell, director of Alcohol Concern Wales. BBC

News & updates January 2018: airports, labelling 'awareness vacuum', young people, Newcastle MUP

Selected media stories since the November roundup: 

Restrictions on the sale of alcohol at UK airports could be introduced in an effort to reduce the number of drink-related rage incidents on planes. Airports are currently exempt from legislation governing when they can sell alcohol. The Home Office says passengers should be able to enjoy their holidays without having their flight disrupted by "a small minority of people". It is expected to begin assessing the impact of implementing the Licensing Act 2003 on airside premises in a few weeks. BBC

News & updates June 2017: Welsh MUP, white wine, gin lollies, diabetes and hayfever

Selected news and media stories since the May roundup: 

BBC News reported that plans to introduce a new law setting a minimum price for alcohol in Wales could be revived by the Welsh Government, depending on the result of a Supreme Court challenge against similar plans by the Scottish Government.  Meanwhile, the number of alcohol-related deaths in Wales has stabilised following a significant rise towards the end of the last decade, reported WalesOnline.

News & updates May 2017: Lifeline charity future, mental health, glassing, breast cancer, alcohol on the radio & more

Selected media stories since the April roundup: 

Many newspapers reported on the latest ONS report on alcohol statistics for England (details in a previous post), with the Guardian highlighting teetotal young people, the Sun Blackpool and baby boomers, and the Daily Mail the 22% increase in alcohol-related hospital admissions over the past decade. APUK analysis here.