Alcohol Policy UK

HMRC 2013 data on alcohol duty fraud & consultation on tackling fraud proposals

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have published revised data on the estimated value of alcohol duty fraud for 2011-12. Lost revenue is estimated at £1.2 billion per annum of total annual tax revenue of over £9 billion, including avoided excise duty and illicit alcohol.

The estimates show the spirits illicit market share was 3%, with associated revenue losses of £120 million. The beer illicit market share is 9%, with associated revenue losses of £550 million. The wine illicit market share is 6%, with associated revenue losses of £350 million. The most prevalent form of alcohol fraud involves the smuggling or diversion of alcoholic drinks into the UK in large commercial quantities, duty unpaid.

Last year HMRC came under fire for failing to tackle alcohol tax fraud in a report from the Commons Public Accounts Committee. The Government then consulted on potential legislative measures to help prevent and tackle alcohol fraud and proposed that HMRC will:

• implement a programme of changes to strengthen existing legislation, policy and enforcement to tackle alcohol fraud
• consult further on how a scheme to register alcohol wholesalers might operate, to better understand the potential costs and benefits of such a scheme
• consult on new proposals to strengthen due diligence obligations for registered excise businesses.

An informal consultation document Alcohol Fraud: Next Steps, invites views on the proposals but closes on 28 October 2013.

HMRC encourage reporting on any kind of fraud, smuggling or tax evasion at www.hmrc.gov.uk/reportingfraud.

News & updates: LGA calls for change to late night levy; industry want minimum pricing "sunset clause"; London Met uni considers 'alcohol free zones'; pub and trade round up

LGA call for changes to split in Late Night Levy revenue: The Local Government Association (LGA) is calling for police and councils to be able to decide locally how to spend and share the money generated from the Late Night Levy. Under the current proposals, 70% of the money generated from premises selling alcohol after midnight would go to the police. The LGA argue that council's roles in looking after and mainting local areas is overlooked by the split. See a report in the Independent and a Guardian repot and poll.

Drinks industry bodies plan to persuade the Government to agree a “sunset clause” on minimum unit pricing, the Telegraph reports. The clause would force ministers to scrap the policy if it was proven not to work after a 'set period'. But drinks companies hope the Prime Minister’s plans won’t make it as far as the statute book amid hopes that Scotland's minimum pricing bill will first be subject to a European legal challenge later this year.

Eight major drinks companies have committed to an EU-wide agreement around responsible marketing reports the Morning Advertiser (MA). Heineken, Carlsberg, Diageo, AB InBev, Bacardi, Brown-Forman, Pernod Ricard and SABMiller have signed up to the 'Responsible Marketing Pact', reportedly seen as a way to fend off further legislation of alcohol marketing.

London Metropolitan University is considering establishing alcohol-free zones on its campuses because many of its students consider drinking to be immoral, reports the Guardian. Professor Malcolm Gillies of London Met said the selling of alcohol was an issue of "cultural sensitivity" as a fifth of students are Muslim. See also BBC and Daily Mail reports.

A Budweiser advert has been banned for linking alcohol with sexual success writes the Daily Mail. The advert featured an American football coach giving a motivational team talk before a lads’ night out, telling them ‘You were conceived on a night like tonight.' The advert was deemed to contravene the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) rules. Non-media promotions are covered by the Portman Group's code of practice.

Women binge drinkers should be names and shamed, says Ann Widecombe in a Daily Telegraph report. The former high-profile Tory politician says pricing will not affect young professionals so the law needs to be used to create shame around public drunkenness. Widecombe cites the success of the change in drink-driving perceptions as a result of law enforcement.

Middle-class children most likely to try alcohol by 12, reports the Telegraph. More than one in three of those born in professional households had downed a full glass before reaching their teenage years - almost twice the level found among 12-year-olds across all economic groups. The figures came from an Ipsos Mori parents poll for Drinkaware, but reportedly do not match NHS findings (see page 21). Reports agreed though that most children who had drunk alcohol at such a young age were getting it from their homes.

Pub & Trade news

A petition calling for the beer duty escalator to be scrapped has hit close to 28,000 signatures - the MA. The Duty escalator was confirmed to continue in the recent budget.

MPs are getting behind the bar of their local pub as part of the ‘MPs in Pubs’ campaign, launched by the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group (APPBG) last year, and supported by the Morning Advertiser - MA report.

A Bath Nightwatch scheme has been set up, managed and funded by the Bath business improvement district (BID). It enables licensees, police, CCTV operators, and night marshals to communicate about security issues by using ‘smart radio’ technology. MA report. The Government has given backing to BIDs. 

A BBC news magazine feature explores Has Britain fallen out of love with lager?

Rise in illegal alcohol manufacturing hits news after fatal blast

Reports of a rise in counterfeit alcohol production have hit the news following a blast that killed 5 people in Boston, Lincolnshire.

In a BBC report on the Growing problem of illegally distilled alcohol, Trading Standards said that in some parts of the UK up to a quarter of licensed premises had been found to be selling counterfeit alcohol. It also reported that alcohol fraud costs the UK about £1bn a year in lost revenue, including £300m from illegal spirit sales, according to government estimates. Over £13 million of smuggled alcohol was seized last year.

An article in The Independent suggested producing counterfeit vodka was relatively simple, requiring only 'basic equipment'. It reported in certain areas the trade in counterfeit spirits was an 'open secret among the large community of migrant workers and the network of continental stores that has grown to serve them.' Trading-standards officers identified drinks that contained large quantities of methanol which can cause blindness.

A Channel 4 news feature includes a report on the drivers behind illegal alcohol production. Further reports in The Guardian and the Daily Mail.

Forthcoming events : NDSAG, Pharmacy IBA, Tobacco and DV conferences and dates

New Directions in the Study of Alcohol Group’s (NDSAG) Annual International Conference

The 2011 annual conference addresses 'Big Drinking and the Big Society: Inequality and alcohol problems – are we really all in this together? It takes place from Thursday 14th nd – Sunday 17thth April in Lancaster.

Click here for the programme and 2011 flyer + booking form.

Alcohol Screening and brief intervention in pharmacies: new public health role for pharmacists?

Taking place on Thursday 7th April 2011 Time: 10.00am – 3.30pm at King’s College London, this free event will discuss findings of the NHS Lambeth Pharmacy Alcohol Project and explore how community pharmacists may best deliver alcohol screening and brief intervention in their pharmacies.

See here for Pharmacy alcohol conference invitation flyer and conference programme. To confirm your attendance please email your name, job title and contact details by 14th March 2011 to [email protected]

Tobacco and alcohol conference: Learning from each other

Alcohol Concern is hosting a joint conference with ASH Wales in Cardiff on 12 and 13 October 2011, looking at the related issues of alcohol and tobacco use, and how practitioners and policy makers in the two fields can learn from each other.

The conference organisers are particularly interested in receiving abstracts from the people and organisations who are prepared to share lessons learnt with colleagues at the conference. See here for full conference information.

AVA (Against Violence and Abuse) training courses

3 forthcoming courses from AVA (all at £90 vol / £130 stat, including a copy of the Stella Project toolkit):

• The Links between Domestic Violence and Problematic Substance Use, 24th March, London. For info and booking click here.
• Working with Domestic Violence Perpetrators within a Substance Misuse Agency, 4 April, London. For info and booking click here.
• Safeguarding Children - Living with Parental Substance Misuse and Domestic Violence, 15 April, London. For info and booking click here.

Consumption controversies: alcohol policies in the UK

The Royal Geographic Society (RGS) has published its latest policy briefing:

Consumption controversies: alcohol policies in the UK [pdf]

The briefing presents an overview of research against a series of controversial questions and debates:

• Controversy 1: The UK has a drink problem
• Controversy 2: The biggest bingers are in Scotland and the NE
• Controversy 3: Problem drinking is a new phenomenon
• Controversy 4: Has our night-time economy been revitalised by drinking (or are our towns and cities becoming no-go zones)
• Controversy 5: A continental drinking culture is better
• Controversy 6: It is 'safer' to drink at home
• Controversy 7: Children should not drink alcohol
• Controversy 8: Units are not useful as a tool to measure levels of drinking
• Controversy 9: Too much focus is given to treating the effects of alcohol rather than reducing consumption
• Controversy 10: Saving the local British pub is more important than reducing drinking

See here for the research references or the RGS policy briefings page.

Consultation deadlines approach - NICE treatment guidance closes 19th August

The NICE consultation draft of its clinical practice guidelines on 'Alcohol dependence and harmful alcohol use' close for comments this week on Thursday 19th August 2010.

Ethnicity and alcohol: a review of the UK literature and BME workshop presentations

JRF ethnicity and alcohol review

A literature review of evidence on drinking patterns among minority ethnic groups in the UK over the last 15 years and on service provision for this group has been produced by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. See the the report and summary page here.

Alcohol news and updates: July 2010

The 10% rise in cider duty has been reversed following the Coalition's emergency 2010 budget [pdf] last month. However the Government will continue to increase the rates by 2 per cent above inflation each year to 2014-15 and will still 'review alcohol taxation and pricing to ensure it tackles binge drinking' under its alcohol plans. Details of the new measures are due to be announced in the autumn.

Alcohol news and updates: May 2010

Licensing to return to the Home Office

Responsibility for the Licensing agenda may be transferred back to Home Office under reforms by the new Government, the Morning Advertiser reports. Licensing is currently owned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport who oversaw the controversial 2003 Licensing Act. The Conservative party had pledged to 'overhaul' the current licensing regime.

Cheap booze as world cup approaches

Supermarkets have been accused of 'kamikaze' style alcohol price wars in the build up to the world cup, starting on the 11th June 2010. No specific alcohol campaigns are expected from central Government departments, though www.drinkaware.co.uk will begin some activity from the 2nd of June, including roadshows and competitions. The Department of Health has general Alcohol Effects materials available to order or download.

To reduce the risk of cancer, drink less alcohol

The Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) has highlighted that reducing alcohol consumption is a key way to reduce cancer risk in the UK, as shown by the World Cancer Research Fund. It found that the UK and US have similar rates of lifestyle-related cancers, but the UK's leading lifestyle cancer cause is alcohol rather than obesity in the states.

Troops have 22% higher alcohol misuse levels

UK military personnel deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan have a 22 per cent higher risk of alcohol misuse than their fellow troops who have not been deployed, a study by Kings College London has found.

AERC online survey on future work

The Alcohol Education and Research Council (AERC) is currently undertaking a survey to help inform their future work. To complete the survey please click here and you can choose to be entered into a draw to win a £100 book token.

Other news

The Portman Group have ruled that 'test-tube' style shooters do not encourage binge drinking, according to a Guardian report. The Royal College of Nursing is considering whether to push for a total ban on alcohol consumption before driving. Text messages advising safer drinking are being studied to see if they have a comparable effect to brief interventions, in a Scottish research project.

Dr Joe Gerstein, founding president of www.smartrecovery.org.uk, was misquoted in the Guardian on 10 March as attacking Alcoholics Anonymous, according to this Addiction Today article. See stories on the UK Vodka epidemic, Binge Drinking UK town centres, and UK stores shamed for underage sales, as blogged by Fight Hangovers.

Cocaethylene: responding to combined alcohol and cocaine use

A briefing paper 'Cocaethylene: responding to combined alcohol and cocaine use' [pdf] has been produced by the AERC Alcohol Academy. The paper assesses the current understanding, data, trends and implications for public health and alcohol policy.

The briefing identifies that combined alcohol and cocaine use appears to be increasingly popular despite indications of significantly increased health and social risks. Combining alcohol and powder cocaine can form cocaethylene in the liver, a unique metabolite that can enhance the user's experience but significantly increase the risk of heart attack or sudden death. Its use has also been linked to other conditions and an increased risk of violence.

However awareness about cocaethylene and associated risks appears low; the paper recommends that both further research and policy recognition are needed. It identifies a role for alcohol and drugs policy to better respond to poly-use, both within the health & treatment and community safety fields. Although there is little evidence of specific treatment or intervention approaches for combined use, it appears there is scope within existing approaches to better respond to combined use. There may be opportunities particularly within the alcohol field and through the delivery of brief interventions (or 'IBA'), whilst primary powder cocaine treatment indicates positive outcomes for combined users.

The Academy has been developing a cocaethylene training course to develop knowledge and explore treatment responses for combined users, and is working with experts to explore and develop further research on the subject. If you are interested in training or have further information on combined alcohol and cocaine use, please get in touch.