Alcohol Policy UK

Alcohol and older adults: time for change?

Calls for further action to address alcohol harms amongst older adults have been made with the release of a new charter from Drink Wise Age Well.

The report, 'Calling time for change: A charter to support all older adults in Scotland to live free from the harm caused by alcohol' [pdf here], follows charters for England, Ireland and Wales and a series of reports including a call for end to age discrimination in alcohol policy and treatment.

Over recent years, groups have continued to highlight the issue of alcohol harm amongst older adults, often identifying a persistent focus of media and policy attention towards younger drinkers. As has been consistently noted, significant falls in younger people's drinking have not been seen in older age groups, where consumption and harms have continued to increase on a number of measures - see a Drink Wise age well blog here by Colin Angus.

HSE & alcohol death rates in 2017: deaths up, consumption down?

A coordinated release of new national data reports include the latest figures on alcohol-related deaths and self-reported consumption. The releases again highlight the important nuances behind headlines trends of rising deaths but of a downward trend in drinking, at least amongst younger drinkers.

Health Survey England (HSE) 2017

According to the latest HSE data, 63% of men and 52% of women reported drinking alcohol in the last week, with 19% of adults reporting not drinking in the last 12 months. Sixty per cent of adults drank at lower risk, that is within the 14 units per week CMO guideline, whilst 28% of men and 14% of women drank at either increasing or higher risk levels.

News & updates March 2018: MUP Scotland and Wales, cuts, older people, beer affordability & more

Selected media stories since the February roundup:

Writing in the Scotsman, Alcohol Focus Scotland Chief Executive Alison Douglas, said "The historic introduction of Minimum Unit ­Pricing (MUP) of ­alcohol is just weeks away and will mark a significant turning point in ­Scotland’s damaging relationship with drink. When this life-saving ­policy comes into effect on May 1, the positive impact on the nation’s health will be felt in a matter of months. In the first year alone, minimum pricing could prevent 60 ­alcohol-related deaths, 1,300 hospital admissions and 3,500 crimes, and those health and ­other benefits will build over time.". See APUK's MUP and UK policy analysis here.

Older adults: RCP urges action for 'Our invisible addicts' 2018

The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) has released an updated report on substance misuse problems amongst older adults, calling for further training, treatment investment and policy recognition of the complex issues involved.

Download the full document 'Our invisible addicts' [pdf] here.

The report updates a previous publication by the RCP in 2011 which advised people over 65 should not drink more than 1.5 units of alcohol a day - around half the former daily recommended guidelines - based on physiological and metabolic changes associated with ageing.

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.

Call to end discrimination against older adults within alcohol treatment and policy

Calls to better respond to alcohol harms amongst older adults have been reiterated in two new reports highlighting age discrimination within treatment settings, policy and research practice.

A new study funded by Alcohol Research UK revealed that 75% of 118 residential rehabilitation centres surveyed had arbitrary upper age limits. Three quarters also said they had limited or no disabled access, with older rehab users experiencing a range of age related issues including discriminatory attitudes or bullying.

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 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.

'Drink Wise, Age Well': older adults and the labour market

The 'Drink Wise, Age Well' programme has released a new report exploring the relationship between alcohol and labour market activity in the over 50s population of the UK, and a workplace guide for employers.

According to the executive summary:

'The report sets out the specific barriers and challenges faced by over 50s with current or previous drinking problems at three stages of labour market activity: unemployment, employment and retirement. At each stage, this report shows that there is a pressing need for action, not just for the emotional and physical wellbeing of our over 50s population, but for the wider UK economy and the productivity of the UK labour force. This group of over 50s often suffer multiple levels of stigmatisation due to their age, history of alcohol problems and employment status. There is a need for central and local government, employers and the third sector to address these barriers now in order to prevent alcohol-related harm in the over 50s population of the UK.'