Alcohol Policy UK

Prevention Green Paper: another missed opportunity?

The recent release of the Prevention Green Paper consultation for England has prompted has a series of criticisms over a lack of effective actions to address alcohol harms.

Whilst the Green Paper claims to set out a 'new approach to public health that involves a new personalised, prevention model', alcohol and heath groups have spoken out over the absence of any commitments that reflect Public Health England's (PHE) own evidence review.

An analysis of alcohol-related Safeguarding Adult Reviews

A new report from Alcohol Change UK says the role of alcohol is being missed or poorly managed in the care of vulnerable adults, in many cases contributing to their deaths.

Download: 'Learning from tragedies: an analysis of alcohol-related Safeguarding Adult Reviews published in 2017' [pdf]

The report sought to better understand the role that alcohol plays in deaths amongst vulnerable adults. It explored 11 Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs) published in England in 2017 in which alcohol was identified as a significant factor in the person’s life and/or death. A SAR is commissioned following the death or serious harm of an adult with care and support needs.

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.

Digital interventions to reduce alcohol-related harm: rapid evidence review

Alcohol Change UK have published a new rapid evidence review on digital interventions. The review is the first of six recently commissioned reports on a selection of alcohol-related topics.

Key findings include:

• Most digital interventions have been evaluated with randomized controlled trials, and there is a need to use alternative research methods to evaluate them.
• Populations that are most at risk of alcohol-related harm have been understudied.
• Digital interventions are increasingly delivered via the internet and smartphone apps, sometimes in combination with biosensors.
• Alcohol reduction apps available in the app stores are increasingly using interactive features.

Newly defined at-risk drinkers following the change to the UK low risk drinking guidelines: who and what to do?

In this guest blog, Philippa Case, a researcher at University College London, explores findings from a new study on ‘newly defined at-risk drinkers’ following a change to the UK’s low risk drinking guidelines.

Alcohol guidelines have existed in the UK since 1984 in various forms.  These guidelines exist to help people make informed choices about drinking alcohol by highlighting potential alcohol-related health risks. Guidelines also help health care practitioners assess and advise patients around their alcohol consumption as alcohol brief interventions have become a popular component of alcohol strategies in the UK and beyond.

One in five hospital patients harmful drinkers, new study finds

A new study highlighting the extent of alcohol problems amongst hospital patients has attracted media attention, indicating 1 in 5 are harmful drinkers and 1 in 10 are alcohol dependent.

The research used data from 124 studies covering 1.7 million patients in UK hospitals, indicating the level of harmful drinking amongst hospital patients is ten times higher than the general population, and eight times higher for alcohol dependence.

Events & dates 2019: SMPA treatment event, Alcohol Change UK Wales, MCA, SHAAP/IAS 'men and alcohol', Mindful Drinking festival

Forthcoming events in 2019

NHS Substance Misuse Providers Alliance on alcohol treatment

On 9 September the NHS Substance Misuse Providers Alliance (SMPA) conference takes place in Sheffield on the topic of 'Alcohol Treatment: reduced demand or more hidden harm?'. Including a range of speakers and workshops, the event aims to cover both the perspective of the population and individuals, asking how do we address low alcohol treatment uptake and how do we reverse and ensure we have the capacity to meet this need? See here for more info and booking.

News & updates June 2019: Labour mandatory labelling pledge, alcohol deaths, wine retailing, alcohol-free & more

Selected media stories since the June round-up:

The latest health guidance is missing from alcohol labels, the BBC reports. It says the alcohol industry has not updated health information labelling three years after health experts issued new guidelines. Several media reports highlighted an announcement that labelling on alcohol products would be made mandatory under a Labour government, as shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth revealed at Alcohol Change UK national conference.

Policy for the people? Alcohol Change UK 2019 conference

In this post, James Morris, Editor of Alcohol Policy UK, reflects on the recent 2019 Alcohol Change UK conference.

19 June 2019 was a significant day for the UK alcohol field. Not only did it mark Alcohol Change UK’s first national conference, at which keynote speaker Jonathan Ashworth MP announced the Labour Party’s commitment to make alcohol labelling mandatory, but also the release of early data indicating ‘encouraging signs’ of a decline in alcohol consumption following Scotland’s landmark minimum unit pricing (MUP) policy.

In many ways the timing couldn’t have been more fitting. While strong arguments for the role of key population level measures such as minimum pricing, availability and marketing have been repeatedly made, policy-makers for England have shied away from evidence-led approaches. Instead, alcohol policy has favoured cleverly framed but flawed arguments for alternative approaches of self-regulation and ‘local partnerships’, and ideas of ‘personal responsibility’.

IAS Alert June 2019: cost of hangovers, labelling, consumption, MUP & more

The latest Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) Alcohol Alert: June 2019 is now available (here for PDF version). Read the editorial here and articles below:

• COVER STORY – Hangovers cost the UK up to £1.4bn a year
• Scottish alcohol sales fall to 25-year low
• Northern Ireland: Middle-aged alcohol misuse costly for health services
• London hospital ACTs to reduce alcohol-related A&E admissions