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.

'No safe level' for stroke - an end for moderate drinking 'health benefits'?

A new study challenging the much debated health benefits claimed for moderate drinking has been published in the Lancet, adding to the evidence that positive health outcomes amongst low level drinkers are less likely to be due to a direct effect of alcohol.

The research, indicating no protective effect of moderate consumption against stroke, follows a large scale study published last year indicating there was no overall beneficial effect of moderate drinking on mortality risk when considering all conditions, despite lower levels of cardiovascular disease among those drinking at low levels. It states 'the apparently protective effects of moderate alcohol intake against stroke are largely non-causal', and that alcohol consumption 'uniformly increases blood pressure and stroke risk'.

Updated brief intervention CQUIN for 2019-20

NHS England have updated the national Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) for 2019–2020, which incentivises hospitals and other settings to deliver alcohol 'Identification & Brief Advice' (IBA). See here for the updated Public Health England (PHE) Health Matters guidance.

CQUINs allocate a percentage of the total value of an NHS contract with a provider for sufficient delivery of specified activity. The national CQUIN covers activities including alcohol and tobacco interventions under a prevention of ill health theme.

News & updates April 2018: MUP build up, taxes, non-drinking, greetings cards under fire & more

Selected media stories since the March roundup:

Significant media attention to minimum pricing was seen in the run-up to Scotland's implementation date on the 1st April 2018, the Guardian headline reading 'Scotland awaits alcohol minimum pricing with mixed emotions'. See APUK analysis here.

Research from the University of Cambridge and the British Heart Foundation, which looked at 600,000 drinkers across the world, was reported as anything more than five glasses of wine a week, or pints of beer, is dangerous to health, and could be knocking years off a person’s lifespan - the Telegraph. A useful summary from NHS Choices reviewed the research and coverage and concluded that the study adds weight to the recommendations that both women and men drink within the UK limits of 14 units of alcohol a week. APUK analysis here.

Hopsitals gear up for brief intervention CQUIN delivery

Hospitals across England are preparing for the introduction of the ‘preventing ill health by risky behaviours – alcohol and tobacco CQUIN’, which requires alcohol and smoking brief interventions to be delivered to hospital inpatients from 1st April 2018.

Public Health England have produced a series of resources to support implementation including infographics, videos and a frontline staff briefing. Since April 2017 certain Mental Health providers have being delivering brief interventions through the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation CQUIN scheme 2017 to 2019, which PHE report 88 per cent (51/58) of eligible providers indicated they had signed up to deliver. PHE have also published two case studies including one at University Hospital Southampton where IBA is being delivered to patients by pharmacy technicians, and another at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

'Health Matters': PHE resources on brief intervention CQUIN

Public Health England (PHE) have released a new 'Health Matters: preventing ill health from alcohol and tobacco use' resource calling on practitioners and commissioners to 'play their part' in reducing alcohol harms through Identification and Brief Advice. A case study of an IBA CQUIN in mental health settings in South London also provides insight into local implementation efforts.

In 2016 it was announced mental health and hospital trusts in England would be incentivised to deliver brief interventions for alcohol and smoking as part of the NHS Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUINs). PHE says CQUIN No.9 Preventing Ill Health by Risky Behaviours is 'an important opportunity to improve patient health across England' via the opportunity to 'identify and support inpatients who are increasing or higher risk drinkers and to identify and support inpatients who smoke, and importantly to embed these interventions into routine care for patients.'

New drug strategy prompts calls for clear national alcohol policy

The release of a new national drugs strategy for England and Wales has prompted revised calls for a new national alcohol strategy that includes minimum unit pricing (MUP).

The last national alcohol strategy was released in 2012 promising MUP, followed by an infamous U-turn. MUP has of course still yet to be implemented in Scotland, though a final legal ruling is expected this month following a drawn out legal challenge, with Ireland and Wales also committed.

News & updates April 2017: sport sponsorship, millennial's holidays, pregnancy, drunk crayfish, online sales & more

Selected media stories since the March roundup:

The issue of alcohol sponsorship in sport has been highlighted in a report by the University of Stirling's Institute for Social Marketing suggesting alcohol producers worked to circumvent legislation designed to protect children during the UEFA Euro 2016 football tournament - Politics.co.uk. Richard Purves explains further in the Conversation.

News & updates March 2017: moderate drinking benefits?, marketing to children; labelling; fraud; & the Brexit booze cruise

Selected media stories since the February roundup:

The question of 'Is moderate drinking good for the heart?' returned to the headlines following new research finding non-drinkers were more likely to need treatment for certain cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, heart failure and angina, compared to people who drank alcohol within the previous weekly guidelines of 21 and 14 units per week for men and women. An NHS 'behind the headlines' analysis though emphasised such studies cannot prove alcohol consumption or lack of it is a direct cause of cardiovascular disease as non-drinkers were more likely to be from deprived areas, to have diabetes or be obese.

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