Alcohol Policy UK

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.

Alcohol treatment in 2018: PHE inquiry explores continued falls

Public Health England (PHE) have released the latest national statistics for substance misuse, confirming a further fall in the number of people receiving alcohol treatment despite no significant change in estimated prevalence.

The new 2017/18 figures show 75,787 people received alcohol only treatment in England, down 6% from 80,454 on the previous year and down 17% from the peak of 91,651 in 2013/14. An additional PHE release also updates the estimated number of people with alcohol dependency deemed in need of treatment, indicating little change in national prevalence of 589,101.

Alcohol Charter calls for evidence based national strategy

An Alcohol Charter has been released by a cross-party parliamentary group and thirty organisations calling for the forthcoming national alcohol strategy to reflect the PHE evidence review for reducing alcohol harm.

Download the Alcohol Charter [pdf] here.

The Charter includes a call to increase alcohol duties by 1% above RPI in order to provide £100 million ring-fenced for alcohol treatment services which are currently "in crisis" according to a recent report. It also makes key calls to improve support for those in need, measures to protect public health and actions to address alcohol-related crime and disorder, attracting some media attention.

PHE, Drinkaware & public policy: reaction and debate continues

In the weeks since Public Health England (PHE) announced its partnership with Drinkaware for the 'drink free days' campaign, it has faced widespread criticism. The extent of the concern may have taken some, including PHE, by surprise. However, the fact it has raised the profile of debates about industry-Government partnerships may be seen by critics as an important repercussion.

An open letter expressing concern about the partnership has now been released, calling on UK public health scientists to sign and support its calls for PHE to “work with your Alcohol Leadership Board to formulate and publish guidelines for engagement with the alcohol industry and its associated organisations”. The letter argues the decision has led to significant “reputational risk to PHE’s status as a provider of impartial, evidence-based advice” and its authors are “alarmed by public statements from PHE” in response to concerns raised.

Alcohol Concern call for treatment levy to address services gap

The charity formed by the merger of Alcohol Concern and Alcohol Research UK has called for a 1% increase in alcohol duties to raise £100 million each year which it says if invested in alcohol treatment 'could save the NHS and other public services around £300 million annually.' Briefing paper here [pdf].

The charity says this would equate to just 5p more for an average bottle of wine and 3p more for a pint of beer and would allow treatment budgets to be boosted by 50%. In recent years ongoing cuts to treatment budgets have resulted in a 'crisis' which is likely to be behind falling numbers of people receiving formal help. Concerns that the situation will worsen have also been raised as a new public health funding structure comes into effect in 2020.

Tackling alcohol-related anti-social behaviour: new powers, old issues?

A new report released by Alcohol Concern/Alcohol Research UK explores the current use and issues over legal powers available to address alcohol-related Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB).

Download 'Tackling alcohol-related anti-social behaviour through Civil Injunctions and Criminal Behaviour Orders: A missed opportunity?' [pdf]

The Government estimates that alcohol misuse costs the criminal justice system £11bn every year, though the report states this is likely to be a significant under-estimation. Indeed the figure has been used since the 2003 Cabinet Analysis estimating total costs to society of £21 billion, though has since been subject to repeated calls for a comprehensive update.

Alcohol & Health: DDN special issue

The latest issue of Drink and Drugs News (DDN) includes a special feature on alcohol and health, aimed at raising awareness and understanding amongst professionals and individuals.

Supported by Alcohol Research UK, the introduction states:

'...heavy drinking can cause more than liver damage. Its impact on mental health, hypertension, and cancer risk are only now becoming widely recognised. The revised ‘low risk’ guidelines of 14 units per week for men and women reflect this growing awareness and are based on a comprehensive analysis of the full range of conditions associated with alcohol consumption. Of course, many people reading this supplement will be dealing with individuals drinking at far higher levels than those set out in the guidelines, and here the risks become very significant. However, the signs of harm are not always obvious, which is why a guide such as this is so important.'

Alcohol interventions and support within hospital settings: PHE & CLAHRC resources

Two new resources supporting the commissioning and delivery of alcohol interventions and support within hospital settings have been released.

Developing pathways for referring patients from secondary care to specialist alcohol treatment

The new Public Health England (PHE) resource to support the development of pathways for referral and care and for alcohol dependent patients. Given the recently initiated CQUIN to incentivise routine alcohol screening via Identification and Brief Advice (IBA), hospitals will expect to identify a proportion of dependent drinkers and should ensure they can offer the best possible referral and support.

The main sections of the resource include:

News & updates May 2108: treatment cuts, small measures, new strategy, MUP 'loopholes'

Selected media stories since the April roundup:

Analysis by the BBC found £162m (18%) has been cut from drug and alcohol treatment budgets in England since 2013-14, with budgeted spending falling from £877m in 2013-14 to £716m in 2017-18.

Severe funding cuts and a loss of qualified staff have pushed England’s alcohol treatment services to crisis point, a report published by Alcohol Concern warned. Problems could further worsen from 2020 due to the end of ring-fenced public health funding. LocalGov and APUK analysis.

Alcohol treatment 'in crisis': hope for the new national strategy?

Earlier this month Alcohol Concern/Alcohol Research UK released a new report “The hardest hit: addressing the crisis in alcohol treatment services”, calling for action to address the many issues arising from funding cuts and other challenges facing the sector.

Subsequently the Government has made the surprise announcement that it will develop a new alcohol strategy, though whether this will include any commitments to further resourcing alcohol services remains to be seen.