More must be done to fill the gaps in knowledge around LGBTQ+ people and alcohol
There are around 1.4 million people in the UK who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. According to the latest publication from the Institute of Alcohol Studies, this group is twice as likely to have alcohol dependence as the general population, and has a higher prevalence of mental illnesses that can co-occur with alcohol use.
The briefing recommends that more research is done to represent the LGBTQ+ community, especially women and trans people, to prevent alcohol harm and make services feel safer and more inclusive.
Northern Ireland service providers call for reformulation of caffeinated alcoholic drinks
A group of 14 health organisations and substance use services in Northern Ireland has raised concerns about the alcohol and caffeine content in popular drinks.
According to service providers, caffeinated alcoholic drinks are the drink of choice for many young people in Northern Ireland. Each can contains more caffeine than a double espresso and some products have an alcohol content of 8% ABV.
The Northern Ireland Alcohol and Drug Alliance (NIADA) has written an open letter asking for more to be done to educate young people about the dangers of these drinks and calls upon the Northern Ireland Assembly to introduce legal limits on caffeinated alcohol.
Job vacancy: Policy and Advocacy Manager
The Alcohol Health Alliance is looking for a Policy and Advocacy Manager to lead our campaigns across a range of topics and get the UK Government to take action on alcohol harm.
It is an exciting and varied role that cuts across public affairs, campaigns and policy work. You will be working on a range of alcohol harm related policy areas, including some of the biggest social and political issues of the day.
Reducing labour hours that are lost due to alcohol could save billions
The Institute of Alcohol Studies hosted the first seminar in its four-part series on alcohol and sustainability last month. Four expert speakers discussed the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the opportunities for improved alcohol policy arising from these goals.
They highlighted the importance of pushing the investment case for implementing alcohol control policies, as huge sums of money can be saved by reducing labour hours that are lost due to alcohol. Modelling shows that across 12 countries, including Russia, Turkey, and Ethiopia, US$19 billion would be saved over the next 15 years.
The speakers stressed the insidious role that the alcohol industry has, using corporate social investment and philanthropy to further its strategic interests, especially in its targeting of women and young people as a growth market.
More than 35% of those in recovery relapsed during lockdown, polling suggests
According to a new YouGov poll, 37% of people who identified as being in recovery from addiction pre-pandemic reported a relapse or reoccurrence of their addictive behaviour during lockdown.
The polling also found that as many as 20% of UK adults may be drinking more after three lockdowns.
Mike Trace, Chief Executive of The Forward Trust, who published the data, said: “Our survey provides an important insight into the looming pressure on services during and following lockdowns. It is clear that people need increasing levels of help, understanding and support, and they need that now.”
All day drinking and early kick-offs linked to rise in domestic abuse
A new study has found that instances of domestic abuse increased in areas where a major football match took place at midday or in the afternoon, and where perpetrators had the opportunity for longer drinking sessions.
Researchers at the LSE’s Centre for Economic Performance examined eight years of call and crime data from Greater Manchester police, correlating with the timing of almost 800 games played by Manchester United and Manchester City.
Their study found a 5% fall in domestic abuse incidents during the two-hour duration of a game. After the game, however abuse started to rise. It peaked about 10 hours after a game started, with about 8.5% more incidents than average. It was also found that there was no increase in domestic abuse when games kick-off after 7pm. The researchers recommend more midweek games, which start in the evening.
Events
Alcohol consumption in Latin America during the COVID-19 pandemic
SHAAP and SARN
2.00pm, 30 July 2021
Find out more and book a place here
Seminar and workshop: Not your neurotypical client: Autism, alcohol, and other substances
Alcohol Change UK, the Centre for Applied Autism Research at the University of Bath, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists
9.30am, 6 September 2021
Find out more and book a place here
Alcohol Change UK’s 2021 online conference: rebuild and recover
Alcohol Change UK
22–23 September 2021
Find out more and book a place here
Meet the Members
Every month, we speak to a member of the AHA to find out more about what they do and how their organisation is working to end alcohol harm.
Today we meet Andrew Misell, Director of Wales for Alcohol Change UK (ACUK). Andrew has worked for ACUK for 12 years.
How does your organisation help to reduce alcohol harm?
Alcohol Change UK work across a wide range of issues and look at drinking across the whole population. Some of our work, such as our Dry January campaign, has a very broad appeal; other projects, such as the Blue Light Project work with the most vulnerable drinkers.
Much of my own work is about ensuring that alcohol remains on the public policy agenda in Wales, and that services that don’t necessarily specialise in alcohol issues – such as housing associations and the emergency services – understand how to address them.
What inspires you most in your job?
The thing that makes me want to go to work in the morning is the work we do to highlight and start addressing the complex needs of vulnerable drinkers. I benefit most from speaking directly to people with alcohol problems. We can learn so much from just listening to people without judgement.
What change do you think would make the biggest difference in reducing alcohol harm?
I would like to see England and Northern Ireland emulate Scotland and Wales and introduce minimum unit pricing (MUP).
The biggest change I’ve seen in recent times is the introduction of MUP in Wales. 3-litre bottles of strong cider may well become a thing of the past in Wales as MUP makes them too expensive for customers. In their place, we’ve seen 2-litre and 1-litre bottles and 500ml cans. The experience of front-line alcohol support workers is that when heavy drinkers have to buy their alcohol in smaller containers like this, it tends to put the brakes on their drinking a bit. By slowing the drinking process in this way, MUP could create more opportunities for support workers to help heavy drinkers take control of their drinking, and start them on their road to recovery.
