Ireland’s pioneering alcohol labelling legislation
Ireland will become the first country in the world to require alcoholic beverages to display health information and ensure the consumer’s right to know the risks from alcohol.
The regulations, signed into law by Ireland’s minister for health Stephen Donnelly last month, will require all alcohol products to inform the public:
- that drinking alcohol causes liver disease
- that there is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers
- that there are dangers associated with alcohol consumption when pregnant
- of the alcohol and calorie content of the product.
Businesses will have three years to introduce the labelling, and similar notices will be placed in licensed premises.
This pioneering step marks the culmination of a long advocacy journey. These warnings were first recommended in a 2012 report, followed by a decade of campaigning as the alcohol industry mobilised ferocious opposition on a global level.
However, public health advocates at local, national and international levels came together to put forward the compelling evidence about the harms from an inherently risky product and necessity for such labelling.
The labels, while modest in look, are seismic in what they represent: a marker of a government which has stood with their citizens’ fundamental right to know the facts about a product they may buy.
Scottish families campaigning for change around addiction
Family members and friends affected by a loved one’s drinking have published an open letter to Scotland’s first minister Humza Yousaf, urging him not to backtrack on the Scottish government’s longstanding pledge to tackle alcohol marketing.
137 family members and friends have signed the letter, from the Highlands to Dumfries and Galloway, expressing their shock that the first minister has asked his officials to take long-awaited proposals ‘back to the drawing board’ due to alcohol industry concerns – and ignoring the concerns of those most affected.
Families and friends across Scotland have also taken part in the See beyond, see the lives campaign, sharing hard-hitting stories and videos in the form of a letter to their loved one who has died. The campaigners hope the stories and images will shatter myths surrounding drug and alcohol use and death, and encourage the public to show compassion for those experiencing problems with substance use and the people left behind when a loved one dies.
Free substance use and mental health training resource
There is a close and complex relationship between alcohol use disorders and mental health conditions, with both sharing common risk factors and each increasing risk of the other. Despite dual diagnosis being seen in 44% of people in community mental health treatment and 85% of those in alcohol treatment, there is a lack of uniformity in service delivery for those suffering with both alcohol and mental health problems.
Turning Point has launched a new training resource, designed to help professionals recognise and support people who have a co-existing or a co-occurring mental health or substance use condition.
The training has been developed thanks to a generous donation from a mother whose daughter, an NHS nurse, lost her life after a long history of mental health illness and alcohol addiction.
Turning Point’s online course has been designed by experienced specialists and will be available for anyone to access for free, regardless of level of knowledge.
Tackling alcohol harm in Wales
Alcohol Change UK has published a new report summarising the work undertaken by the charity’s team in Wales over the past year, including efforts to improve access to support for people experiencing alcohol problems, raise awareness of alcohol-free alternatives for people who want to cut back, and ensure that reducing alcohol harm remains a policy priority in Wales.
Issues covered in the report include minimum unit pricing, inequalities in access to treatment and Dry January 2023. The report is available to read in Welsh and English.
Impacts of alcohol consumption amongst Sikhs
The Sikh Recovery Network (SRN) and British Sikh Report (BSR) teams have published an essential piece of work conducted by Sikhs, about Sikhs, for everyone who is interested or concerned about the impact of alcohol use in Sikh communities.
The SRN/BSR report includes important findings about the reality of alcohol consumption among Sikhs living in Britain and provides insights for alcohol service providers to identify gaps and tailor their approach accordingly. Crucially, the report addresses taboos surrounding alcohol and substance abuse within the Sikh community and how individuals are affected from a cultural perspective.
The findings cover alcohol consumption levels, alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health and behaviour under the influence of alcohol, recovery, and impacts on family and friends – as well as suggestions for support services.
Events
Gendered alcohol brand marketing in a changing world: Exploring the targeting and representation of women, and the implications
Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems/Scottish Alcohol Research Network
20 June 2023, 12.45–2pm
Alcohol use in the cost-of-living crisis
Institute of Alcohol Studies
22 June 2023, 2–3pm
What action the public wants on alcohol harm in 2023: The latest polling data
Alcohol Health Alliance UK and Dan Carden MP
11 July 2023, 9.30–11am
Invites to follow
Reshaping Scotland’s night-time economy: Public and stakeholder views on the changing role of alcohol post-COVID-19
Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems/Scottish Alcohol Research Network
25 July 2023, 12.45–2pm
Supporting LGBTQ+ people to navigate alcohol issues, avoid alcohol problems, and access alcohol support
Alcohol Change UK
21 September 2023, 10am–1pm
Reaching out: Helping services to engage with the most vulnerable drinkers
Alcohol Change UK
18 and 19 October 2023
MCA annual symposium on alcohol and health
Medical Council on Alcohol
22 November 2023
Royal College of Physicians London, NW1 4LE
Early bird tickets available 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 Paul Rompani, who joined DrugFAM as CEO in December 2020.
How does your organisation help to reduce alcohol harm?
DrugFAM supports people affected or bereaved by a loved one’s harmful use of alcohol and drugs. We help to reduce alcohol harm by supporting people affected, in their own right, to better cope with the challenging situations they find themselves in. This, in turn, has a positive impact on their loved one’s recovery. In short, we do this by:
- getting to know the client and their problem: listen, reassure, understand and explore
- providing the client with relevant, specific, and targeted information (about alcohol and addiction)
- exploring how the client is reacting, responding and coping (and presenting alternative coping strategies that often includes better communication, setting boundaries and limiting enabling)
- exploring and enhancing the client’s social support (family, friends and colleagues)
- identifying the client’s further needs and referring on either within DrugFAM or externally for further help.
What inspires you most in your job?
DrugFAM is an inspiring place to work, delivering vital support to people whose needs are often overlooked, let alone addressed. DrugFAM provides individual and group support by telephone and video 12 hours a day, 365 days a year.
What change do you think would make the biggest difference in reducing alcohol harm? While we know that changes in policy and pricing can make a significant difference in reducing alcohol harm, we also need to see a change in our society’s attitude towards alcohol and the role it plays in our culture, acknowledging that it is the most harmful drug in use.
