read the full stories, and more, online
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com
SCOTS LOOK TO BAN TV
ALCOHOL ADS BEFORE 9PM
THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT’S NEW ALCOHOL STRATEGY
includes a range of plans to tighten marketing
regulations. The Scots will ‘press the UK government to
protect children and young people from exposure to
alcohol marketing on television before the 9pm
watershed and in cinemas – or else devolve the powers
so the Scottish Parliament can act,’ states Alcohol
framework 2018: preventing harm.
Alcohol misuse now costs Scotland £3.6bn per year,
the equivalent of £900 per adult, says the document,
which also includes proposals to consult on alcohol
marketing in public spaces and online. The 50p minimum
unit price will also be reviewed after 1 May 2020, it says,
while alcohol producers will be urged to include health
information on labels.
The framework also states that while the government
will work with the drinks industry on projects that ‘can
impact meaningfully on reducing alcohol harms’ it will not
do so on health policy development, health education or
health messaging campaigns – Public Health England’s
recent partnership with industry-funded body Drinkaware
proved highly controversial (DDN, October, page 5).
‘Our new alcohol framework sets out our next steps on
tackling alcohol-related harm,’ said public health minister
Joe FitzPatrick. ‘We need to keep challenging our relation -
ship with alcohol to save lives. These new measures build
on the progress of our 2009 framework which has made
an impact by tackling higher-risk drinking, but we want to
go further. Scotland’s action is bold and it is brave and, as
demonstrated by our world-leading minimum unit pricing
policy, we are leading the way in introducing innovative
solutions to public health challenges.’
There was ‘strong support’ from the public to limit
alcohol marketing and clear evidence that ‘exposure to
marketing drives consumption by children and young
people,’ said chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland,
Alison Douglas. ‘We believe plans to consult on alcohol
marketing restrictions are a positive step towards
protecting the vulnerable and challenging alcohol’s
prominent role in our society. Likewise, we are pleased to
see that the Scottish
Government are
committed to
improving alcohol
labelling. It is clearly
unacceptable that
more information is
required on a pint of
milk than a bottle of
wine.’
Meanwhile a
new report from
Manchester
Metropolitan
University and
Aquarius urges
health and social
care practitioners
and substance use
professionals to
‘rethink the needs
of older people
with drinking
problems’.
Increasing numbers
of older people are
drinking to ‘harmful
aLIson DougLas
or mildly
dependent levels’ says Older people and alcohol: a
practice guide for health and social care.
‘Older people seeking treatment for alcohol use are
often in poor health and have a range of complex social,
health and other care needs associated with their
substance use,’ said professor of adult social care at
Manchester Metropolitan University, Sarah Galvani.
‘Evidence suggests that the complex health and social
care needs of older people with problem alcohol use
require a different approach.’
Alcohol framework at www.gov.scot
Report at www2.mmu.ac.uk
ALL CHANGE
A NEW ALCOHOL CHARITY has been launched following the
merger of Alcohol Concern with Alcohol Research UK (DDN, April
2017, page 5). Alcohol Change UK’s mission is to ‘significantly
reduce serious alcohol harm in the UK’, it states, with an aim of
creating ‘five key changes’ of improved knowledge, improved
drinking behaviours, shifted cultural norms, better policies and
regulation, and more and better support and treatment. ‘Too
often, we in the UK remain blind to the sheer scale of serious
alcohol harm taking place across our communities,’ said CEO Dr
Richard Piper. ‘This harm is massive, but it is not inevitable and
it’s not acceptable. Alcohol Change UK’s name, identity and
deeply held values reflect this fundamental belief.’
www.alcoholconcern.org.uk
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com
‘exposure to
marketing drives
consumption by
children and
young people.’
‘we remain
blind to the
sheer scale
of serious
alcohol
harm.’
Dr rIcharD PIPer
COUNTY CONCERNS
ALL CHILDREN, not just the most vulnerable,
are at risk of criminal exploitation, says a new
county lines report, and agencies should ‘not
underestimate the risk of criminal exploitation
in their areas’. The report, from Ofsted, CQC,
HMI Probation and HMI Constabulary and Fire
& Rescue Services, stresses the importance of
learning from past mistakes. ‘Tackling child
criminal exploitation, including county lines, is
a big challenge for agencies and professionals
nationally and locally,’ said Ofsted’s national
director for social care, Yvette Stanley. ‘Agencies
must make sure that they have the building
blocks in place to work quickly and effectively.’
Protecting children from criminal exploitation,
human trafficking and modern slavery at
www.gov.uk
DRINK MYTHS
AN ALCOHOL-FREE CHILDHOOD up to 18 is
‘the healthiest and best option’ and if children
are going to drink it should never be before
the age of 15, says Balance’s What’s the harm
campaign. It is a ‘myth’ that allowing children
to drink at a younger age makes them less
curious about alcohol, the charity states.
‘People mention the French way of giving
children alcohol,’ said Balance director Colin
Shevills. ‘But France actually has twice the
rate of alcohol dependence than the UK.’
www.balancenortheast.co.uk
SMALLER STAKES
MORE 11-16-YEAR-OLDS had spent their own
money on gambling in the past week than had
drunk alcohol, taken illegal drugs or smoked
cigarettes, according to a Gambling
Commission report. Stronger partnerships
between regulators and businesses are needed
to protect children, says Young people and
gambling 2018. Just under 2 per cent of 11-16
year olds are classed as ‘problem gamblers’,
with 2.2 per cent considered ‘at risk’.
Report at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk
GET TESTED
PHE AND NHS ENGLAND have launched a
nationwide exercise to identify and treat
people who have previously been diagnosed
with hepatitis C. While almost 25,000 people
in England have accessed new treatments over
the last three years – 95 per cent of whom
were cured – ‘tens of thousands’ who were
diagnosed in the past may not have done so.
‘If you have been at risk of contracting
hepatitis C, particularly through injecting
drugs – even if you injected only once or in the
past – then I urge you to get tested,’ said PHE
clinical scientist Dr Helen Harris.
Hepatitis C treatment monitoring in England
at www.gov.uk
December/January 2019 | drinkanddrugsnews | 5