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Time is of the essence in overhauling
the alcohol strategy, says the Drugs,
Alcohol and Justice APPG. DDN reports
Ripe
for refreshment
e were asked
by government,
“what should
be in the
alcohol
strategy?”,’ said
Dr Richard Piper, chief executive of
Alcohol Research UK – a question he
passed on to the Drugs, Alcohol and
Justice Cross-Party Parliamentary Group.
The last alcohol strategy was in 2012
and last year’s drug strategy ‘only made
passing reference to alcohol’, he pointed
out. But Public Health England’s 2016
evidence review had shown that there
was a large pool of evidence from which
to draw.
‘Any alcohol strategy should be
developed with health inequalities in
mind,’ he said. It should also be impact
based and ‘clear about the difference we
are trying to make’.
The strategy had to aim for reduc -
tions in alcohol-related attendance at
A&E, mortality, and crime, said Piper. Its
content should have three key themes –
support and interventions; the consum -
er side; and ‘other’, which included
considerations such as drink driving.
Children and families needed to be
central to considering interventions –
‘both as victims and part of the solution’.
Mental health was also a critical part.
‘We need to understand more about
dual diagnosis,’ he said. ‘When does
mental health trigger a problem and vice
versa?’ He also reminded the group that
the cost of not treating people was
much higher than treating it.
On the consumer side, minimum
‘W
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com
unit pricing (MUP) was evidence based
and necessary. ‘Evidence supports it,’ he
said. ‘Saying “let’s wait and see if people
die” is indefensible.’ Advertising and
sponsorship should no longer be
targeted at young people; online sales
should be addressed (including very easy
alcohol sales on eBay); local
communities needed to be able to get
involved in licencing decisions more
easily; and alcohol labelling should be
revised to include ingredients, calories
and information about health harm.
Alison Douglas, chief executive of
Alcohol Focus Scotland, took up the
issue of MUP. Scotland intended to
implement minimum unit pricing
imminently she said, adding ‘it is not a
standalone policy, it is part of a package
of measures’. Three things stood out –
price, availability and marketing – and it
was clear that a ‘whole population
approach’ was needed.
‘There’s a huge cost in misery and
loss of life years and the impact is felt by
all of us,’ she said. ‘It’s not just a health
problem, it’s fundamentally
undermining the fabric of society.’
The logic behind focusing on MUP
was that it was an ‘exquisitely simple
and targeted measure’. ‘It’s not based on
any one product, but applies to all
premises that sell alcohol and targets
the cheapest high-strength alcohol,’ she
said. In answer to the argument that
MUP penalises the poor, she said that
they were most likely to benefit:
‘Harmful drinkers in the poorest groups
are the ones most affected by MUP.
‘We want to see it extended to all of
‘We need to understand more
about dual diagnosis. When does
mental health trigger a problem...’
the British Isles because of the benefits
to public health and communities,’ she
added.
Julie Breslin brought her experience
as head of Drink Wise, Age Well, a
lottery-funded programme led by
Addaction, which helped people over
the age of 50 to make healthy choices.
The aging population of the UK
consumed more alcohol than other age
groups and ‘must be considered in any
strategy refresh’, she said. Harmful
attitudes relating to alcohol were
increased by living alone, chronic illness
or disability, while contributory factors
could be retirement, bereavement and
lack of a sense of purpose as people got
older. The long-term health impact of
drinking too much was ‘significant’.
The treatment sector was failing to
respond to the needs of this age group,
Breslin reported. Three-quarters of rehabs
had an arbitrary age cut-off and there
was ‘a perception that you can’t teach an
old dog new tricks’. The new strategy
should incorporate age as a cross-cutting
theme, with an advisory panel convened
to give guidance, she said.
The benefits of the Drink Wise, Age
Well programme were illustrated by
Vince, who shared his personal story.
‘I’ve always enjoyed a drink with
colleagues and friends,’ he said. ‘Then I
was signed off work with ill health and
this was when drinking became more of
a problem. I used it to cope with pain. I
saw my GP, and while we discussed the
need to cut down my drinking, he didn’t
refer me for help.’
Being referred to Drink Wise, Age
Well led to being referred to a detox
unit, followed by support at home. Peer
support meetings became a ‘crucial
part’ of his recovery and he became a
volunteer helping to facilitate them.
‘If it wasn’t for support, I wouldn’t
have had the strength to do it on my
own,’ he said. DDN
February 2018 | drinkanddrugsnews | 13