Consumption

The end of premiumisation?

Alcohol giants are quietly pivoting from "premiumisation" to cheaper, stronger ready-to-drink products targeting Gen Z, even as younger generations drink less overall. This shift threatens...

No/lo drinks and alcohol harm reduction: a targeted tool, not a population-level solution

New research on no/lo drinks finds most buyers are low-risk, infrequent triers - not the heavy drinkers most likely to benefit from harm reduction. Only...

What is the point of a pint without alcohol? How drinking motives can help our understanding of who is consuming no/lo drinks

Drinking motives help explain why people drink alcohol - so how do these motives interact with consuming zero alcohol products?

The more you look, the more you drink: how attention to alcohol adverts drives consumption

The more attention people pay to alcohol adverts, the more they crave alcohol - and the more they go on to drink. New experimental evidence...

New study shows alcohol causes more cancers in Australia than previously thought

A recent study has used updated drinking levels and cancer risk rates to show that there are more alcohol-related cancer cases in Australia than previously...

The alcohol paradox: why cutting supermarket sales would grow the economy

Cutting alcohol consumption isn’t bad for the economy - especially when it comes to supermarket sales. New research shows shifting spending away from off-trade alcohol...

How Violence Prevention Teams in A&E are supporting patients, improving access to healthcare for vulnerable groups, and saving the NHS money

Violence Prevention Teams in A&E are transforming care for patients affected by violence - improving access for vulnerable groups while reducing repeat visits. New research...

Could knowing about alcohol and cancer help build support for alcohol policies?

The alcohol policies with the greatest impact are often the hardest to sell to the public. Could better awareness of alcohol and cancer help change...

Why alcohol warning labels and minimum unit pricing matter for cancer prevention

Clear cancer warning labels and minimum unit pricing can significantly reduce alcohol-related cancer cases and deaths, especially when implemented together. By both informing consumers and...

Gambling, alcohol and smoking – all for one and one for all

New research reveals a troubling overlap between online gambling harm, risky drinking, and smoking — and why tackling them in isolation may not be enough.

Medical students and recovery communities – learning from each other

Medical students across Scotland are learning about addiction in a whole new way - through direct conversation with people in recovery. These 'Conversation Cafés' are...

Alcohol industry pushback forces Irish Government to kick health warning labels down the road

Alcohol industry lobbying led to Ireland delaying plans to introduce alcohol warning labels. But what arguments did the industry make against the proposals?

Alcohol, family and change: rethinking drinking across generations in Romany Gypsy and Traveller communities

Alcohol use in Romany Gypsy and Traveller communities is shaped not by individual choice alone, but through family relationships and intergenerational care. This blog explores...

European health organisations are powerless against the wine lobby

Behind the EU’s Wine Package lies a quiet political battle between public health and powerful agricultural interests. This blog traces how wine escaped the rules...

Alcohol and other drugs agencies need to contribute to climate adaptation

Climate change is intensifying health and social inequalities, hitting people who use alcohol and other drugs (AoD) particularly hard. In this blog, the authors discuss...

Is the Great British Pub on the verge of extinction? The truth behind the headlines

Media headlines often suggest that British pubs are in terminal decline. But is that true?

The Dry January® challenge: Separating fact from fiction

Millions of people take a month off alcohol in January. This article explores the evidence behind Alcohol Change UK’s official Dry January® challenge, the role...

“Ensure these restrictions are not enforced”: FOI documents reveal alcohol industry lobbying

Freedom of Information documents reveal how alcohol companies lobbied ministers across Whitehall to force the removal of marketing restrictions from England’s 10 Year NHS Health...

Why we should have cancer warnings on alcohol

With the UK Government planning on introducing health warnings on alcohol labels, Professor Simone Pettigrew looks at the evidence around informing people of the link...

Has England’s drinking returned to “normal”?

Nearly five years on from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, England’s drinking patterns are only partly returning to pre-pandemic levels. New research shows that...