Health

An introduction to Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

What is FASD, how common is it, and how can people living with the condition be supported to live happy lives?

“Outta sight, outta mind?”. What do the public and professional stakeholders think about alcohol policy?

Dr Dimova looks at the opinions of both public and professional stakeholders regarding policy suggestions to reduce alcohol use and harms. She highlights the importance...

Following the science on public health partnerships: the alcohol industry is no ordinary stakeholder

A recent study looked at how the Portman Group, Drinkaware, and Public Health England interacted during a health campaign and how this allowed the industry...

How can we improve public understanding that alcohol can cause cancer?

CancerWatch calls on the new government to develop a national alcohol strategy and introduce mandatory alcohol labelling to help inform consumers that alcohol can cause...

How can genetics help assess the potential harms of moderate drinking?

Understanding the effects of moderate alcohol consumption is complex due to confounding factors and ethical limits in research. Dr Stephen Burgess explains the benefits and...

Alcohol trade groups mislead Prime Minister on duty ‘increase’, putting revenue – and lives – at risk

Alcohol trade groups have repeatedly claimed that the increase in duty rates in August 2023 led to the Treasury losing millions in revenue. However, this...

Alcohol’s hidden calories: a missed opportunity in obesity policy

Why is alcohol - despite the high calorie content - missing from obesity policy documents? Callum Young and Dr Benjamin Hawkins look at why policymakers...

Alcohol and its Impact on the Adolescent Brain

Alcohol consumption among children in the UK is still worryingly high, particularly due to the damage it can cause to developing brains.

How do economic crises impact levels of alcohol harm, and who is most affected?

Overall, evidence suggests that alcohol consumption falls during times of economic crises. However, population-level trends mask hidden pockets of risk amongst vulnerable groups.

Alcohol and the heart: friend or foe?

Observational studies and Mendelian Randomisation show conflicting associations between alcohol and coronary heart disease. In this blog, the authors discuss these differences, and what the...

Making the wine duty ‘easement’ permanent would negate the public health objective of the duty reform

What is the wine duty easement, why is the wine industry lobbying to make it permanent, and why would that be bad for public health?

Alcohol labelling must be part of a ‘manifesto for cancer prevention’

A survey by CancerWatch suggests that cancer charities focus too much on treatment and diagnosis, with a lack of attention on preventing cancer in the...

Is a little bit of alcohol really good for us?: What we have learned from better-designed studies

Causal understanding of alcohol and health effects has improved markedly in recent years. A recent critical review looked at better-designed studies to understand whether light...

Rethinking “Justice”: Racial Inequity in Justice-Involved Alcohol Treatment in the United States

Although referral to alcohol treatment via the criminal legal system can lead to greater completion among some groups, there is significant inequity in both who...

The Sick-Quitter Effect: Alcohol-related death has been underestimated over the last 30 years

The findings of observational studies on alcohol are often affected by the 'sick quitter effect' - where those who have stopped drinking due to health...

Saving Lives and Money: A Call for a €1 Minimum Unit Price for Alcohol to Prevent Chronic Liver Disease

How would a €1 minimum unit price reduce liver disease and liver cancer in France, The Netherlands, and Romania?

Beyond Abstinence: Can reducing drinking reduce alcohol craving?

Reducing alcohol consumption, even short of complete abstinence, during treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with lower craving levels, leading to improvements in...

The views of alcohol frequent attenders at a general hospital in Scotland: a qualitative study

Ken Barrie outlines the findings from recent research with people who are repeatedly hospitalised due to alcohol. Key themes that arose from the interviews conducted...

What really are ‘alcohol problems’, and why does it matter?

There is a discrepancy between public beliefs of alcohol problems, dominated by the concept of "alcoholism", and scientific conceptualisations such as Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)....

Alcohol Care Teams – what are the benefits to patient care in hospitals?

Alcohol Care Teams are dedicated teams within inpatient settings, which support patients drinking at harmful levels. Carol Appleyard works within one. Here she explains how...