Health

Drink? The Good, the Bad and the Moderate

Professor David Nutt explains some of the pharmacological effects of alcohol and gives a few tips on why and how to engage in more mindful...

The case for repoliticising alcohol use and harms

Journalist and PhD candidate James Wilt discusses how the profit seeking of the alcohol industry has led to a public health crisis. Wilt explains how...

Think Before You Drink: How can we improve alcohol health warning labels?

What is the problem with current alcohol labelling and how could labels be improved to help reduce harm? A comprehensive look at the research surrounding...

Cost of hidden harm: alcohol’s harm to others

The economic cost of alcohol's harm to others is rarely looked at. In this new study, researchers quantified this cost in Australia - including costs...

The COVID hangover: more urgency is needed to tackle alcohol harm as an indirect effect of the pandemic

Changes in drinking patterns during the pandemic are likely to lead to significant increases in alcohol-related disease cases and subsequent death. Here Dr Sadie Boniface...

Realising our rights: How to protect people from alcohol marketing

Alcohol Focus Scotland's comprehensive marketing report looks at what restrictions should be brought in to help protect the rights and health of people at risk...

Should we have lower drinking guidelines for younger people?

Colin Angus looks at the problems with a new study that suggests different drinking guidelines for different age groups.

What are the smoking behaviours of adults at risk of alcohol dependence in England?

There is a strong shared association between smoking and drinking. A new study looked at smoking prevalence and attempts to stop among people with alcohol...

Contents unknown: what alcohol labels aren’t telling us

The only information required on alcohol labels is container size, ABV and common allergens. Non-alcoholic drinks need far more information. The alcohol industry claims that...

Everything you wanted to know about minimum pricing, in one place

The World Health Organization published a comprehensive review of minimum pricing policies on alcohol, including summaries of the most recent evidence on their impact for...

Minimum unit pricing and harmful drinking: Mixed findings should not override the bigger picture

A study on the impact of Scotland's minimum unit pricing on harmful drinkers and those with alcohol dependence received a lot of press attention lambasting...

What can the UK learn from Australia and New Zealand’s fight for mandatory alcohol warning labels?

Australia and New Zealand struggled for years to bring in mandatory pregnancy warning labels on alcohol products. Maddie Heenan looks at what lessons other countries...

Healthy life expectancy: why tackling alcohol is key

If the Government is serious about extending healthy life expectancy for all, it must get serious about tackling alcohol. With the Health Disparities White Paper...

2012’s Alcohol Strategy 10 years on: was the ‘GAS’ a lot of hot air?

Our Head of Research looks at 2012's Alcohol Strategy a decade on, highlighting the Government's inertia and failure to achieve the vast majority of what...

Alcohol and gender: Thinking beyond the binary

A new study assessing alcohol use, reduction and harm among trans and non-binary people is looking to recruit study participants. Read the blog for further...

2021 alcohol consumption and harm: no signs of a ‘return to normal’

Dr Sadie Boniface looks at the trends in alcohol consumption and harm throughout 2021.

Does alcohol make you fat?

The relationship between alcohol and obesity is extremely complex. Dr Gary O’Donovan looks at what the UK Government can do in their 'war on obesity'...

Does a tipple topple the scales? The science on alcohol and body weight

Does alcohol increase calorie intake? Does alcohol lead to weight gain? Mackenzie Fong's new study looks at these important questions, at a time when the...

Is it time to help alcohol retailers make more money by selling less alcohol?

Public health bodies need to focus on more specific policy aims in order to make a difference and educational campaigns can develop the necessary climate...

Preventing harmful alcohol consumption is an excellent investment for countries

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published an in-depth book that highlights the huge cost of alcohol harm across 52 countries, and models...