Read on for a fresh look at the issues.


** Welcome to our June newsletter
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It’s officially summer! In the past month Sober Spring came to an end, we worked with over 100 supporters to respond to the Women’s Health Strategy for England consultation, and much more.

Also in this newsletter: resources by and for LGBTQIA+ people who are alcohol-free, moderating or thinking about it; a fresh look at the role of alcohol sponsorship in sport; a research funding opportunity; and the latest alcohol news.


** It’s the end of Sober Spring!
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This year we teamed up with best-selling author Catherine Gray once again to bring you Sober Spring – a three-month break from alcohol, running from 20 March to 20 June. We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part or supported the campaign this year. Whether you found it easy or tough, you deserve a round of applause – changing your drinking during an ongoing pandemic is no easy feat!

During Sober Spring we published blogs on everything from alcohol in the Army ([link removed]) , to how drinking friends can help their non-drinking friends stay sober ([link removed]) , alcohol-free dating ([link removed]) , the diary of a former sober-shamer ([link removed]) , a ([link removed]) lcohol and ADHD ([link removed]) and the impact of alcohol on a marriage ([link removed]) .

You can revisit all these, as well as many other interesting reads, on our blog.

Check out the blog ([link removed])


** Our response to the Women’s Health Strategy
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This month we responded to the government's call for evidence to inform the development of the first Women’s Health Strategy for England. We invited our supporters either to submit their own response or to send us a short message for inclusion in our submission.

Alcohol is a significant cause of women’s ill health, disability and early death. While women drink less than men overall, many conditions specific to women are caused or made worse by alcohol. Women are at greater risk than men of some of alcohol’s harmful effects, including liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, alcohol-related cancer (including mouth, oesophagus, liver, and breast) and cardiovascular conditions like stroke.

We called on the government to ensure that the Strategy addresses the impact of alcohol on all health conditions that affect women, including by endorsing policies that reduce alcohol consumption across the population.

Read our response ([link removed])


** National Institute for Health Research funding opportunity
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The NIHR’s Health Services and Delivery Research Programme is calling for well-designed research studies, with strong theoretical grounding, to generate robust national and international learning to strengthen the evidence base on the effectiveness and impact of Alcohol Care Teams. Call closes at 1pm on 24 September 2021.

Find out more and apply ([link removed])


** Men’s Health Week
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Men’s Health Week took place this month. We marked it with a blog by our Director for Wales, Andrew Misell, and with a briefing event hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Alcohol Harm. The theme for this year’s Men’s Health Week was mental health and Covid-19, so guests at the APPG event heard from speakers about the ways in which alcohol affects men’s mental health and how that has been impacted by the pandemic.

Read the blog ([link removed])


** Rebuild and recover: our upcoming online conference
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On 22 and 23 September we’ll be bringing you an online conference that puts alcohol in context: an opportunity to reflect on the reasons people drink, and the many routes to harm reduction and recovery for a diverse population. Across the two days, we’ll be seeking to learn lessons from the lockdown and understand how best to respond to the challenges of the post-pandemic world.

Book your place ([link removed])


** Sports and alcohol
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With the UEFA European Championship well and truly underway, we thought this would be a good time to revisit the debate around alcohol sponsorship in sport. What role does it play, and is it causing harm? Andrew Misell explores these questions and more in this blog.

Read the blog ([link removed])


** Pride resources
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If you’re a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and you’re considering cutting down or stopping drinking, we see you and we’re here for you. No matter where you are on your journey with alcohol, you deserve support if you need or want it. We’ve put together lots of resources by and for LGBTQIA+ people who don’t drink, moderate or are considering making a change.

Read the resources ([link removed])


** Alcohol news
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** Minimum pricing making “a positive impact”

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A study on the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) on alcohol purchasing in Scotland and Wales has been published. The research found that MUP continued to have a positive impact on lowering alcohol purchasing two years on from its introduction in Scotland, and its introduction in Wales in March 2020 led to a similar immediate impact on alcohol purchasing as was found in Scotland. Prof Sir Ian Gilmore, Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: "This is powerful, real-world evidence of the success of minimum unit pricing as a harm reduction policy."


Read the study ([link removed](21)00052-9/fulltext)


** Scottish alcohol sales drop to lowest level in 26 years
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The amount of alcohol sold per person in Scotland in 2020 fell to its the lowest level for 26 years, according to the Monitoring and Evaluating Scotland's Alcohol Strategy (MESAS) Monitoring Report 2021 published this month. Figures show 9.4 litres of pure alcohol were sold per adult last year, the equivalent of each adult in the country drinking 18 units/week– this is the largest yearly drop on record. Alison Douglas, Chief Executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland (AFS), said “…given nearly a quarter of Scots are still regularly drinking over the Chief Medical Officers’ low-risk drinking guidelines, we can’t afford to take our eye off the ball where preventing alcohol harm is concerned.”

Read the monitoring report ([link removed])


** WHO action plan sparks debate
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The draft global action plan on alcohol, published by the World Health Organization (WHO), has been criticised for seeming to suggest that women "of childbearing age" should be prevented from drinking alcohol entirely.

In the section on preventing Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, one section of background text states: “appropriate attention… be given to... (the) prevention of drinking among pregnant women and women of childbearing age.” WHO has clarified that this was a drafting error and should not be seen as calling for a ban on alcohol in women of child-bearing age, but the British Pregnancy Advisory Service says it risks “hard-won women’s rights by attempting to control their bodies and choices.”

Dr Richard Piper said, "Drinking alcohol during pregnancy, even in the early stages before many people realise they are pregnant, can be very damaging for a foetus. Indeed, a number of studies have shown that even small amounts of alcohol can cause serious damage in the first two to six weeks of pregnancy. It's important that people understand these risks and have access to the clear advice that no amount of alcohol has been shown to be safe during pregnancy. However, it's also vital that we balance this against each adult's right to make informed decisions about what we do with our bodies, no matter our age or sex."

He continued "This was a draft for consultation, and we expect this wording to be clarified. Let's not allow ourselves to be distracted from the rest of this crucial document, which lays out many important draft measures for governments around the world to implement in the fight against alcohol harm."

Read the draft report ([link removed])


** Rugby’s Six Nations Championship “exposing children to alcohol ads”
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A new study, published in the journal Alcohol & Alcoholism, has found UK broadcast footage of the Guinness Six Nations Championship to be “a significant source of exposure to alcohol marketing and advertising for children”, and likely increasing “youth alcohol experimentation and uptake” as a consequence. The researchers found that the 2019 tournament delivered an estimated 758 million Guinness branded impressions to children under 16 in the UK.

Read the study ([link removed])


** Latest blogs
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** Coping with summer drinking triggers: Julia’s tips
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In this blog, Julia shares her top tips for overcoming summer drinking cravings – from reframing your non-drinking to being selective about what events you attend until you feel more confident.

Read the blog ([link removed])


** Sven’s story: “I marvel at how my life has changed”
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Sven’s drinking lost him friends, family, relationships, jobs, homes and a community he had felt so welcomed by. After a meeting with HR at the call centre where he worked, things started to change.

Read the blog ([link removed])

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