The Alcohol Alert Podcast

In this month’s podcast we spoke to John Holmes, Professor of Alcohol Policy at the University of Sheffield, about no and low alcohol products. We discussed the project the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group is running on the topic, why these products are gaining attention, who consumes them, the concerns among public health groups, and what the market for such products will look like in the coming...

In February's podcast we spoke to Dr James Morris, Research Fellow at London South Bank University, about how the model of ‘alcoholism’ evolved and led to beliefs about alcohol problems being heavily focused on the severe end of the spectrum. Dr Morris discusses how Alcoholics Anonymous, despite helping a great many people in their recovery, reinforces this model and leads to people failing to rec...

In our first podcast of 2024, we spoke to Nicola Merrin, Alcohol Focus Scotland's (AFS) Policy & Research Manager, about the Scottish Government's consideration of reintroducing a Public Health Supplement (or levy). We discussed what the previous levy raised and why it was implemented, AFS's support for a new levy, and why it's so important to introduce one now, when alcohol deaths are at record h...

In this month's podcast, we spoke to Dr Aalaa Jawad about a new report by the AHA, OHA and ASH that found that alcohol, tobacco, and junk food industries make £53 billion a year from harmful consumption. We also spoke to Susan Taylor of Balance North East, about their hard-hitting new campaign, which aims to raise awareness in the region of alcohol as a cause of cancer. This is a public episode. I...

In this month's podcast we spoke to a number of the attendees at the 7th Global Alcohol Policy Conference in Cape Town, including Prof David Jernigan of Boston University, Prof Charles Parry of the SAMRC , Alison Douglas and Nicola Merrin of Alcohol Focus Scotland, Chris Smith of Open Philanthropy, and Juan Tello of the World Health Organization. We asked them what they had found most enlightening...

In this month's podcast we spoke to economist Nicholas Woolley about a new report by Frontier Economics, which found that 184,000 preventable cancers diagnosed in 2023 will cost the UK economy £78 billion. We also spoke to Robert Stebbings of Adfam, about their new report: State of the Family Support Sector. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get...

In this month's podcast we spoke to Lucy Bryant of IAS and Dr Carly Lightowlers of the University of Liverpool, about their new study that found that off-trade alcohol availability is a crucial driver of alcohol-related violence. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit instalcstud.substack.com

In our latest podcast we spoke to Anu Rumm of the Alcohol Health Alliance, about new polling data which suggests there is significant public support for political action on reducing alcohol harm. We also spoke to Ailar Hashemzadeh of Alcohol Change UK about Alcohol Awareness Week 2023. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episode...

In our latest podcast, we spoke to Professor John Holmes, Director of the Sheffield Alcohol Research Group, about Public Health Scotland's new report which concludes that minimum unit pricing has been effective in reducing health harms and should continue. Also on our podcast, IAS's head of research Dr Sadie Boniface explains the findings of a new IAS study which highlights the inconsistency of go...

Hello and welcome to the Alcohol Alert, brought to you by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. On the podcast this month, we are joined by our chief executive, Dr Katherine Severi, to discuss her proudest moments of the last three years, our new strategy, why we are focusing on inequalities, and what she’s most looking forward to. Dr Courtney McNamara, a lecturer in public health at Newcastle Univers...

Hello and welcome to the Alcohol Alert, brought to you by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. Joining our podcast this week is Susan Taylor, Head of Alcohol Policy for Fresh and Balance in the northeast. We discussed the burden of alcohol-related harm in the northeast of England, and how the region still experiences disproportionate harm compared to other English regions. Taylor explained that alcoh...

Hello and welcome to the Alcohol Alert, brought to you by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. On this month’s podcast, we spoke to Dr Peter Rice, an addiction psychiatrist and IAS's chair, about changes to alcohol duty made in the Spring Budget. Before that, we hear from Dr Sadie Boniface about a recent study that found minimum unit pricing reduced alcohol deaths in Scotland by 13.4%. This is a publ...

Hello and welcome to the Alcohol Alert, brought to you by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. On this month’s podcast, we spoke to Nicola Merrin, Policy and Research Manager at Alcohol Focus Scotland. We discussed the proposals within Scotland’s alcohol marketing consultation, how Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation could affect the proposals, and tactics the alcohol industry are using to fight against th...

Hello and welcome to the Alcohol Alert, brought to you by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. In this month's podcast: What are the commercial determinants of health? The phrase ‘commercial determinants of health’ is being increasingly used in the public health sphere. But what does it mean, how does it relate to the alcohol industry, and what should our listeners reflect on? We spoke to Jeff Collin...

Hello and welcome to the Alcohol Alert, brought to you by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. In this podcast: People, planet, or profit: Alcohol’s impact on a sustainable future. We’re pleased to announce the launch of our new report: People, planet, or profit: Alcohol’s impact on a sustainable future . On our podcast this month we discussed the most interesting findings. The report brings together...

Hello and welcome to the Alcohol Alert, brought to you by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. In this podcast: How alcohol companies use gendered norms to sell more product In our podcast this month we spoke to Dr Amanda Atkinson of Liverpool John Moores University about gendered alcohol marketing. Among other things, we discussed: * The gendered tactics alcohol companies use to promote their produc...

How far can we trust the latest Global Burden of Disease study? 🎵 Podcast feature 🎵 In the summer, the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) group published a study that looked at alcohol consumption and harm, and suggested older people may benefit from drinking, while people under 40 should not drink. This conclusion was lambasted by a number of alcohol researchers, including Colin Angus in an IAS blo...

Why the alcohol industry can’t afford to let us kick our drinking problem 🎵 Podcast feature 🎵 James Wilt, PhD candidate and author of ‘Drinking Up the Revolution’ , writes that we aren’t talking enough about the influence of the alcohol industry on Britain’s unhealthy drinking habits and how alcohol’s ubiquity is largely due to “its commodification and deregulation by Big Alcohol”. Wilt states t...

Hello and welcome to the Alcohol Alert, brought to you by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. In this edition: * Shift in England’s drinking during COVID-19 could lead to 150,000 more cases of disease by 2035 🎵 Podcast feature 🎵 * The global burden of poor analysis * Minimum pricing has never been promoted as a panacea * Pubs: “lost forever” or consolidated? * Health Disparities white paper delaye...

Hello and welcome to the Alcohol Alert, brought to you by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. In this edition: * International experts call for ban on all alcohol promotion 🎵 Podcast feature 🎵 * ‘No clear evidence’ MUP reduces harmful drinking * Vast difference in alcohol-related deaths remains between richest and poorest in Scotland * Contents Unknown: How alcohol labelling still fails consumers...

Hello and welcome to the Alcohol Alert, brought to you by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. In this edition: * Alcohol packaging as a health communications tool 🎵 Podcast feature 🎵 * WHO marketing report exposes loophole; Assembly agrees to action plan; and industry donations to the WHO Foundation * Is it enough to reduce youth exposure to alcohol ads? * Should people who are overweight have low...

Hello and welcome to the Alcohol Alert, brought to you by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. In this edition: * Will the Health Disparities White Paper help where previous strategies have failed? 🎵 Podcast feature 🎵 * Ban on drinking during football matches may be overturned after nearly 40 years * ‘Sobriety tags’ to be rolled-out further, following scheme’s “success” * Councils to receive £85.7...

Hello and welcome to the Alcohol Alert, brought to you by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. In this edition: * IAS Blogs * IAS Small Grants Scheme now open for applications * WHO Europe looks to strengthen implementation of alcohol Action Plan * Government’s “dismal record” in meeting 2012 Alcohol Strategy initiatives  * NICE says pregnant women should be asked how much they drink * Audit Scotland...

Hello and welcome to the Alcohol Alert, brought to you by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. In this edition: * Sugar content in wine bottles ranges from 0 to 15 teaspoons of sugar 🎵 Podcast feature 🎵 * House of Lords debates alcohol labelling and advertising 🎵 Podcast feature 🎵 * European Parliament ‘waters down’ alcohol labelling recommendations * Alcohol-related hospital stays fall in Scotla...

Hello and welcome to the Alcohol Alert, brought to you by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. In this edition: * Marketing and Consumption of No and Low Alcohol Drinks – event recording * New way of calculating alcohol attributable deaths and hospital admissions 🎵 Podcast feature 🎵 * Ireland introduces minimum unit pricing * World Heart Federation strongly rebukes ‘myth’ of alcohol prolonging life...