Welcome to the Alcohol Change UK March newsletter
This month has been one of the hardest we've had to face across the UK and beyond as new and important changes are being made to our daily lives to keep us and others safe.
It's heartening to see everyone pulling together to do their bit. The alcohol harm reduction sector is playing a vital role too in helping to provide support to those most in need.
We are committed to doing our bit too. We're providing up-to-date information on our website and other channels on where people can find support, and are offering information and advice on how people can manage their drinking and protect their mental health during this stressful period. We will be on the constant lookout for other ways to help. If you have any ideas, please reply to this email with your thoughts.
In this newsletter:
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Coronavirus: alcohol information and advice hub
We know that this is a topic at the forefront of almost everybody’s minds. The transition to spending much more time at home and with those we live with can be hard, on top of the extra worry and uncertainty the pandemic brings. It’s important that we look after ourselves and our mental health during this time. On our website you can find our coronavirus hub. It includes links to remote support services, tips for looking after your mental health, ways to keep track of your drinking, resources for professionals in the alcohol treatment sector and more.
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Alcohol Awareness Week announcement!
This year Alcohol Awareness Week will take place between 16 and 22 November, on the theme of ‘Alcohol and mental health’. We're looking forward to working with partners across the UK to make this the best Alcohol Awareness Week yet.
Sign up for Alcohol Awareness Week updates here.
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Drinking guidelines missing from two-thirds of alcohol labels
New research from the Alcohol Health Alliance has found that the updated Chief Medical Officers' guidelines are still absent from 70 per cent of alcohol containers across the UK – four years after they were introduced. In addition, nearly a quarter contained misleading, out-of-date health information.
Lucy Holmes, Director of Research and Policy at Alcohol Change UK, who led the research, said:
“In order to make healthy choices drinkers need easy access to the right information and consumers have a right to know what health experts advise. The guidelines should be plain to see on every alcohol container, and in a colour and size that most people can easily read without a magnifying glass.”
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Announcing our annual alcohol conference in Wales
Join us for our annual conference in Wales taking place in September 2020 where we'll be debating issues around the important theme of "Working with the whole person: Alcohol, mental health and complex needs".
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Sober Spring has sprung!
Sober Spring officially began on 20 March! It’s a three-month alcohol-sabbatical, run by author Catherine Gray and us at Alcohol Change UK. With everything that’s been going on, going alcohol-free might be the last thing on your mind. But if you’re interested in giving it a go, it can have really positive effects on your mental health, sleep, stress levels and more. It’s not too late to join!
New Sober Spring blogs will be added to our website on a weekly basis. We also run an online Facebook group for people taking part in the challenge, to offer support, advice and community. You can find and join it here.
Signing up for the challenge gives you access to weekly supportive emails and lots more tips to help you make the most out of your three months alcohol-free.
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Minimum unit pricing begins in Wales
Minimum unit pricing came into force in Wales on 2 March, set at 50p per unit. Alcohol Change UK is working with the Welsh Government to ensure that front-line services understand the measure and its implications and that support services are available for those who need them.
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Our response to Budget 2020
Alcohol causes too much harm in the UK. That much is obvious to those of us working in the alcohol harm reduction sector, to alcohol treatment providers, to NHS doctors and nurses, and to the hundreds of thousands of people across the UK who lose loved ones to alcohol every year. Yet this was not reflected in the Government’s Budget, which saw alcohol duty on all alcohol frozen, and signs that the strain on already-struggling treatment services will only worsen. But there are some positives to be found, too.
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Calls for ban on alcohol sport sponsorship
New research from Scotland has found that alcohol marketing featured as often as once every 15 seconds in live Six Nations rugby matches and once every 98 seconds in a live Scottish Premier League matches. This had led to calls for the Scottish Government to curb sponsorship of professional sport by alcohol companies.
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Coronavirus: top tips on alcohol and mental health
In times of stress, we often find ourselves drinking more often or more heavily. This blog has tips on how to manage your drinking and mental health.
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The effect of alcohol prices in supermarkets on behaviour
This blog explains the findings from a recent report we funded, on understanding the link between alcohol excises and the effects on consumer behaviour.
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