Find out inside!
** Welcome to the April newsletter from Alcohol Change UK
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This month, we’re bringing you some dates for your diary. First, we’re excited to announce the date and theme for this year’s Alcohol Awareness Week, and second our online conference, ‘Rebuild and recover’, to take place in September. Read on to find out more about both, and how you can get involved.
Also this month, there was a debate about alcohol harm in the House of Lords. You can find a summary of the debate below, as well as information about our Treasurer trustee position, the latest alcohol news, and more.
** Alcohol Awareness Week: alcohol and relationships
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We're delighted to announce that this year's Alcohol Awareness Week will take place from 15-21 November on the theme of 'Alcohol and relationships'. We’ll be looking at the ways in which alcohol can shape and affect our relationships, including when a loved one’s drinking impacts us, and the effects of lockdown on our relationships and drinking. If you have a perspective on the issues around alcohol and relationships that you’d like to share, you can do so here ([link removed]) .
We would love all of our partners across the UK to join us for this year’s campaign and there are many ways for you to do so. To keep in the loop with updates on Alcohol Awareness Week and to receive free digital resources, sign up to our mailing list. ([link removed])
Find out more ([link removed])
** Rebuild and recover: Alcohol Change UK’s 2021 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. Speakers include:
* Dr Lee Hogan and members of Moving On In My Recovery, on providing peer support in the pandemic
* Justina Murray of Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs, on supporting the families of drinkers through lockdown and beyond
* Community development expert Cormac Russell, on remaking connections post-Covid-19.
Find out more and book your place ([link removed])
** Debate on alcohol harm in the House of Lords
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Last week there was a debate on alcohol harm in the House of Lords, focusing on the report of the Commission on Alcohol Harm and featuring many members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Alcohol Harm, for which we provide the secretariat.
Vice-Chair of the APPG on Alcohol Harm and Chair of the Commission, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, started by highlighting the wide-ranging impacts of alcohol: 80 deaths every day, more years of working life lost than the 10 most frequent cancers combined, and the challenges faced by more than 200,000 children who live with an alcohol-dependent parent in England. These children are five times more likely to have an eating disorder and three times more likely to consider suicide. She also mentioned the impacts on crime, with alcohol a factor in 40% of violent crimes and half of domestic abuse cases.
Baroness Finlay pointed to the list of policy recommendations in the Commission report, including reforming the duty system, the need to introduce minimum unit pricing in England and restrictions on advertising.
The Health Minister for the Lords, Lord Bethell, responded to the debate positively, acknowledging that alcohol problems don’t only affect ‘the weak or irresponsible’ and that we must change the conversation about alcohol in our society. He noted that alcohol has a huge impact on society, health, productivity and quality of life, being the third largest lifestyle risk factor for ill health after smoking and obesity. Lord Bethell highlighted the upcoming addictions strategy, alcohol duty review, and consultation for mandatory calorie labelling on alcohol as opportunities for more work to be done.
Read the full summary ([link removed])
** Treasurer trustee role
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We’re looking for a Treasurer to join our Board of Trustees. Our new treasurer will play a key role in overseeing the charity’s finances at trustee level, working closely with the CEO, finance team and other trustees.
We’re looking for someone with significant knowledge of charity finances and the audit process, and a passion for reducing the serious harm caused by alcohol. No previous trustee or Treasurer experience is necessary for this role.
The deadline for applications is Friday 7 May 2021.
Find out more and apply ([link removed])
** Call for abstracts for the Early Career Alcohol Research Symposium 2021
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The Sheffield Alcohol Research Group will host the annual Early Career Alcohol Research Symposium on Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 July 2021. This two-day symposium is aimed at early career researchers working in the field of alcohol research from both public health and social perspectives. The programme will feature early career researchers presenting and discussing each other’s research, as well as a panel discussion with research leaders. If you have an abstract you wish to submit, please do so before the deadline of 24 May 2021.
Find out more and submit an abstract ([link removed])
** Alcohol news
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** Three-quarters of a million alcohol-related hospital admissions during pandemic
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New data from NHS Digital shows that there were 773,523 alcohol-related admissions between April and December last year. 587,501 of these were patients aged 50 and over. Commenting on the figures, Dr Richard Piper, Chief Executive of Alcohol Change UK, said there is “an urgent need to offer high-quality treatment and support for all those who are struggling with their drinking."
Read more ([link removed])
** Calorie labelling of alcohol “on the way”
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The UK Government announced it is planning to consult on introducing mandatory calorie labelling of alcoholic drinks. Recent media reports have suggested that new measures could require larger pubs to make available to customers the number of calories in all their alcoholic drinks. The information would be printed on menus and possibly pump labels. All alcohol sold in shops would also carry calorie information and a health warning by law.
Read our article on alcohol labelling ([link removed])
** Heavier social media use linked to more frequent drinking in young people
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Heavier social media use is associated with more frequent alcohol consumption among young people in the UK, according to a new study from researchers at UCL. The study found that those aged 10-15 who used social media more regularly were more likely to drink alcohol. The researchers also found a link between heavier social media use and more frequent binge drinking among young adults aged 16-19.
Read more ([link removed])
** Latest blogs
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** Tips for healthy drinking as lockdown eases
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As lockdown eases you might be worried about how to return to ‘normal’ while keeping your drinking under control. Check out some tips to help you.
Read the blog ([link removed])
** How my drinking friends helped me stay sober
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In this blog, written for Sober Spring, writer and podcast host Laura Cathcart Robbins shares how her drinking friends helped her stick to her non-drinking goals.
Read the blog ([link removed])
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