Major alcohol study's claim that drinking is good for older people is disputed.

Major alcohol study's claim that drinking is good for older people is disputed

New research suggests that young people face higher health risks from alcohol consumption than older adults and should therefore avoid drinking altogether. The study, published in The Lancet, is described as the first to report alcohol risk by geographical region, age, sex and year.

A key conclusion from the study is that older adults may benefit from consuming small amounts of alcohol, but this has subsequently been contested by others as not aligning with the wider scientific evidence.

Colin Angus, a research fellow from The School of Health and Related Research at the University of Sheffield, sheds some light on how the research was conducted and why it's being contested.

Read Colin Angus' blog

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Community champions volunteer and help to bring changes in attitudes to alcohol in their own area. Whether you would like to fundraise, campaign, distribute leaflets, hold community meetings - we would love to hear from you.

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Alcohol news

'The Covid Hangover'

Last week, the IAS and Health Lumen released a new piece of research called 'The Covid Hangover'. Funded by National Institute for Health and Care Research, it highlights how the coronavirus pandemic has created conditions for more people to drink more heavily putting them at greater risk of serious alcohol harm. The research models what this could mean for society over the next 20 years, including thousands of additional premature deaths.

Read the report

Scottish government launches review of minimum unit pricing

A review is now underway on minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol in Scotland after it was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The review is expected to be completed by late 2023. Leading alcohol charities are calling for the current 50p threshold to be raised to 65p, to ensure it keeps pace with inflation.

Read the study