Welcome to the Alcohol Change UK December newsletter!
This is the last newsletter of 2019 and the decade! Last month we featured as Charity of the Week in the Daily Mirror, our Blue Light Project in Sandwell won two awards, Alcohol Awareness Week was a great success, and now Dry January is just around the corner! Read on to find out more about the new Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures about alcohol-specific deaths and other news stories, the latest blogs and more.
In this newsletter:
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Dry January 2020 - sign up now!
Sign up for Dry January now for the best start to the new decade: better sleep, more money in your pocket, healthier insides, more energy, brighter skin, and so much more! You can sign up on the website or via our Try Dry app - the perfect companion for Dry January and beyond. Use it to track your units, calories and money saved, set goals, earn badges and more. Opt in to receive emails and we'll send you tips, stories from other participants and much more to help you stay dry and have a great month.
People who sign up are twice as likely to manage a whole month without drinking than those who don't, so what are you waiting for?
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You can also run a Dry January event in your local community or workplace! It’s a cheap, cost-effective health campaign that can have a real impact on people’s wellbeing. Find out more and download your free resources for your community or workplace on our website. |
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Alcohol Awareness Week - thank you for getting involved
Over 3,000 community groups across the UK came together for this year’s theme of ‘Alcohol and me’ to raise awareness of the impact that alcohol can have on our bodies, our lives and those we love. A huge thank you to everyone who took part!
You can revisit all the materials from the campaign on our website — from factsheets to support.
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Let the world know about your Dry January!
So you're doing Dry January and you want to shout about it. Use these resources to tell the world about your dry month, and bring others along for the ride — it may even encourage someone else to sign up and take on the challenge!
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The Blue Light Project in Sandwell wins two new awards!
The project, which we ran with Sandwell council, was nominated for and won both the Royal Society for Public Health and the Guardian awards in the Public Health and Wellbeing categories. The awards are being given, quite simply, because this approach works. It saves lives, but also generates significant cost and resource savings.
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Drink-driving study looking for recruits
The University of Stirling are recruiting research participants who have experience drinking and driving. If you'd like to get involved, email [email protected] for more information.
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“Liver disease admissions down” after minimum pricing introduced
Alcohol experts have welcomed new figures which show the number of hospital admissions for liver disease has decreased since a minimum unit pricing (MUP) of 50p per unit was introduced by the Scottish Parliament 18 months ago. A report published earlier this year showed that sales of alcohol in Scotland dropped following the change in the law. MUP will be introduced in Wales in March next year.
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New ONS figures on alcohol-specific deaths published
The latest figures, published on 3 December, show that there were 7,551 alcohol-specific deaths registered in 2018. The death rates are highest among men aged 55 to 59, and women aged 60 to 64. You can read a summary of the findings on the Alcohol Policy UK blog.
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Irish Government tackles alcohol advertising
New legislation in the Republic of Ireland to reduce the exposure of children to advertisements featuring alcohol products came into effect last month. The Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 will limit the advertising of alcohol in public places, including a ban on alcohol advertising in or on public service vehicles, at public transport stops or stations and within 200 metres of a school, creche, or local authority playground. The Scottish Government has committed to a consultation on alcohol marketing in the spring of next year.
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Alcohol consumption predicted to drop by 6% this Christmas
Alcohol consumption is on track to drop by six per cent over the festive period, with a third of millennials planning to host a teetotal Christmas. Tesco’s study of 2,010 UK adults found drinking around the festive period is in a slight decline, with a drop of alcohol intake compared to Christmas 2018. 18-34 year-olds were found to be twice as likely to order a non-alcoholic drink than the older generation.
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Alcohol and mental health – what do we know?
We know that alcohol and mental health are related, but we don’t necessarily know which came first: heavy drinking or mental health problems. In this blog, Jo-Anne and Laura explore the current research.
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Health first: why Dry January can be a step in the right direction
In this blog, Dr Tony Rao talks us through some of the benefits of a dry month. Even though some of the benefits aren’t visible on the outside, you can be sure they’re doing your insides some good.
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