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Reposted by Peter Rice

SHAAP @shaapalcohol.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

👏 Thank you Carol Mochan MSP for highlighting SHAAP and @ias.org.uk most recent report, which uncovers tactics used by the alcohol industry to mislead the public on harm, the economy, environment & policy.

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Reposted by Peter Rice

Alcohol Health Alliance UK @aha-uk.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

The Council for Science and Technology, a body that advises the Prime Minister on science and technology policy issues has recommended Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) be implemented in England.👏 Read the full recommendation👇 www.gov.uk/government/p...

“Based on the existing evidence, minimum unit pricing (MUP) would likely be the most impactful measure the government could take to reduce alcohol-related health harms from excessive consumption.”
- Council for Science and Technology

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SHAAP @shaapalcohol.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

🗣️In our latest report with @ias.org.uk we found alcohol industry groups claiming “Alcohol harms are going in the right direction.” In reality, deaths hit a record high. Read the report 👇 shaap.org.uk/publication/...

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Reposted by Peter Rice

Institute of Alcohol Studies @ias.org.uk · 08/05/2025

"Even in the snakes and ladders that is politics, it’s unusual to stop a piece of reform that you yourself created and championed." Sara Burke & Norah Campbell write that delaying Ireland's health labelling is "the alcohol industry’s dream outcome". www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...

irishexaminer.com

We deserve better than delays to landmark health legislation

Alcohol labelling laws have repeatedly been delayed, with American tariffs cited most recently, write Sara Burke and Norah Campbell

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Reposted by Peter Rice

Institute of Alcohol Studies @ias.org.uk · 02/05/2025

📢 An IARC @who.int report confirms that policies like alcohol taxes, minimum pricing, availability controls, and marketing bans reduce alcohol use - helping prevent cancer at the population level. A landmark review now published in @nejm.org: www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/...

nejm.org

The IARC Perspective on the Effects of Policies on Reducing Alcohol Consumption | NEJM

Alcohol policy interventions, including those that increase alcohol taxes, raise the drinking and purchase age, reduce days or hours of sale, and impose strong marketing bans, reduce alcohol consum...

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

The USA has mandatory health and safety information on alcohol products. The content and design is in sore need of updating, but the principle of labelling , including for imported products, is accepted in the USA. So what is the basis of any objection?

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Alcohol Focus Scotland @alcoholfocus.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

Today, we've been calling for urgent action to prevent and reduce #AlcoholDeaths We want to see increased early diagnosis of #LiverDisease to save lives Here Dr Ewan Forrest talks about the huge success of a pilot fibroscan service in Glasgow #AlcoholEmergency

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SHAAP @shaapalcohol.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

Before the election, more than 70 organisations are demanding that the Scottish Government prioritise increasing early detection & treatment of liver disease alongside other targeted measures, to address the highest number of unnecessary deaths from alcohol since 2008 👇 shaap.org.uk/news/446-tim...

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Alcohol Focus Scotland @alcoholfocus.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

“We want to see an alcohol care team in every acute hospital” says Dr Alastair MacGilchrist of @shaapalcohol.bsky.social This will save lives by ensuring patients with alcohol problems are identified & provided with specialised support. #AlcoholEmergency www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBfD...

youtube.com

What are alcohol care teams and why do we need them? Dr Alastair MacGilchrist, SHAAP

YouTube video by Alcohol Focus Scotland

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Reposted by Peter Rice

American Association of Wine Economists AAWE @wineecon.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Interesting against the background of new tariffs. In 2024, Canada accounts for 34% of U.S. wine export value, China & Hong Kong for 10%, and Mexico for 2%; 13% goes to the UK.

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

If politicians are brave on prevention people will understand. No-one has lost elections in Scotland, Wales, Ireland on alcohol price regulation. Excise duties are accepted as justifiable taxes. Economic interests make a lot of noise opposing regulation. The public know why.

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

These alcohol, sports and political arrangements can get complicated because of the competing interests. Thanks to @alcoholreview.bsky.social for following the twists and turns.

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Interesting story, A Sour Taste, in the current Private Eye (20th Feb 2025) about relations between Drinkaware in the UK and their alcohol industry funders. www.private-eye.co.uk/issue-1603/i...

private-eye.co.uk

Private Eye | Green Eye: Thames link?

THAMES Water’s dirty reputation is having an unfortunate knock-on effect on attempts to clean up its act.

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Alcohol Review @alcoholreview.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

"New research published today in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health has revealed that only 65% of alcohol products sold in Australia display the mandatory warning about the risks of drinking while pregnant." www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

abc.net.au

Pregnancy warning labels missing on alcohol - ABC listen

New research published today in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health has revealed that only 65 per cent of alcohol products sold in Australia display the mandatory warning about the...

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Reposted by Peter Rice

The Lancet @thelancet.com · 04/02/2025

Associations between alcohol consumption and cancer are scientifically well established, but the public are often unaware of the links. Should alcohol carry cancer warning labels? On #WorldCancerDay, a new World Report explores this question: tinyurl.com/ytfhkry9

tinyurl.com

Should alcohol carry cancer warning labels?

Associations between alcohol consumption and cancer are scientifically well established, but the public are often unaware of the links. Sharmila Devi reports.

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

Interesting thread on US mortality. Rise in alcohol related deaths is a factor in deteriorating overall trends.

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Reposted by Peter Rice

Institute of Alcohol Studies @ias.org.uk · 03/02/2025

Why is Diageo struggling? 📉 Sales are down, shares have tanked nearly 30%, and investors are nervous One major investor sold its stake due to the rise in weight-loss drugs but also due to “problems with [Diageo’s new management]” @byrobdavies.bsky.social reports www.theguardian.com/business/202...

theguardian.com

How fortunes turned flat at Johnnie Walker and Guinness owner Diageo

With crucial results looming, investors fear 25 years of dividend growth may stall this week as drinks firm battles major headwinds

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Reposted by Peter Rice

Institute of Alcohol Studies @ias.org.uk · 05/02/2025

Alcohol-specific deaths in the UK reached another record high in 2023, with 10,473 dying. This is mainly due to increases in England and Wales, whereas Scotland saw no change and NI saw a fall in deaths. IAS's Dr Katherine Severi said: "We’ve seen record-high.. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

theguardian.com

Men are more than twice as likely as women to die as a result of excess alcohol consumption, statistics show

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Institute of Alcohol Studies @ias.org.uk · 31/01/2025

In our latest podcast we spoke to Tim, a long-standing member of Alcoholics Anonymous & trustee, and Dr Kieran Moriarty, the godfather of Alcohol Care Teams & AA trustee🎙️ We discussed: - AA's success - Whether its religious roots are a barrier - The term 'alcoholic' www.ias.org.uk/podcast/the-...

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

Agreed Mags. Let's keep an eye out for opportunities. I know that Tayside Council on Alcohol has a big client base and the infrastructure to work with research teams and likewise with a few other councils on alcohol , like DACA.

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

Interesting. There's very little published work on this. Brand choice, motivations to shift categories and so on. MUP mostly eliminates the price motive. I suspect the industry has some insights but they keep that to themselves. Wonder if councils on alcohol could work with researchers here.

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

A lot of the Buckfast focus came from a young offenders study. 40plus % reported Buckfast consumption but similar rates of vodka drinking. Fitted with my experience that Buckfast was often part of a cocktail and that vodka was the bulk of alcohol intake. 2/2.

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

Hi Mags. I moved West to East in late 1980s. East coast drinkers were baffled by Buckfast popularity in the West. Didn't make economic sense to them. 1/2

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Gone up by a bit more up here! This from Glasgow in December 2018.

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

I'd left clinical practice by then but I'd expect that the most dependent would tend to seek out the lowest cost per unit and these 5% brands were price competitive with the 7.5% brands. My assumption is that the supermarkets wanted to distance from 7.5% ciders but retain the lowest cost market.

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Agreed. It's been going on a long time and flying under the radar on the bottom shelf. This was on Tesco shelves in Glasgow in March 2017, prior to MUP. 10 units for £1.99. I knew these photos would come in useful some day!

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Congrats Colin, but nothing about graphs in the job title?? Someone needs to look into that.

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Happy New Year Phil. Further indication here that alcohol, tobacco and other drug use is more likely to show complementarity (if one declines so do the others) rather than substitution ("if they can't get alcohol they'll go for other drugs"), which is often the assumption folk jump to.

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Thanks Paul, it will be interesting to see what the USA's position will be on Ireland's alcohol labelling plans, which include cancer risk information. This Surgeon General's tenure ends on Jan 20th so don't hold breath! @sheilagilheany.bsky.social

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Reposted by Peter Rice

Colin Angus @victimofmaths.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

Since England's alarming alcohol death statistics are in the news again today, here's a particularly alarming fact buried in the figures DHSC have released - For the first time, in 2023 the rate of alcohol-specific deaths in the North East of England overtook Scotland and have risen 55% since 2019

A line chart showing age-standardised alcohol-specific death rates for every region of England, plus Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland from 2001-2023. Except for Scotland, everywhere follows a similar trend - fairly stable, or rising gradually until 2019, then a sharp rise, although with significant variation between regions - London and the East/South East at the bottom and the Midlands and North at the top. In 2001 Scotland had more than double the rate of anywhere in England, but this fell substantially until 2011, then plateaued, and has risen less than many parts of the rest of the UK since 2019. In 2023, the North East overtook Scotland for the first time.

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Reposted by Peter Rice

Institute of Alcohol Studies @ias.org.uk · 16/12/2024

In our latest blog, Colin Angus (@victimofmaths.bsky.social) looks at why alcohol deaths continue to rise in England, despite plateauing in Scotland. He points to: ➡️ Increases in heavy drinking among over 55s ➡️ Minimum unit pricing ➡️ Access to treatment services www.ias.org.uk/2024/12/16/n...

ias.org.uk

New alcohol mortality data presents a bleak picture for England - Institute of Alcohol Studies

Alcohol deaths in England continue to rise, with the North East death rate overtaking Scotland's for the first time ever. Colin Angus looks at why this might be and which age groups are particularly a...

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

The comments here from Celtic FC supporters on the club's decision to continue gambling sponsorship are worth a read. The sponsor on the back of the shirt is an alcohol company. People don't like it. x.com/CelticFC/sta...

x.com

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Reposted by Peter Rice

James Kneale @jameskneale.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

The answer is all four have ancestors who worked for temperance businesses—David D’s granddad Frederick William Dimbleby was a director of the Temperance & Permanent Building Society & the others have ancestors who worked for the UK Temperance & General Provident life assurance office. ... 1/4

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Reposted by Peter Rice

Colin Angus @victimofmaths.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

...Since MUP was introduced in 2018, deaths fell in Scotland in 2019, then have risen in both countries during the pandemic. However, the rise in Scotland has been smaller. It seems likely that MUP has played an important role in this difference...

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Reposted by Peter Rice

Colin Angus @victimofmaths.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

This figure, borrowed from Public Health Scotland, is an interesting comparison of the alcohol-specific deaths situation in Scotland and England - looking at the ratio between the two. It highlights how big the gap was in the early 2000s, but also how it's fallen since Minimum Unit Pricing in 2018

A line chart showing the ratio of alcohol-specific deaths in Scotland to England from 2001-2023. In 2002, Scotland had more then 3 times as many deaths. This fell to just below double in 2012, then plateaued at that level until 2019, after the introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing in Scotland, when it began to fall again. Deaths are now around 50% higher in Scotland.

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Reposted by Peter Rice

SHAAP @shaapalcohol.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

🗣️ SHAAP Chair comments on today's Budget 👇

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Reposted by Peter Rice

Colin Angus @victimofmaths.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Here's my version of a graph originally by the British Liver Trust showing how rates of liver disease deaths in England & Wales have almost quadrupled since 1968, while other leading causes of death have fallen. In spite of working in alcohol research for 13+ years, this still surprised me...

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

@healthfoundation.bsky.social call for minimum unit price for alcohol in England as alcohol specific mortality continues to rise sharply. No sign that the pandemic impacts on alcohol mortality are reversing in England.

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Reposted by Peter Rice

Colin Angus @victimofmaths.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

New figures from the Department of Health and Social Care here showing that rates of alcohol-related liver disease in the under 75s in England rose *again* in 2023, setting another very unwanted record.

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Let's hope the UK Govt men's health strategy pays attention to harms from alcohol. Launched with Arsenal FC, who have an "official whisky partner" and the Premier League who have an "official beer". www.bbc.com/news/article...

bbc.com

UK will have men's health strategy, government announces

The strategy may cover areas such as mental health, suicide prevention, heart disease and stroke.

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Peter Rice @peterrice.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Important initiative from the Medical Council on Alcohol (UK). Drawing attention to the inadequate health system response to alcohol harms across the UK. Endorsed by @aha-uk.bsky.social @instalcstud.bsky.social @shaapalcohol.bsky.social @rcpsych.bsky.social and others m-c-a.org.uk/wp-content/u...

m-c-a.org.uk

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