ACE alcohol culture exchange

Alcohol policy in context

ACE - a brief explanation

‘Knowledge transfer’ project (AHRC)

The politics of alcohol: a history of the drink question in England Manchester University Press (2009)

‘Young people, alcohol and the news’, Alcohol Education and Research Council (2009)

Health Select Committee: Alcohol

NICE guidance on alcohol

Recent developments in alcohol policy

‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People’ Health and Social Care Bill

‘Rebalancing the Licensing Act’Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill

- Localism agenda

- Nudging and social norms

- Partnerships

Healthy Lives, Healthy People

‘We need a new approach that empowers individuals to make healthy choices and gives communities the tools to address their own individual needs.’

No more ‘Whitehall diktat and nannying about the way people should live.’

Responsibility Deal

Partnership with industry to ‘contribute to a social marketing emphasis on creating positive peer pressure towards responsible drinking.

Advertising, responsible retailing, sensible drinking messages

Alcohol network headed by Jeremy Beadles (WSTA) and Mark Bellis (NWPHO)

Social norms and nudging

Social norms - people tend to drink as much as they think their peers drink

Nudging - many decisions are unconscious and influenced by contextual cues (so can be influenced without coercion)

‘Reference to nudging might functionas a smokescreen for inaction.’(Bonell et al., The Lancet 17th Jan 2011)

Community Alcohol Partnerships

‘Through … Local Area Agreements, we will seek backing across the country for the adoption of Community Alcohol Partnerships, based on the successful example set in St Neots, Cambridgeshire.’

Community Alcohol Partnerships

‘A new way of tackling public underage drinking’

Partnership: trading standards - retailers - police

Local media support

High profile street policing

Education in schools

Backed by WSTA

Kent KCAP

Rebalancing the Licensing Act

The Coalition will ‘tear up’ the 2003 Licensing Act (Chris Grayling, 2009 and Theresa May, 2010)

24-hour drinking

Shift to Local Authorities

Constraints on objections and discretion

Licensing Act 2003

Four licensing objectives:

Prevention of crime and disorderPublic safetyPrevention of public nuisanceProtection of children from harm

Responsible authorities

Interested parties (within the vicinity)

Cumulative Impact Areas (rebuttal presumption)

Rebalancing the Licensing Act

LA decisions ‘appropriate to’ (not ‘necessary for’) licensing objectives

Less evidence needed for cumulative impact policies

Fixed, staggered or zoned closing to be allowed

Fines for underage sales doubled

Removal of ‘vicinity test’

Responsible authorities

Licensing authorities ‘to adopt all recommendations from the police unless there is clear evidence that these are not relevant’

Licensing authorities included as responsible authorities

Health authorities to be included as responsible authorities (and door open to public health as licensing objective)

In context: consumption

Source: General Lifestyle Survey / ONS (2011), Smoking and Drinking among Adults, 2009

In context: consumption

Source: General Lifestyle Survey / ONS (2011), Smoking and Drinking among Adults, 2009

In context: consumption

Source: General Lifestyle Survey / ONS (2011), Smoking and Drinking among Adults, 2009

In context: harms

Source: ONS (2011), Statistics on Alcohol, 2009

In context: policy perspectives

‘Population’

State responsible for reducing overall consumption Stricter licensingIncrease cost through pricing

‘Voluntarist’

Individual responsibility Regulation ineffectiveProblems confined to minorityEducation