"If I wouldn't operate heavy machinery or drive a car, why should I legislate the laws of the land?" New IAS report examines alcohol culture in the Westminster workplace. The findings are striking, and the conflict of interest they raise is impossible to ignore...

Under the influence? Perspectives of alcohol in the parliamentary workplace among UK MPs and staff - Institute of Alcohol Studies

The drinking culture in Westminster has long made headlines, with reports that alcohol blurs personal and professional boundaries on the parliamentary estate and fuels inappropriate behaviour.[1]…

ias.org.uk

.@theguardian.com has covered our report on Westminster's drinking culture. The research found alcohol remains deeply embedded in parliamentary life, with many MPs and staff questioning whether that reflects a modern workplace. Read the article 👇 www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

‘MPs have had their stomachs pumped’: concerns over ‘alcohol-soaked’ culture in Westminster

Alcohol is embedded in profession where long hours, loneliness and lobbying are the norm, report finds

theguardian.com

Our next Alcohol Occasional with @sarnalcohol.bsky.social is coming up on 7 Sept! Abbie Irving from the University of Edinburgh joins us to examine Community Alcohol Partnerships and what local organisations make of industry-funded public health initiatives. Free to attend online. Register now 👇️

Navigating the promise and risks of industry-funded partnership

Abbie Irving will deliver the third Alcohol Occasional seminar of 2026, focussing on Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAP).

eventbrite.co.uk

20 years since the founding of @shaapalcohol.bsky.social, we sat down with Drs @alastairmacg.bsky.social and Lesley Graham to trace its history. In our latest podcast, we hear about building the MUP evidence base, and six gruelling years of industry legal challenges. 🔗https://buff.ly/H07AiAB

20 years ago Scotland's alcohol death rate was spiralling. SHAAP was founded to do something about it. Our Chair, Alastair MacGilchrist OBE, and founding member Lesley Graham join the @ias.org.uk podcast to reflect on what two decades of alcohol policy reform actually looks like from the inside🎧️ 👇️

SHAAP's 20th anniversary: lessons from two decades of alcohol policy reform

The Alcohol Alert Podcast | July 2026

instalcstud.substack.com

UK supermarket lager sales rose 12.9% in the four weeks to 11 July. RTDs were up 31.1% in value. The World Cup and heatwave drove the surge - a reminder that availability, affordability and major sporting events are a powerful combination when it comes to alcohol consumption.

Lager and RTDs the World Cup winners for alcohol retailers - Drinks Retailing

Lager brands were among the big winners during the World Cup, with NIQ figures showing value sales ahead by 12.9% in the four weeks to July 11, a period that covered all Scotland games and England’s…

drinksretailingnews.co.uk

Researchers at the University of St Andrews and Adelaide University have developed a laser system that can detect toxic methanol inside unopened spirit bottles through coloured glass. An innovative tool with real potential for tackling counterfeit alcohol and protecting consumers.

Laser technology detects counterfeit alcohol - The Engineer

Laser system detects counterfeit alcohol, wine fraud and methanol inside sealed bottles without opening them.

theengineer.co.uk

💡 New @ias.org.uk analysis finds around 70% of people believe perpetrators of assault should be treated the same whether intoxicated or not. An interesting insight into public attitudes on alcohol, responsibility and punishment, with implications for policy and practice.

Alcohol, crime and public judgements: what shapes the public’s view on punishment? - Institute of Alcohol Studies

New YouGov research shows intoxication - not dependence - drives public calls for tougher punishment in assault cases, while treatment engagement softens judgement.

ias.org.uk

Young people have voiced concerns about the pervasive presence of alcohol sponsorship in sport, research by the University of Stirling has shown. www.stir.ac.uk/news/2026/ju... @kaykinoneill.bsky.social

Study reveals young people’s concerns over alcohol sponsorship in sport | About | University of Stirling

Study reveals young people’s concerns over alcohol sponsorship in sport

stir.ac.uk

Domestic abuse incidents during the 2026 World Cup reached their highest recorded level compared with similar tournaments, according to the UK Football Policing Unit. 384 domestic abuse incidents were reported: 17% of 2,345 total incidents logged during the tournament...

World Cup: Domestic abuse reached record high in UK

The number of incidents spiked at about 300 on the night of the England v Norway game, when pubs were allowed to stay open until 2am, figures released by the UK Football Policing Unit show.

news.sky.com

💡 New research finds that among adults with alcohol use disorder and type 2 diabetes, initiation of a GLP-1 receptor agonist was associated with a 22-26% lower hazard of alcohol related hospitalisation. An emerging and significant finding for alcohol treatment.

Aberdeen FC has become the first Scottish Premiership club to be granted a permanent alcohol licence. Alcohol has been banned in Scottish football stadiums since 1981 introduced following alcohol fuelled violence at the Scottish Cup final. The reasons for that ban haven't disappeared...

Aberdeen granted permanent alcohol licence

Aberdeen Football Club has been granted a permanent alcohol licence by the city council for matches at Pittodrie.

bbc.co.uk

"The strong links between sport and alcohol predate the rise of global alcohol producers, but the alcohol industry has been quick to build on the historic associations between masculinity, success, peer bonding, and alcohol consumption." www.bmj.com/content/394/...

The beautiful game versus our favourite drug

The link between alcohol and football is strong, but can create a trail of harms, say William Gilmore and Ian Gilmore Politicians in the UK have always been keen to show their footballing credential...

bmj.com

While the debate around online alcohol deliveries continues, TikTok Shop has begun piloting alcohol sales in the UK. The platform says under 18s cannot access the shop, but Ofcom has raised serious questions about whether its age verification is sufficiently accurate under the Online Safety Act...

This sounds familiar. A major Guardian investigation reveals 235 lawsuits have been filed by ultra-processed food giants against governments since 2010, challenging labelling rules, marketing restrictions and junk food taxes. Three-quarters were... www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

‘If all else fails, sue’: how ultra-processed food firms are using the courts to obstruct health rules

Exclusive: Global investigation reveals 235 lawsuits have been brought against governments in five countries since 2010

theguardian.com

As the World Cup winds down, a new piece by @richardpurves.bsky.social in The Conversation examines what alcohol sponsorship at the tournament has meant for the millions of children and young people watching. The researchers asked young people directly. Their answers are worth hearing...

The 2026 World Cup has been a tournament where alcohol brands hoped to win influence through sponsorship

Tournament sponsors have a captive audience.

theconversation.com

A new scoping review in Alcohol and Alcoholism analyses 51 studies to identify how alcohol use disorder is managed in general hospital settings. Four distinct models of care are identified and a consistent gap runs through all of them...

Models of care for the management of alcohol use disorder in general hospital settings and transition to the community: a scoping review

AbstractBackground. Early detection of alcohol use disorder (AUD) amongst people admitted to general hospitals offers an opportunity for early intervention

doi.org

Stigma in alcohol and drug services isn't just in public attitudes - it's embedded in professional language, organisational culture and system design. New blog from @ias.org.uk asks the right question: are we asking what's wrong with the person, or what's wrong with the system?

Stigma isn’t only out there. It can be written into the way we work - Institute of Alcohol Studies

Stigma isn't just out there in public attitudes - it's often built into our own policies, language and systems. This piece asks whether we're brave enough to look inward and change what we find.

ias.org.uk

Alcohol is 91% more affordable than it was in 1987. Availability has surged. Researchers behind a Lancet Public Health study describe the resulting rise in alcohol deaths as an "acute crisis." The causes are structural and so are the solutions.

Alarming reasons why alcohol deaths have soared since 2019

Food delivery apps, cheaper-than-ever booze and the myth that wine is 'healthier' than spirits are fuelling a deadly liver disease crisis in the UK, experts have warned.

dailymail.com

Alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen - the same WHO category as tobacco and asbestos. It contributes to an estimated 2.6 million deaths globally each year. Yet it remains one of the most normalised substances in everyday life. Physician Emma Fenske sets out why that disconnect matters...

New study comparing digital alcohol marketing regulations across six European countries finds a common thread: all face significant challenges from evolving digital marketing, industry lobbying against stricter rules and circumvention through alibi marketing... Sound familiar?

Comparing the digital alcohol marketing regulations in 6 European countries (CIPPAL-ADAM study) | OFDT

The OFDT conducted an international study to describe how national regulations on alcohol marketing seek to prevent exposure among young people, particularly minors, in six European countries with…

en.ofdt.fr

Excellent article in the Daily Mail that tracks the change in alcohol's availability and consumption over the past 60 years - delivery apps, cheap supermarket alcohol, and a labelling loophole all in the mix as deaths have climbed. Read here: archive.is/LRAHR www.dailymail.com/health/artic...

Alarming reasons why alcohol deaths have soared since 2019

Food delivery apps, cheaper-than-ever booze and the myth that wine is 'healthier' than spirits are fuelling a deadly liver disease crisis in the UK, experts have warned.

dailymail.com

Public Health Scotland's Chief Executive reflects on Scotland's minimum unit pricing journey and the impact of bold public health action. The evidence is clear: MUP prevented an estimated 150 deaths and 400 hospital admissions in under three years of implementation...

"It's about living a life of recovery." Jess Fry struggled with alcohol dependency for years: losing her job, friends, nearly her relationship with her daughter. Now sober for almost two years, she works as a recovery practitioner at the clinic that helped her. A quietly powerful story of hope.

We regularly check our eyesight, teeth and blood pressure. This #AlcoholAwarenessWeek, why not check our drinking too? @alcoholchangeuk.bsky.social's free, confidential Check Your Drinking Quiz takes just a few minutes. Small changes can make a real difference.

Check your drinking | Alcohol Change UK

Am I drinking too much alcohol? This is the quiz to take to find out whether your drinking is putting your health at risk.

alcoholchange.org.uk

Diageo's new CEO says the company is "significantly underrepresented" in the mass market and sees it as "both a challenge and an opportunity." As global alcohol consumption falls, the industry's response is to make products cheaper and more accessible.

Scotland’s experience with minimum unit pricing shows the impact bold public health action can have on reducing harm and tackling inequalities. Read more in our latest guest blog from Paul Johnston, Chief Executive at Public Health Scotland. 👉 Read the guest blog: https://bit.ly/4h3jsdf

NHS Grampian, in partnership with ADA (Alcohol and Drugs Action) as part of Aberdeen’s Alcohol and Drug Partnership, is calling for greater awareness of drug harms reduction following a cluster of suspected drugs deaths in the city. Read more: www.nhsgrampian.org/news/2026/ju...

A new CAMRA report finds four global brewing conglomerates dominate UK pub taps - even when publicans want to stock independent beer. Demand for indie beer outstrips supply by 280%. The pattern of a small number of large companies controlling a market will be familiar territory... 🤔

Authorities urged to investigate the UK on-trade beer market

A report exposing the truth about how the British beer scene is being unfairly dominated by four global companies has been revealed in a move that urges the Competition and Markets Authority to…

thedrinksbusiness.com

YouGov data published last month: 1 in 3 British adults who drink say they are consuming less alcohol than a year ago. Only 8% say they are drinking more. A striking picture of shifting drinking habits across Britain...

Why are one in three Brits drinking less alcohol in 2026?

Why are Britons drinking less alcohol in 2026? YouGov data shows reduced desire to drink, affordability concerns and health issues are key factors.

yougov.com