Our final Alcohol Occasional of 2026 with @sarnalcohol.bsky.social‼️ Prof Niamh Fitzgerald of the University of Stirling will present on what happened when Glasgow and Aberdeen extended late night alcohol trading hours. Findings from the ELEPHANT study 📅 Monday 5 October 12:45-2pm ⬇️ Register below

"Scotland's recovery system was not built with women in mind." The Scottish Recovery Consortium has published its Women in Recovery work: seven themes setting out where the system is failing women, and what needs to change. scottishrecoveryconsortium.org/women-in-rec...

Women in Recovery – Scottish Recovery Consortium

Scotland’s recovery system was not built with women in mind. The evidence is clear — women face distinct and complex barriers to recovery, shaped by trauma, inequality, caring responsibilities and a…

scottishrecoveryconsortium.org

'The impact of extended alcohol trading hours in Glasgow and Aberdeen' | online seminar with @niamhfitzgerald.bsky.social @shaapalcohol.bsky.social www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-impact...

The impact of extended alcohol trading hours in Glasgow and Aberdeen

Prof Niamh Fitzgerald will deliver the fourth Alcohol Occasional seminar of 2026, focusing on the findings from the ELEPHANT study

eventbrite.co.uk

Hampden has been granted licences to sell alcohol at Scotland's next two fixtures, after Aberdeen, Dundee and Dundee United earlier this year. Each decision is made locally, on its own terms. Together they amount to a national policy change nobody has formally decided.

Scotland fans allowed to drink at Hampden Park as football booze ban lifted

The notorious booze ban is set to be lifted at Scotland's national stadium meaning supporters heading to upcoming games with be able to purchase pints.

dailyrecord.co.uk

Public health policy in Scotland should be shaped by evidence. Too often it is shaped by the industries that profit from ill health. A new report from NCD Alliance Scotland (of which SHAAP is a member) sets out how that happens www.bhf.org.uk/ncda-scotlan... #NCDAScot

Health Under Influence: The Industry Playbook Behind Scotland’s Health Harms

NCD Alliance Scotland sets out the tactics used by the alcohol, tobacco and junk food industries to delay and weaken public health policy in Scotland, and what policymakers should do about it.

bhf.org.uk

A licensing proposal aimed at discouraging excessive drinking has been substantially revised after objections from business, government and the Mayor of London. Worth noting how rarely the off-trade, where most alcohol is now bought and most harm occurs, attracts the same scrutiny.

Westminster Council to 'better explain' vertical drinking term

The council says it will listen to feedback over "vertical drinking", after an outcry over its plans.

bbc.co.uk

New from WHO's Health in Europe podcast: a conversation with three women about alcohol, starting from their experience rather than the statistics. It contains personal accounts of cancer, liver disease and mental health. www.buzzsprout.com/1109867/epis...

The Conversations We're Not Having About Alcohol - Health In Europe

When we talk about alcohol at WHO, we often start with the evidence. Today, we're starting with people's experiences.Aleksandra Olsen works on communications about alcohol and health here at WHO…

buzzsprout.com

World Suicide Prevention Day was yesterday, but the conversation doesn’t stop there 💛 Our special edition newsletter includes short films, four free practice guides and more. 📖 Read: bit.ly/WSPD2026News #FilmFriday #WorldSuicidePreventionDay #PeerSupportScot

From 30 October, Google will allow alcohol brands to run personalised ads on YouTube, lifting a longstanding restriction. Google says the change responds to growing advertiser interest. A safeguard removed because advertisers wanted it removed, with no regulator involved.

Google opens YouTube personalized ads to alcohol advertisers

Google will allow personalized alcohol advertising on YouTube starting Oct. 30, in markets where local laws permit.

searchengineland.com

Are shoppers paying a premium for 0% beer? While no/lo beer is 19% cheaper on the shelf, shoppers pay 7% more at the checkout. Our infographic explains why, and why it matters. New research led by @abi-stevely.bsky.social Read the full paper doi.org/10.1111/add.... #PublicHealth #AlcoholPolicy

Today is International FASD Day, marked on the 9th day of the 9th month to reflect the nine months of pregnancy. Dr Patricia Jackson OBE, of our Steering Group, reflects on progress and challenges for FASD in Scotland - which is often missed and preventable.

International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Day 2026: Reflecting on Progress and Challenges for FASD in Scotland - Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems

International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Day takes place on the 9th day of the 9th month, reflecting the nine months of pregnancy during which babies can be at risk from alcohol exposure.…

shaap.org.uk

New research from Sheffield Addictions Research Group💡 NoLo beers are priced 19% below standard beers but none are sold in multipacks. Buyers save 12% on average, against 30% for standard beer bulk bought. The study's authors point out that those who would benefit most are least able to afford it.

The higher cost of a healthier option: SARG study lifts the lid on why no/lo alcohol beer drinkers feel out of pocket - Sheffield Addictions Research Group

People buying alcohol-free and low-alcohol beers pay more for choosing a healthier option, according to new research by the Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG).

sarg-sheffield.ac.uk

Today's Alcohol Occasional, co hosted with @sarnalcohol.bsky.social, looked at Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAPs): an alcohol industry funded organisation supporting more than 350 local schemes across the UK, with a stated aim of reducing alcohol harm among under 18s.

ICYMI 🚨 Our most recent SHAAP blogger is Dr Abbie Irving on Community Alcohol Partnerships. Industry funded schemes are across 350+ UK locations, often cited in debates as an alternative to public health policy. The research raises important questions about what that funding relationship means 👇️

Community Alcohol Partnerships: growing prominence and concerns about industry funding - Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems

Over the past few years, Community Alcohol Partnerships (or CAP) have become an increasingly prominent feature of alcohol harm reduction discussions in the UK. More than 350 local CAP schemes have…

shaap.org.uk

New analysis from @ias.org.uk argues alcohol deaths are being significantly underestimated globally, using pancreatic cancer as a case study. Once studies account for "sick quitters" skewing the comparison group, alcohol's contribution looks far bigger than official estimates suggest.

Alcohol and pancreatic cancer: an example of how alcohol-caused deaths are greatly under-estimated globally? - Institute of Alcohol Studies

Expert committees are often called upon to adjudicate which causes of death, injury or illness meet criteria for being caused by alcohol use. We have participated in these discussions, whether under…

ias.org.uk

6 new residential rehab beds, 2 detox beds and 14 move-on beds are coming to Inverness, thanks to a £1.7m investment in CrossReach's Cale House. More people across the Highlands and Islands will now be able to access life saving alcohol and drug recovery support closer to home.

Inverness set to get more life-saving alcohol and drug rehabilitation beds after £1.7m investment

More people across the Highlands will be able to access life-saving drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation, after a £1.7 million investment.

inverness-courier.co.uk

Once again the First Minister has stated he wants duty on whisky to be reduced. www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-... This doesn't make sense for two reasons 👇 (1/3)

The Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament examines what the Scottish Government is doing, makes new laws on devolved matters and debates the issues of the day.

parliament.scot

SHAAP Chair Dr Alastair MacGilchrist comments on the need for stronger public health action on alcohol as part of efforts to tackle violence against women and girls. “Today’s programme contains no clear commitments on how it will take forward public health action to reduce alcohol harms.” ⬇️

The Herald@heraldscotland.bsky.social · 3w ago

EXCLUSIVE John Swinney has been warned that tackling violence against women and girls must be measured by 'action and outcomes, not rhetoric' www.heraldscotland.com/news... @hannahmargbrown.bsky.social

When we think about alcohol-related harm, we often think of conditions caused entirely by alcohol. But that's only part of the story. This new blog from @publichealthscot.bsky.social explores the wider health impacts of alcohol and what the latest data tells us about inequalities in Scotland. ⬇️

Public Health Scotland@publichealthscot.bsky.social · 3w ago

Alcohol can increase the risk of a range of health conditions, including some cancers, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Our latest blog explores new data on alcohol-related harm in Scotland and why understanding these wider impacts matters. Read the blog 🔽 https://ow.ly/CYto50ZHAbH

⌛️ One week to go until our next Alcohol Occasional ⌛️ Abbie Irving from the University of Edinburgh examines Community Alcohol Partnerships and what local organisations make of industry funded public health initiatives. Free online, Monday 7 September, 12:45-2pm. @sarnalcohol.bsky.social

A new JAMA Pediatrics meta-analysis has some of the strongest evidence yet on alcohol marketing and youth drinking: 19 cohorts, 10 countries, 82,498 young people tracked. The more alcohol advertising kids are exposed to, the more likely they are to drink, and TV ads showed the strongest link...

Alcohol Marketing and Youth—Causal and Likely Getting More So

The meta-analysis by Cukier et al1 has comprehensively and convincingly synthesized and augmented the evidence of an association between youth exposure to alcohol marketing and subsequent youth…

jamanetwork.com

Just 1% of publicans belong to the BBPA. 1% to UKHospitality. Yet these are the bodies consistently quoted as "the voice of the trade" - lobbying against policies publicans themselves support. New research from IAS and Balance asked 200 publicans what they actually think...

New research finds alcohol brands in the U.S are being outspent nearly 3 to 1 on podcast ads... by sports betting platforms. $63.4m from betting and $21.9m from alcohol in 2025. The authors say the scale and concentration of podcast advertising merits attention from policymakers on a federal level

Podcast Advertising by Online Sports Betting Platforms and Alcohol Brands, 2024–2025

Structured AbstractBackground. Online sports betting has expanded rapidly in the United States following the 2018 Supreme Court decision in Murphy v. Natio

academic.oup.com

Another England cricket "nightclub incident" headline. Harry Latham-Coyle asks the question: why does the sport keep ending up here, and what does that say about its relationship with drink?

Latest England shame raises deeper question about cricket’s relationship with alcohol

The fast bowler Brydon Carse is under investigation after an incident at a nightclub. Harry Latham-Coyle asks why England do not seem to be learning the lessons of a troubled period

independent.co.uk

Drinkaware - an organisation funded by donations from the alcohol industry - says Scots drink less often than the UK average but more heavily per session in their new survey of ~7000 adults: 22% of Scots have 7+ units in a typical session vs 17% UK-wide, and 66% have binge drunk in the past year

Scots 'drink less frequently but consume more units compared with UK'

Alcohol charity Drinkaware’s national monitor survey heard from 1,001 adults in Scotland.

heraldscotland.com

'Lessons from two decades of alcohol policy reform' | @shaapalcohol.bsky.social www.ias.org.uk/podcast/shaa...

Scottish Labour leadership candidate Michael Marra MSP has today backed calls for a levy on large alcohol retailers to fund treatment services. Our full comment from Dr Alastair MacGilchrist OBE, SHAAP Chair, below 👇

“It was a completely deliberate attempt by the industry to re-engage the youth to drinking, because they know that once they've got them drinking, they'll keep drinking.” Dr @alastairmacg.bsky.social and Dr Lesley Graham trace 20 years of @shaapalcohol.bsky.social -: www.ias.org.uk/podcast/shaa...

Critics call alcohol tax rises regressive. But WHO data tells a different story: raising tax as a share of alcohol's price consistently increases revenue even as people drink less - funds that can go straight back into health and social support. The real question is how that revenue gets used.

Alcohol taxes: public-health cure or regressive punishment?

In the third of our series on the implications of the WHO’s ‘no safe level’ agenda, Tom Bruce-Gardyne explores its drive for ever-higher taxes on drink to suppress demand.

thedrinksbusiness.com

New research shows drink spiking isn't just a nightclub problem. Most people who've experienced it don't report it, and only around a third know what to do if it happens to them or a friend. Awareness and reporting routes urgently need work.