The ASA, the UK’s independent advertising regulator, found that more than 13% of alcohol ads featuring people clearly or possibly breached rules by showing people under 25 or who appeared to be under 25. Read the snapshot report: www.asa.org.uk/resource/sna...

Snapshot Report: The Depiction of Under 25s in Alcohol and Gambling Ads Online

Learn more about our Press Team and how to sign up to gain access to embargoed rulings.

asa.org.uk

One line from the our new report that sums up how unusual Westminster is as a workplace: "No other workplace I've had produces its own wine." - Staffer Read the full findings: www.ias.org.uk/report/under...

"This isn't acceptable in any other workplace." Professor Sir Ian Gilmore of @aha-uk.bsky.social talked with LBC about our new report: 'Under the influence? Perspectives of alcohol in the parliamentary workplace among UK MPs and staff.' Read the report: www.ias.org.uk/news/westmin...

Almost 1 in 10 people working in parliament reported a negative experience because of someone else's drinking at work in the last 6 months - rising to 13% of Westminster-based staff. Unwanted sexual attention and harassment were among the most commonly mentioned. www.ias.org.uk/report/under...

In our latest blog, Jon Hobday sets out an exemplary approach from Greater Manchester: a whole-system alcohol strategy built on WHO's SAFER framework, but shaped by 16 months of listening to people in recovery, families and frontline staff. www.ias.org.uk/2026/08/04/a...

Alcohol harm is not inevitable. But reducing it requires us to act differently - Institute of Alcohol Studies

Alcohol harm is claiming more lives across Greater Manchester than ever - but it isn't inevitable. DPH Jon Hobday explains the city's new strategy that puts listening, prevention and community at its ...

ias.org.uk

42% of MPs are offered an alcoholic drink at a work meeting or event weekly. For constituency-based staff? Just 1%. Westminster really is a different world, but should it be? Full findings: www.ias.org.uk/report/under...

The digital world is bringing new, more powerful marketing methods. Jem Roberts from the IAS discusses how they can lead to alcohol harms and the potential for tackling these harms, as explored in the UK NGO’s new video explainer @ias.org.uk alcohol-review.com/story/how-th...

How the digital world amplifies alcohol harms

The digital world is bringing new, more powerful marketing methods. Jem Roberts from the Institute of Alcohol Studies discusses how they can lead to alcohol harms and the potential for tackling these ...

alcohol-review.com

Parliament's response to our report misses the point entirely. Our report never claimed Parliament hands out free alcohol - but organisations hosting events do, throughout the day. And their response puts the onus on individuals to "drink responsibly."🧵 www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

Boozy Westminster MPs drink so much they are having stomachs pumped, report warns

Alcohol is freely available all day within Westminster and is causing ‘real, measurable harm’ in the workplace, the Institute of Alcohol Studies found

independent.co.uk

A striking comment from one of the MPs we interviewed: "If I wouldn't operate heavy machinery or drive a car, why should I legislate the laws of the land?" It's this kind of reflection that's driving calls for a formal parliamentary alcohol policy. www.ias.org.uk/report/under...

.@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

New research out today! 🚨 The first study to ask MPs and parliamentary staff about alcohol in their workplace. ➡️ Almost 1 in 10 report a negative experience because of a colleague's drinking ❓And 70% don't know how to raise a concern. Read it here: www.ias.org.uk/report/under...

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] Alco...

ias.org.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

An investigation by @theexamination.org has found that academic studies on mixing alcohol with energy drinks show a stark divide depending on researchers' financial ties to Red Bull. 95% of studies funded by Red Bull or with financially tied researchers concluded...

"Everything that people are doing online is generating data, and that data is being used to refine marketing over time." This leads to people who engage with alcohol ads being targeted more and more, and they're often the people most at risk of harm. youtu.be/9tIye2pKvYw?...

Digital Intoxication: Online Alcohol Marketing Explained

YouTube video by Institute of Alcohol Studies

youtu.be

“It’s a bit ironic for sports, which is obviously linked with health, to be partnered with alcohol.” New University of Stirling research finds many 11–17-year-olds see a clear contradiction between sport's healthy image and alcohol sponsorship. They saw industry branding as so commonplace that...

Andy Burnham's new £100m business rates cut supports pubs, clubs & live music venues - but excludes most cafes. Telling that Dialogue Cafe actually has an alcohol licence yet still doesn't qualify because it's not primarily a drinking venue. It does... www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

‘It’s not fair’: cafe owners frustrated over exclusion from business rates cut

Business owners in England say prioritising venues selling alcohol leaves vital community spaces behind

theguardian.com

🚨 Textbook greenwashing from Big Alcohol. BuzzBallz claimed on its website their packaging was recyclable - it isn't. The plastic-and-metal balls can't be separated and contaminate recycling streams 66% of the time, per one facility's analysis. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

BuzzBallz are 'greenwashing' say recycling experts

BuzzBallz cannot be recycled because the metal lid and plastic body are attached, say experts.

bbc.co.uk

Domestic abuse incidents during the World Cup were at their highest recorded level compared with other recent World Cup and Euros tournaments, the UK Football Policing Unit has said. Chief Constable Roberts said police had also seen an increase in... news.sky.com/story/world-...

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

How can we push back against alcohol industry misinformation? Sue Taylor of @balancene.bsky.social calls for public awareness campaigns to counter the industry narrative, alongside the most effective alcohol policies to reduce harm. More here: www.ias.org.uk/podcast/alco...

"Couldn't get this advert out of my head... I relapsed after 15 years." Our new film investigates how digital alcohol marketing targets the most vulnerable - and why regulation hasn't caught up. 🎬 Watch our latest film, "Digital Intoxication": youtu.be/9tIye2pKvYw

Digital Intoxication: Online Alcohol Marketing Explained

YouTube video by Institute of Alcohol Studies

youtu.be

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

'The Guardian view on pubs: Communal spaces where people can share big moments are a vital part of our shared life.' IAS will soon be publishing a report on publicans' views of policies to reduce alcohol harm, including tackling cheap, off-trade alcohol. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The Guardian view on pubs: football gave them a boost – now they need another | Editorial

Editorial: Communal spaces where people can share big moments are a vital part of our shared life

theguardian.com

Diageo's new boss "plans to invest heavily in the fast-growing 'ready-to-drink' beverages category, in a bid to attract younger drinkers to Diageo’s brands", according to the FT. www.ft.com/content/5a3f...

Diageo chair hunts for drinks ‘heavyweights’ in board revamp

Chair seeks robust oversight as Sir Dave Lewis restructures struggling spirits company

ft.com

Does the public punish intoxicated offenders more harshly? In our latest blog by Dr Carly Lightowlers, new YouGov data shows intoxication - not dependence - drives calls for tougher punishment. Engaging in treatment, meanwhile, softens judgement. www.ias.org.uk/2026/07/21/a...

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

This Gordon Rayner piece in the @telegraph.co.uk gets everything backwards: it frames minimum pricing as a threat to pubs, when it's actually one of the best things that could happen to them. When on- and off-trade alcohol prices are ever widening, MUP... www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202...

The UK government has stated that it will not mandate 'alcohol interlock installation facilitation' technology in vehicles, following a consultation where 56% of respondents said it shouldn't be mandated. We believe this is a missed opportunity that... www.gov.uk/government/c...

Mandating vehicle safety technologies in GB type approval: government response

gov.uk

Public health experts welcome the ethics and integrity commission's recommendations to improve lobbying transparency, stating that: "The public has a right to know who is seeking to influence decisions [affecting people's health]." Full letter👇 www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

“I like a drink, I’m not trying to stop people having a good time. “I want there to be a buffer, a limit or a flag so that person can have a think about what they’re doing." A woman whose daughter died after huge amounts of alcohol were delivered to... www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/397...

My girl ordered 18 bottles of wine on delivery apps, a week later she was dead

SCROLLING through delivery apps on her phone, Carla Black added 18 bottles of wine to her basket and had them delivered to her home. But she wasn’t prepping for a party or stocking up ahead o…

thesun.co.uk

Use the TRUST test to help spot misinformation: T – Too good to be true? R – Research-backed? U – Understood? S – Source quality? T – Think before you share 🎙️Listen to out latest podcast for more on cancer misinformation🎧 www.ias.org.uk/podcast/alco...

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