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Informing Policy and Practice to Reduce Excessive and Underage Drinking.

Summary of the impact

Excessive alcohol consumption in the UK is recognised to cause widespread health, social and economic problems. Researchers at Lancaster sought to investigate related aspects of the problem: consumer and retailer perspectives. Piacentini's research on student alcohol culture has influenced medical practitioners' understandings of alcohol consumption, informed Portman Group research, was cited in the Guardian and discussed on BBC Radio 4. Hopkinson's research on underage alcohol sales identified the need for a new collaborative, community based action model, subsequently realised through the formation of Community Alcohol Partnerships. A successful pilot scheme resulted in over £1m being invested by major retailers and a further 54 CAPs being set up across the UK. The research also contributed to the transition from `Challenge 21' to `Challenge 25' and to staff training DVD on alcohol sales for SPAR employees.

Submitting Institution

Lancaster University

Unit of Assessment

Business and Management Studies

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services

Reducing harms from alcohol in children and young people

Summary of the impact

In 2007, consumption of alcohol by children and young people was made a priority in the Labour Government's National Alcohol Strategy, which acknowledged that whilst decreasing numbers of young people were drinking alcohol, those who were, consumed more alcohol more often. Given the association of high-risk behaviours with high-levels of alcohol consumption, this commitment was taken forward with the publication of the Youth Alcohol Action Plan in 2008.

This case study demonstrates the central role that the group's research has played in guiding and shaping coherent, evidence-based alcohol policy for children and young people, including the development of the first national guidance on alcohol consumption by children and young people in England.

Submitting Institution

Liverpool John Moores University

Unit of Assessment

Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy

Summary Impact Type

Political

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services

Influencing policy on alcohol marketing to young people

Summary of the impact

Almost one in four deaths of young people in England and Wales are attributable to alcohol (Hastings and Sheron, 2011). Critical marketing research by the Institute for Social Marketing at The Open University (ISM-Open) has informed policy by: establishing the link between the marketing practices of drinks manufacturers and young people's attitudes to and consumption of alcohol; providing the material for the seminal report Under the Influence commissioned and published by the BMA Board of Science; guiding the Health Select Committee and underpinning a Private Members Bill on the regulation of alcohol marketing to children.

This research in ISM-Open is a collaboration between the Open University Business School (OUBS) and Stirling University.

Submitting Institution

Open University

Unit of Assessment

Business and Management Studies

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services: Marketing
Psychology and Cognitive Sciences: Psychology

Media, alcohol advertising/promotion and the drinking habits of young people

Summary of the impact

This study demonstrates the impact of the Unit's research into the relationship between alcohol advertising/promotion, media representations of drinking, and the drinking habits of young people. Our research addressed the concerns of policy makers and health education bodies about the relationship between alcohol advertising/promotion and alcohol consumption habits of teenagers and young adults. Our findings mapped the extent of media alcohol/drinking representations and showed a change in advertising content and overall code-compliance following the introduction of a new code of practice in 2005. The research found no evidence of a relationship between the general reported exposure to alcohol advertising and levels of alcohol consumption among young people. The findings have informed on-going policy recommendations and initiatives regarding the regulation of alcohol advertising, promotion and consumption. Additionally they have informed the policies of government and other agencies, both nationally and internationally (UK, EU, Australia).

Submitting Institution

University of Leicester

Unit of Assessment

Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management 

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services
Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services: Marketing

Alcohol Minimum Pricing Policy: government and national debate

Summary of the impact

In 2007, as part of a major update of the national alcohol strategy, the UK Government announced that it would commission an independent national review of the evidence on the relationship between alcohol price, promotion and harm. Subsequently, in 2008, researchers from the University of Sheffield (UoS) were commissioned by the UK Department of Health (DoH) for an `Independent Review of the Effects of Alcohol Pricing and Promotion'.

The UoS research has played a crucial role in informing the debate and deliberations on the available Government options for interventions on alcohol consumption in England and Wales, by providing a robust evidence base to underpin the debate. The UoS research findings have been used to inform policy by senior decision-making bodies e.g. the House of Commons Health Select Committee and the UK Chief Medical Officer to inform policy. The findings have also stimulated the potential for policy intervention beyond England and Wales, e.g. in Scotland and Australia.

Submitting Institution

University of Sheffield

Unit of Assessment

Economics and Econometrics

Summary Impact Type

Health

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services

Experimental evaluation of a national responsible drinking campaign leading to its suspension and recommendations for future campaign development.

Summary of the impact

This case study details an impact relating to health and welfare in which educational practices regarding the dissemination of responsible drinking messages has been influenced, and on public policy and services where this evidence has stimulated policy debate. Specifically, research led to (i) the withdrawal of the Drinkaware Trust's 5-year flagship campaign, Why let the good times go bad? (WLGTGB), and (ii) a recommendation from an independent review to a) involve academics in future campaign development and evaluation, and b) implement changes to the current campaign based on our findings.

Submitting Institution

London South Bank University

Unit of Assessment

Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services
Psychology and Cognitive Sciences: Psychology

Developing a Sexual Consent Campaign to Raise Awareness and Educate Young Men on Sexual Activity, Consent, Intoxication and the Law of Rape

Summary of the impact

The findings of this research project directly led to the formation of a Liverpool city wide campaign which ran in 2012. The findings highlighted the prevalence of alcohol related sexual assault amongst the student population in the Merseyside region, along with misunderstandings regarding the relevant legal provisions and the presence of victim blaming attitudes amongst the lay population. Following consultation with Dr Gunby (formerly LJMU), the Council decided to develop a campaign focused on raising awareness and educating young men (aged 18-24) on the issue of intoxication, consent and the law of rape. This is a much called for and significant change, as rape campaigns have almost exclusively focused on the behaviour of young women, which tends to problematically reinforce rape myths. To this end, Dr Gunby worked closely with Liverpool Citysafe Crime Reduction Partnership on the compilation of the campaign. The main beneficiaries of this research are Liverpool City Council, the National Union of Students (NUS) and the student population within Merseyside.

Submitting Institution

Liverpool John Moores University

Unit of Assessment

Law

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services
Psychology and Cognitive Sciences: Psychology

Alcohol, culture and public policy

Summary of the impact

This case study refers to research on British drinking cultures and alcohol policy carried out by James Nicholls, Reader in Media and Social Policy, Department of Film and Media Production/HCI (2004-September 2012). In this role, Nicholl's research and his public engagement contributed to shaping the UoA's research reference frame of cultural behaviour, cultural practice and public policy (see Ref5). Following the publication of his book, The Politics of Alcohol (2009) Nicholls developed as a specialist advisor involved in the analysis and planning of alcohol policy at national and regional levels. His work and influence has been cited in key policy documents (including the House of Commons Health Select Committee Report, Alcohol: First Report of Session 2009-10 HC151-1) in 2010. This work has subsequently helped to shape regional and national alcohol policy in both England and Scotland. This case study provides evidence of this impact in regard to the following areas:

  • Influence on alcohol policy at a national level, particularly regarding the role of historical perspectives in the development of policy.
  • Impact on alcohol policy at a regional level through knowledge transfer activities.

Submitting Institution

Bath Spa University

Unit of Assessment

Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management 

Summary Impact Type

Political

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services
Studies In Human Society: Policy and Administration

Young People and Alcohol Policy: Informing a Critical Evidence-based Debate that Challenges Popular Stereotypes

Summary of the impact

Collaborative research conducted at Royal Holloway into young peoples' consumption of alcohol has influenced a richer and more nuanced understanding of the role of alcohol as a cultural force in young people's lives. It has contributed to the quality of the public and policy debate that surrounds alcohol policy issues, and in particular has helped to undermine the widespread stereotype of the `mindless' and criminal young drinker that was the underlying premise of Government anti-drinking campaigns. The research continues to be cited by many alcohol research and policy bodies in the UK, Europe and Australia.

Submitting Institution

Royal Holloway, University of London

Unit of Assessment

Business and Management Studies

Summary Impact Type

Societal

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services
Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services: Marketing

Carbohydrate Deficient Transferrin as a diagnostic tool for the detection of continued drinking in high risk drink drivers

Summary of the impact

Research carried out at King's College London (KCL) showed that percentage carbohydrate deficient transferrin (%CDT) can be used as a means to monitor continuous drinking in high-risk offenders. The accurate screening of such drivers helps reduce the number of unsafe drivers on British roads. KCL work has resulted in a change to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's (DVLA) national policy for assessing drink drivers. Percentage CDT has been approved as the sole biomarker for the purpose of re-licensing high-risk drink drivers. This enables faster release of a licence to an abstinent high-risk offender; provides a better basis for the refusal of release in other cases and provides a more reliable control and therefore, a more practicable service, especially for periodic re-granting of licences for special (buses, heavy trucks) drivers.

Submitting Institution

King's College London

Unit of Assessment

Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Clinical Sciences, Public Health and Health Services

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