Widespread support for calls to increase minimum unit price for alcohol to 65p

• 28 organisations sign up to support Alcohol Focus Scotland and Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems’ calls to increase the minimum unit price

• Pressure put on Scottish Government during Alcohol Awareness Week       

• Policy could double lives saved if increased

SHAAP and Scottish Women’s Football announce renewed partnership during Awareness Week on Alcohol Related Harm

SHAAP Director Elinor Jayne responds to the Alcohol Duty changes announced by the Chancellor in the Autumn Budget 2021. 

A new study, published today by Public Health Scotland has shown that the introduction of minimum unit pricing (MUP) in 2018 in Scotland had minimal impact on alcohol-related crime.

On Thursday 30 September 2021, Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP), the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) and Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI), held an online launch event for the publication of their new 'Alcohol marketing during the 2020 Six Nations Championship' report. The event had around 90 participants and we got to hear Rick Purves and Nathan Critchlow from the Univeristy of Stirling talk about the findings of their report.

SHAAP has joined nine leading Scottish health charities to produce a report Non-Communicable Disease Prevention: Priorities for 2021/22 calling for urgent action on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) caused by health harming products such as alcohol, tobacco and unhealthy foods. 

The National Records of Scotland (NRS) have published new data [opens PDF in new window] for alcohol-specific deaths registered in Scotland in 2020. The number of alcohol-specific deaths has increased by 17% to 1,190 in 2020, up from 1,020 in 2019.

This year's Men's Health Week runs from 14-20 June.

SHAAP are partnering with Men's Health Forum Scotland during Men's Health Week to highlight the high rates of problem drinking in men in Scotland, and the consequently high health burden relating to alcohol.

We have produced infographics based on the latest data for Scotland, and provide resources for cutting down, our SHAAP/IAS Men and Alcohol: Key Issues report and a blog post we commissioned to coincide with Men's Health Week.

A poll from YouGov asked the public what legal requirements they would like to see for alcohol labelling. The majority asked supported more information being included on labels:

• 75% want the number of units in a product displayed
• 61% want calorie information displayed
• 53% want the amount of sugar displayed

Ninety-four leading health experts, including charities, medical royal colleges and academics, as well as parliamentarians, have written to the Health Secretary calling for improved alcohol labelling.

SHAAP strongly feel that consumers have a #RightToKnow what is in their drink, and we were co-signatories of the letter to Matt Hancock.

Learn more about the YouGov poll and read the letter to the Health Secretary on the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA) website.

Ahead of this year’s election to the Scottish Parliament, SHAAP has analysed the policy proposals on alcohol put forward in each of the main political parties’ election manifestos. This is a snapshot of the proposals that have been featured and is by no means exhaustive, but aims to offer an overview of manifesto content for those who are interested in the different political parties’ policies on reducing alcohol harm in Scotland.