Alcohol Review - Issue 70, July 22th 2022

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has banned players from drinking alcohol on match weeks in an effort to improve the club’s lacklustre form. Some professional footballers say the rule is pointless because professional players rarely drink alcohol anyway.

“The government is considering the feedback received and will respond in the autumn,“ said a UK government statement this week on its plans to respond to a consultation on reform to the alcohol duty reform.

Then-chancellor Rishi Sunak proposed in autumn that wine should be taxed on the amount of alcohol it contains, rather than charging flat rate per bottle. Public health professionals welcomed the change. The wine industry opposed it and welcomed the delay.

The government was hoping to respond to the duty consultation before its summer break, but the turmoil in Number 10 has prevented it. Sunak is now vying with right-wing rival Liz Truss for votes of Conservative party members to take over from Boris Johnson, who has stayed on as caretaker PM.

A white paper floating ideas ways to reduce health disparities is also reported to be waiting in the wings. It is reported to recommend the wider availability of alcohol-free drinks in hospitality. The new leader will decide if the idea is taken forward.

Scotland’s minimum alcohol price caused bigger falls in drinking among heavier drinkers, a new study found this week, as forecast. But the study also found the falls in drinking were bigger in less deprived areas and among women, which comes as a surprise. And, most surprising of all, it found that the 5% heaviest drinking men increased their alcohol intake. A discussion arose online on whether the findings are the final word, and whether they may have been influenced by the commercial source of the data.

Alcohol packaging can “capture attention, create appeal, and help shape perceptions of the product, drinker and drinking experience”, according to a study done of young adult drinkers in Scotland.