'Does harm from drinking differ by socioeconomic status? Exploring the alcohol harm paradox'

Dr S Vittal Katikireddi, Senior Clinical Research Fellow and Honorary Consultant in Public Health, MSC/SCO, Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, began his presentation by defining the alcohol paradox and presented a range of hypotheses to explain it. Survey data shows that individuals in lower socioeconomic status groups consume alcohol at similar levels to their counterparts in higher socioeconomic groups; however, those lower socioeconomic status individuals suffer greater harm from this consumption – this is the alcohol harm paradox. Dr Katikireddi then presented findings from his current research which aimed to offer some explanations for the alcohol harm paradox.

Report of SHAAP/SARN 'Alcohol Occasional' seminar held at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh on 5th December 2016.

A report published today by SHAAP, Alcohol Focus Scotland, BMA Scotland and Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol & Drugs contains a comprehensive set of policies aimed at curbing Scotland’s alcohol problem and addressing the associated health inequalities.

The report precedes the publication this summer of the Scottish Government’s ‘refresh’ of its 2009 strategy, Changing Scotland’s Relationship with Alcohol: A Framework for Action.Scotland continues to have the highest level of alcohol consumption and harm in the UK. One million Scots drink above the recommended guidelines, and 22 Scots die because of alcohol every single week – twice the rate of the 1980s. The Scottish Government has cut direct funding for alcohol and drug prevention, treatment and support services by 22%, leaving the NHS to plug the gap.

The partner agencies have also issued a related press release.

• 11th May 2017 - Dr Andrew Symon, Senior Lecturer, Mother and Infant Research Unit, University of Dundee, Drinking in pregnancy: a comparison between areas of high and low deprivation in Scotland
• 14th June 2017 - Dr Catherine Chiang, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Alcohol Deaths in Glasgow 2010.  Has Service Redesign had an Impact?

SARN (Scottish Alcohol Research Network) meeting

Thursday 2nd February 2017

Room 4.1, School of Health in Social Science, Doorway 6, Old Medical School, The University of Edinburgh

Agenda

SHAAP is delighted to release a report documenting the presentations and discussions from the British Sociological Association (BSA) interdisciplinary symposium ‘ How do different disciplines talk about alcohol and how can we work better together?’, supported by SHAAP, and held in the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in April 2016.

The document reports presentations given by academics representing several Universities, who discuss how the issue of alcohol consumption is seen in the fields of History, Geography, Sociology, Nursing, Psychology, Epidemiology and Public Health. Read also in the report the very lively discussions with the audience, including an exploration of history, culture, pleasure and harms, and how the different disciplines can work better together to inform policy.

• 24th January 2017 - Vic Valentine and Oceana Maund, Scottish Transgender Alliance, How inclusive are we? A trans perspective on alcohol and drug services in Scotland
• 27th February 2017 - Neil Martin, Research and Information Manager, Balance, The North East Alcohol Office, Alcohol admissions and health inequalities: is the tide finally turning?
• 13th March 2017 - Dr Lesley Graham, Clinical Lead for Alcohol, Drugs and Health in Justice Settings, ISD Scotland, Alcohol problems in criminal justice settings: an opportunity not to be missed
• 11th May 2017 - Dr Andrew Symon, Senior Lecturer, Mother and Infant Research Unit, University of Dundee, Drinking in pregnancy: a comparison between areas of high and low deprivation in Scotland
• 14th June 2017 - Dr Catherine Chiang, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Alcohol Deaths in Glasgow 2010.  Has Service Redesign had an Impact?

• 11th May 2017 - Dr Andrew Symon, Senior Lecturer, Mother and Infant Research Unit, University of Dundee, Drinking in pregnancy: a comparison between areas of high and low deprivation in Scotland
• 14th June 2017 - Dr Catherine Chiang, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Alcohol Deaths in Glasgow 2010.  Has Service Redesign had an Impact?

SHAAP and the Scottish Transgender Alliance (STA) are hosting an interactive workshop to present the findings of the Scottish Transgender Alliance (STA) and North Ayrshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership (NAADP) research into trans inclusion in drug and alcohol services.

The workshop will consist of presentations on the context of health inequalities in Scotland, an overview of language and legal requirements for engaging with the trans community, and an outline of the key findings from the research. Workshop participants will participate in an interactive discussion and question session, with an opportunity to ask questions to various presenters about the findings of the report, and also work in small groups to discuss what they think the research can achieve in terms of concrete change moving forward. The agenda for the workshop can be accessed here.

The workshop is being held on 11th January 2017, 11:00-15:00 in the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

To attend the event, you must register here via Eventbrite. Places are limited. If you have not booked, you won’t have a place.

The Scottish Government has released a press statement welcoming the Governmet being awarded the inaugural European Reducing Alcohol Harm award. The European Reducing Alcohol Harm award was given in recognition of a comprehensive range of measures including the multi-buy discount ban, lowering the drink-drive limit and legislating for minimum-unit pricing.