• 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.

SHAAP has submitted a response to the Government of Malta's consultation on the country's National Alcohol Policy. In the response we outline the policy context in Scotland; provide evidence of action on the WHO's three best buys of price, availability, and marketing in Scotland; and, in particular, outline Scotland's success in lowering the drink driving limit and the positive outcomes this has produced.

We call on the government of Malta to consider this evidence-base when developing and implementing their National Alcohol Policy.

Alcohol Focus Scotland and SHAAP say the Scotch Whisky Association's intention to appeal the Court of Session ruling on minimum pricing for alcohol 'beggars belief'. Joint press release.

SHAAP has published a new report which outlines proceedings from SHAAP and SARN's inaugural PhD and Early Career Research Symposium held on 18th April 2016 in the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

The day consisted of eight short presentations from researchers at varying time-points within the academic
journey from a range of institutions across Scotland, the UK and Europe. The presentations were followed by
three roundtable sessions where participants had the opportunity to discuss the PhD journey, share experiences,
identify opportunities for collaboration and understand where and how SARN and SHAAP can help in the future.
The symposium was brought to a close with a plenary session from Dr Edward Duncan, Senior Research Fellow,
University of Stirling. The session was chaired by Dr Aisha Holloway, Chair of SARN and Eric Carlin, Director of
SHAAP.

Eric Carlin, SHAAP's Director, has called in 'The Times' (26th October 2016) for the Scottish Whisky Association's members to require the Association to drop its opposition to MUP, following the decision in favour of the policy by the Court of Session. He argues that this might go some way to repairing the industry's tarnished reputation.

SHAAP has issued a press release welcoming today's announcement by the Scottish Court that MUP is legal.

We call on the Scotch Whisky Association and other multi-national alcohol producers to get out of the way and allow the law to be implemented as soon as possible.

SHAAP has submitted a response to Northern Ireland Assembly's Committee for Communities consultation on the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Bill.

In the response we welcome the proposal for regulations to tighten sales of and exposure to alcohol by minors. We express concern that in certain aspects of the Bill, the economic interests of individual venues/on-trade premises are being prioritised over the interests of public health and limiting exposure and access to alcohol by minors. We call on the Northern Ireland Assembly to include a licensing objective to protect public health in the Bill, as is the case in Scotland.

SHAAP has submitted a response to the Scottish Government's consultation on the Scottish Health Survey. The consultation asked for comment and suggestions for questions to be included in the survey.

In the response we call for the questions in the alcohol section to extended and clarified; enhanced data linkages between related topics; and for data to be collected annually to support and strengthen the evidence base on alcohol and the harms it causes.