Alcohol in Rural Communities

Understanding alcohol problems in rural areas: Literature review and qualitative research study

The aim of SHAAP’s current Rural Matters project is to support alcohol policy and practice in rural communities. Based on findings from SHAAP’s 2018 ‘Dying for a Drink’ report, it is clear that more work is needed to explore lived experiences of alcohol problems. This is particularly true for rural communities given that much of the work in this area has been conducted in Scotland’s urban centres. With support from the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh’s Remote and Rural Working Group, SHAAP began work on the Rural Matters project in February 2019.

This project includes a literature review, workshops, qualitative interviews and a final report. Community consultations took place over Summer 2019 in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen with individuals working in areas related to alcohol harm and those with lived experience of the particular challenges that may arise in a rural setting.

Please contact SHAAP’s Research and Projects Officer Jackie MacDiarmid j.macdiarmid@rcpe.ac.uk if you wish to learn more.