A law professor argues that lifting Scotland's alcohol ban in football grounds would reduce disorder. The logic: if we make alcohol more available at matches where violence is already occurring, fans will drink less and behave better. That's quite a leap from the evidence...

"It's all very cutesy and fun... til it's not" 'Wine mom' culture presents alcohol as a parenting necessity, trivialising dependence and making it harder to recognise alcohol harm. This personal account shows the real cost of marketing that normalises daily drinking as maternal self-care 👇️

Our first Alcohol Occasional of 2026 featured Dr @richardpurves.bsky.social from University of Stirling Institute for Social Marketing and Health on "Branding the Game" - alcohol sports sponsorship and young people. Here's some of the key insights from his presentation ... 🧵

🎧️ Conversations about Alcohol podcast created specifically to support GPs and primary care teams Ep 1: Dr Alastair MacGilchrist OBE & Dr @peterrice.bsky.social talk with Dr Rachel Phillips about the scale of alcohol harm in Scotland and what policies work... Listen here: buff.ly/AGPyeUB

Big exciting weekend ahead for Scottish football! ⚽️ But let's not forget the young fans attending or watching, who will be exposed to relentless alcohol marketing throughout... pitch-side boards, shirt sponsors, stadium branding...

New study from the U.S shows alcohol health warning labels can encourage reduced drinking. Clear, visible information on cancer risk and other harms at point of purchase helps consumers make informed choices about what they're drinking and better understand the risks involved...

Northern Ireland was the only part of the UK to see a rise in #AlcoholDeaths in 2024 The country now has the highest alcohol death rate in the UK Earlier this year, we joined the @aha-uk.bsky.social in writing to the First Minister imploring them to follow Scotland's lead and introduce #MUP

What does a former Minister for Drugs and Alcohol think about commercial influence on health policy? New Money Power Health episode with @spidermaani.bsky.social and @elenawhitham.bsky.social, former MSP and Minister. Essential for new MSPs and public health professionals 🎧️ Free to listen:

The UK could do more to tackle the continuing post-pandemic surge in alcohol deaths, including responding to the rise of rapid delivery, Alcohol Change UK's CEO Richard Piper told Alcohol Review, with councils ready to step in. @alcoholchangeuk.bsky.social Full video youtu.be/2N_OTaavZ2A

Check out @ias.org.uk's thread explaining the latest ONS alcohol specific death stats released yesterday, and what they really mean 👇

Today's ONS figures show Scotland's alcohol death rate at 20.9 per 100,000. A slight decline but remains a public health emergency. The newly re-elected Scottish Government must set out a clear plan to reduce these avoidable deaths. Read SHAAP's full comment on our website👇 buff.ly/SyoJ7D7

💡1 week to go until our first Alcohol Occasional of 2026💡 With alcohol sponsorship in sport making headlines, this one couldn't be more relevant. @richardpurves.bsky.social unpacks the tactics and what they mean for young people Mon 18 May, 12:45, free & online Don't miss it!

🤔Currently in the UK, a bottle of orange juice is required to display more nutritional information than a bottle of beer. We all have a right to know what's in our drinks, and the health risks associated with it. 👏Great to see this piece championing a call for mandatory labels on alcohol.

The alcohol industry knows exactly how to target women. But do our policies account for gender? A new blog from Prof Carol Emslie, Co-Chair at @sarnalcohol.bsky.social reveals how little we know - and why that needs to change. The first in our Women & Alcohol series at SHAAP 👇

Our CEO Carolyn Lochhead is the guest on the latest episode of the #ScottishDrugsForum #DrugsUncut Podcast 🎙️ Carolyn discusses her new role, the current alcohol policy landscape & our hopes for the future - with a new Scottish Parliament being elected drugsuncut.podbean.com/e/alcohol-po...

Liver disease is a growing crisis across Europe, driven by alcohol and unhealthy diets. 300,000 deaths a year. €55 billion in costs. The EASL-Lancet commission says alcohol pricing policies and better screening could almost halve the burden. Time to act on prevented based policy.

The Lancet Commission on Liver Disease has called for alcohol taxes to cover the cost of alcohol harm to society. In The Guardian, IAS's Jem Roberts is quoted with estimates of how much off-trade duty rates would need to increase to cover the cost of harm.🧵 www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

How do stigma, trauma and criminalisation shape women's experiences of substance use and recovery? Free in-person event later this month from Scottish Recovery Consortium and Women's Support Project providing frontline insight, national evidence and lived experience 📆 Thu 28 May, Glasgow 👇 Sign up

Ahead of the election, @enlightenscot.bsky.social has published its NHS2048 compendium and open letter to party leaders. SHAAP's Chair, Dr Alastair MacGilchrist, is among the signatories calling for cross-party collaboration on NHS reform. Prevention and health creation must be priorities.

A historic moment earlier this week as tobacco legislation passes in Parliament 🎉! A smoke-free generation is now law. Prevention is better than cure. The question for alcohol: when will we see the same ambition to protect future generations from another leading cause of preventable death?

"Reducing alcohol sales will hurt the economy" is a line the industry uses constantly. New research from Sheffield says otherwise. Cutting supermarket alcohol sales would actually boost growth and jobs. The off-trade is remarkably unproductive for the UK economy.

AFS supports the recommendations of a new @thelancet.com Commission raising the price of #alcohol to cut #LiverDisease www.alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk/news/news/af...

"The ease with which alcohol can be purchased online, regardless of age, is deeply concerning" - SHAAP's Director, Elinor Jayne, talks to the Sunday Post about why Scotland needs to close the loophole around alcohol delivery apps. It's clear the law hasn't kept pace with technology.

'Branding the Game: Alcohol Sponsorship, Sport, and Young People' ! @shaapalcohol.bsky.social Alcohol Occasional, May 18 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/branding-t...

"I'd always thought alcoholics were people who drank all the time, or drank vodka in the morning." John Robins on the misconceptions that kept him from seeing his own addiction. A powerful read, especially for anyone who's ever wondered if their drinking is a problem. buff.ly/SrvQ4oV

In our latest blog, Dr Damon Morris shows why not all alcohol spending is equal. ➡️ Cut off-trade alcohol → £2.5bn added to GVA ➡️ Improve public health Time to rethink the “economy vs health” narrative. @sarg-scharr.bsky.social @damonm1989.bsky.social www.ias.org.uk/2026/04/28/t...

Do you have a research proposal that would contribute to the evidence on reducing alcohol harm in the UK? 📉 Why not apply to our Small Grants Scheme? Eligibility: affiliated with a UK university, preferably an early career researcher. Apply: www.ias.org.uk/small-grants...

People in the UK are spending fewer years in good health - with huge economic and human costs. High levels of alcohol related illness and deaths form part of the picture. Governments must get serious about tackling alcohol harm! #NoMoreHalfMeasures www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Healthy life expectancy in Scotland is still falling. The Health Foundation's new blog makes the case for prevention, including stronger action on alcohol marketing and availability. "Reducing the influence of commercial interests can remove distortion in decision making."

What happens when pubs stay open later? Aberdeen found out. New research published in BMJ: 11.4% rise in alcohol-related ambulance call-outs, 8.5% increase in reported crimes. Young men most affected... buff.ly/1W8OW3S

With alcohol sponsorship in sport very much in the news, our first Alcohol Occasional of 2026 couldn't be more relevant. Dr Richard Purves explores how brands embed themselves in sport to reach young audiences. Not to be missed! 📅 Mon 18 May, 12:45, free & online 👇Sign up below

Drinks made as no- and low-alcohol alternatives to alcoholic drinks, or "nolos", seem to play little role in the alcohol consumption of young Brits, found new research. There is no solid evidence of any significant effect for any other age group either. alcohol-review.com/story/alcoho...

"Sport, at its best, is a feast of health and fitness. And yet, sport's greatest spectacles are used systematically to encourage us to consume everything which is bad for our health." @robinireland.bsky.social on Glasgow 2026's alcohol and soft drink sponsors.

OECD report on NCDs out now with UK data. Alcohol remains a key risk factor - harm from drinking above low levels costs 3% of health spending and hits GDP. The case for prevention-first policy is stronger than ever.

Call for submissions: University of Stirling's Alcohol Research 2026 conference. New thinking, new directions - interdisciplinary perspectives on alcohol harm, prevention, treatment and policy. ⏳️ Deadline 15 May. Details: alcoholresearch2026.carrd.co

New research from @alcoholchangeuk.bsky.social on young people and no/low drinks. Headline: young people are three times more likely to try alcohol first. These products aren't diverting anyone from drinking - they're made by alcohol companies to grow their brands. More info: buff.ly/rY5DpRo

Alcohol and gambling sponsorship in Scottish football may be on borrowed time ⏳️ This piece argues clubs should prepare now rather than wait for legislation to force change. The English Premier League is already ahead - Scotland shouldn't be caught out... Give it a read: buff.ly/bw97Hyo

Healthy life expectancy in Scotland is still falling. The Health Foundation makes the case for prevention- including stronger action on alcohol marketing and availability. "Reducing the influence of commercial interests can remove distortion in decision making." Worth a read.

ICYMI‼️

Help us campaign for #NoMoreHalfMeasures on alcohol harm in the next Scottish Parliament - including: ▶️ Restrictions on #AlcoholMarketing ▶️ Automatic Uprating of #MUP ▶️ Greater investment in treatment & support Download our election toolkit 🔽 https://twp.ai/9OVPTH

With Coca‑Cola and Jubel sponsoring this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, @robinireland.bsky.social outlines how sponsorship of sport by health‑harming industries (including alcohol, junk food, sugary drinks and gambling) can negatively impact public health. www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...

Change Grow Live responds to England's women's health strategy with an important reminder: women affected by alcohol are often missed by mainstream services. Fragmented policy doesn't work - we need joined up approaches that reflect women's lives. True in England, true in Scotland. buff.ly/nUv1AsL

How do alcohol brands use sport to reach young people? @richardpurves.bsky.social explores sponsorship, alibi branding and No/Lo products in "Branding the Game" - our first Alcohol Occasional of 2026 @sarnalcohol.bsky.social Mon 18 May, 12:45 -14:00, online. Free to attend 👇

These tactics are not always unique to the tobacco industry and can also be seen across the food and alcohol industries too ...🍔🍷🚬 Our Killer Tactics report tells the story of how these industries work to undermine health policies and protect their profits 💰 Read here: ash.org.uk/uploads/Kill...

April is #BowelCancerAwarenessMonth If you don't know alcohol causes at least 7 different cancers, - including #BowlCancer - that's partly because #BigAlcohol would rather you didn't The next @ScotParl must act to introduce mandatory health warning labels #NoMoreHalfMeasures

'New Eyes on an Old Problem: Alcohol Marketing, Industry Influence and Scotland’s Strategic Plan' | @shaapalcohol.bsky.social www.shaap.org.uk/new-eyes-on-...

From sports sponsorship to late night trading hours - our 2026 Alcohol Occasionals series with @sarnalcohol.bsky.social covers some of the biggest questions in alcohol research and policy. Free online seminars, open to all. Full programme and registration now live on eventbrite!

Good to see the Scottish Lib Dems back linking MUP to inflation. Essential if the policy is to keep pace with rising prices and maintain its public health impact. @willierennie.bsky.social @scotlibdems.org.uk Find out more about Minimum Unit Pricing on our website: www.shaap.org.uk/facts-figure...

Another day, another party manifesto! This time the SNP, makes clear that there is a lot to do to reduce the harms caused by alcohol. One of the areas they’ve committed to (as Labour did earlier in the week) is piloting hospital-based Alcohol Care Teams, an approach we have been advocating for.

It's not just exposure - it's attention New research shows directing people's gaze toward alcohol adverts triggers craving, which then increases consumption. The causal pathway is once again demonstrated. Another piece of the evidence base for marketing restrictions. Read more👇️