Briefings

Alcohol

Safe. Sensible. Social - The Next Steps in the National Alcohol Strategy
Alcohol Concern (September 2006)

This strategy builds upon the foundations which have been laid and the lessons learnt since 2004. It will forge a clearer national understanding of what is acceptable drinking behaviour, in order to reduce the amount of harm that alcohol causes to individuals, families and communities.

Safe, Sensible, Social outlines a concerted approach to support a change in drinking culture and shows how the police, local communities, local authorities, the NHS, voluntary organisations, the alcohol industry and others all have a role to play.

Models of care for Alcohol Misusers
NTA (June 2006)

(MoCAM) was published by the Department of Health in June 2006. The document provides best practice guidance for local health organisations and their partners in delivering a planned and integrated local treatment system for adult alcohol users.

Models of care for Alcohol Misusers - NTA Presentation Slides by E. Finch
NTA (June 2006)

Presentation on the RCGP website by Emily Finch of the NTA on Models of Care for Alcohol Misusers.

Interventions in schools to prevent and reduce alcohol use among children and young people
NICE (2007)

Public health guidance for use in primary and secondary schools on sensible alcohol consumption.

Underage ‘risky’ drinking: Motivations and outcomes
JRF (November 2005)

An exploration of why some young people take part in ‘risky’ drinking and the effect on their health and wellbeing.

Temperance: Its history and impact on current and future alcohol policy
JRF (November 2005)

An examination of the history of temperance, and how it can inform contemporary alcohol policy.

Alcohol strategy and the drinks industry: a partnership for prevention?
JRF (December 2006)

A review of the Government’s alcohol policy, from the perspectives of a range of industry and non-industry stakeholders.

Multi-component programmes: an approach to prevent and reduce alcohol-related harm
JRF (March 2007)

A review of international experience of community-based prevention programmes to address alcohol-related harms at local level.

Protective parenting and children’s resilience within the context of parental alcohol problems
Alcohol Concern (September 2006)

This paper presents current research, theories and practice approaches relating to protective parenting and resilience in children in families where there are parental alcohol problems. It outlines the key areas of parenting and children’s resilience that can be worked on and increased so as to improve safety to children and increase the likelihood that they can cope and remain relatively free from the long-term harm associated with parental problem drinking.

Parenting, alcohol misuse and treatment service provision
Alcohol Concern (September 2006)

This briefing paper looks at the complicating role of alcohol misuse on parenting and the need to incorporate parenting support into alcohol treatment services. It outlines recommendations from the research literature and policy initiatives on how offering parenting support to service users who are parents can improve the lives and life opportunities of their children, as well as improving service users' outcomes.

Problem drinking and fatherhood
Alcohol Concern (September 2006)

This briefing looks at how men’s status as fathers tends to be ignored across alcohol and child and family services alike. The paper identifies the importance of fathers and the fathering role in parenting and the specific support needs that problem drinking fathers may have (and also non-problem drinking fathers where the children’s mother is the drinker). Suggestions for practitioners wishing to offer services to fathers are provided.

Common assessment framework and parental alcohol misuse
Alcohol Concern (September 2006)

This briefing paper looks at how practitioners working with children, young people and/or families can use the common assessment framework to identify the potential impacts of parental alcohol misuse. Guidance is offered on setting the context for an assessment with families, so that questions can be asked more openly and family members feel comfortable responding.

Understanding alcohol issues for professionals working with parents
Alcohol Concern (September 2006)

This briefing paper examines the issues surrounding parental alcohol misuse, the health effects of drinking, how to identify problem alcohol use, how children might be affected, what interventions can aid parents and help build resilience to longer term harm in children and when and where to refer for specialist help, information or informal support.

Understanding parenting Issues for alcohol professionals
Alcohol Concern (September 2006)

This briefing paper examines the issues associated with parental problem drinking, encourages alcohol treatment workers to think about Parenting in relation to their clients, looks at the gaps in alcohol services where children are concerned, briefly touches on legal obligations and offers suggestions for practice.

Safeguarding children: working with parental alcohol problems and domestic abuse
Alcohol Concern (September 2006)

This briefing paper discusses the practice and policy challenges faced by alcohol professionals working with parents and families where there is also domestic abuse. It highlights the impact of domestic abuse and parental alcohol problems on children and summarises the fragmented policy framework in which these overlapping issues sit. To conclude, it offers some building blocks from which to formulate practice responses and practice development.

Hidden Harm issues for professionals working with parents who misuse alcohol
Alcohol Concern (September 2006)

This briefing looks at the national agenda of Hidden Harm and considers how the government's recommendations can be addressed locally in the context of parental alcohol misuse. There are a number of case studies that illustrate how some agencies have addressed the issue together with a case study that reflects upon the words of a child who was affected by his mother's alcohol misuse.

Drinking: Adults' Behaviour and Knowledge in 2004
ONS (November 2004)

Substantial piece of research looking at drinking behaviour in the UK.

Alcohol and sexual violence: key findings from the research
Home Office (April 2004)

Sexual violence is a serious public health and criminal justice problem... Alcohol is an important dimension in sexual violence - many perpetrators are drinking when they attack their victims or have alcohol abuse problem.

Promoting safer drinking: A briefing paper for drug workers
NTA (February 2004)

A useful introduction to workers wholly unfamiliar to working with drinkers. For workers who have had any previous experience in this subject, this may be a useful refresher but not much more. Bizarrely the document doesn't look at the issue of dangerous alcohol withdrawal.

Wet Day Centres in the UK: A Research Report and Manual
Alcohol Concern (February 2004)

This document, produced by the Kings Fund, reports a short study of the work of 'wet' day centres in England for street drinkers - in other words, centres where drinking is allowed.

Alcohol, crime and disorder: a study of young adults
Home Office (February 2003)

Authors: Anna Richardson and Tracey Budd.

This study reports on some new analysis of the data from the 1998/99 Youth Lifestyles Survey (YLS), which has been undertaken to explore the relationship between alcohol use and offending. The YLS offers a unique opportunity to examine binge drinking and criminal and disorderly behaviour alongside other related lifestyle factors thus providing a more complete picture of alcohol-related behaviour.

Drunk and disorderly: a qualitative study of binge drinking among 18-to 24-year-olds
Home Office (February 2003)

Authors: Renuka Engineer, Annabelle Phillips, Julian Thompson and Jonathan Nicholls

It is widely believed that there is a link between alcohol consumption and criminal and disorderly behaviour, especially in the young adult population. However, relatively little is known about the social context of such behaviour. This report uses focus groups to explore this issue, especially young adults' perceptions and experiences of, and motivations for, binge drinking.

Drinking: adults behaviour and knowledge in 2002
ONS (December 2002)

Alcohol matters. A factfile for professionals
HPA (March 2001)

This pack has been compiled to update health professionals on a range of alcohol related issues. These include the revised sensible drinking message, the harmful and beneficial effects of alcohol, changes to the licensing laws and 'alcopops'. It also contains information about levels of consumption and patterns of drinking in Northern Ireland. Each pack contains six factsheets.

Prevention and Reduction of Alcohol Misuse - Evidence Briefing
NICE (March 2005)

A review of revies of what works in alcohol prevention strategies.

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