Projects & Research Partnerships

Introduction

In 2008 and 2009, the Department of Health published a two-part independent review by the University of Sheffield which aimed to better understand the link between alcohol related harm and how alcohol is promoted and priced.

Findings from these reports have been used by senior decision making bodies, including the Parliamentary Health Select Committee, Chief Medical Officer and WHO Alcohol Strategy group, to inform UK and international policy.

Building on the 2008 and 2009 reports, in 2011 we conducted a further review commissioned by the Home Office which updated and explored the evidence for a direct link between alcohol price and crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour in more detail.

About the research

The primary objective of our research was to provide answers to key questions about the relationship between alcohol promotions including pricing, level of consumption, alcohol-related harm and the likely social, health and economic costs and benefits of planned or potential policy interventions.

Specifically, our team was commissioned to:

• Systematically review the evidence on the link between the price and promotion of alcohol on the one hand and patterns of consumption and alcohol-related harm on the other as well as the effectiveness of related policy interventions (Phase 1)
• Indicate how the promotion and pricing of alcohol affects total alcohol intake, and patterns of consumption in groups identified as priorities by government, namely underage drinkers, young adult binge drinkers, heavy drinkers, and those on low incomes (Phase 1)
• Model the potential implications of changes to current policies, especially the impact on health, crime, and employment (Phase 2).

In Phase 1, the topic of the first report, we carried out a systematic review of the evidence base on the relationships between the various types of alcohol promotions, alcohol pricing, alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm. Where evidence permitted, we reported separately on different types of alcohol and groups of consumers (including underage drinkers, young adult binge drinkers, heavy drinkers and those on low incomes). Harms were defined widely and included health, social and crime-related harms on individuals and communities.

In Phase 2, based on the findings of the review, available data and current government priorities, we selected a number of policy alternatives and modelled their differential impact on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harms. Where possible, we modelled the effects of policy changes on the identified priority groups. The model provided a decision making tool, enabling policy makers to answer what-if questions, to predict the likely downstream impact of different policy scenarios and to identify areas of uncertainty and research priorities for different policy options.