Asked by: Lord Chadlington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to engage with individuals who are aware of having an alcohol problem but have not, because they are too ashamed or frightened, sought help.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
Local authorities and their health and wellbeing board partners have responsibility for planning the full range of alcohol services, from early intervention and prevention, through to commissioning alcohol treatment services to meet need in their area and ensure services are accessible to everyone. Furthermore in line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) public health guidance (PH 24) Alcohol-use disorders: preventing harmful drinking, Public Health England (PHE) encourages health and social care professionals to carry out Identification and Brief Advice through general practitioners and programmes such as NHS Health Checks and Making Every Contact Count. A copy of the NICE guidance is attached.
The majority of services offer interventions that are non-religious and are based on cognitive behavioural principles with motivational enhancement techniques.
There are a number of online resources to help with alcohol issues, including the One You and NHS Choices websites. One You is an integrated social marketing campaign run by PHE which aims to engage adults in making changes to improve their own health. This includes offering users advice and information about alcohol as well as tools which help monitor their drinking. NHS Choices offers a range of information about alcohol dependence and includes an on online directory of local alcohol services that those worried about their alcohol use can approach for assistance.
Asked by: Lord Chadlington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the UK Chief Medical Officers' alcohol guidelines review, what steps they are taking to educate young people about the dangers of drinking.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
Public Health England’s Rise Above social marketing programme aims to reduce the uptake of risky behaviours, including alcohol consumption, by young people aged 11-16. It teaches them the skills required to make better decisions in ‘risky’ situations to delay and prevent them from engaging in exploratory behaviours.
Talk to FRANK is a web-based information service that explains the effects and risks of excessive alcohol consumption. It also provides a help service via phone, text, live chat and email for people who are concerned about their own or others’ alcohol consumption. Talk to FRANK is an independent Government funded programme.
The Government also commissions the Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention Information Service to enable schools to understand and implement evidence-based approaches to preventing harmful alcohol use by children and young people.
In the new science curriculum, there are opportunities for young people to be taught about the dangers of drinking: for example, at key stage 2, pupils should be taught to “recognise the impact of diet, exercise, drugs and lifestyle on the way their bodies function”, or in biology at key stage 3, where pupils will learn about “the effects of recreational drugs (including substance misuse) on behaviour, health and life processes”.
Asked by: Lord Chadlington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to educate women on alcohol avoidance whilst pregnant.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
On 8 January 2016, the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers published a new guideline on pregnancy and drinking – that if a woman is pregnant or planning a pregnancy, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all, to keep risks to the baby to a minimum. A copy of the guideline is attached. The Department will be working with the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology to ensure that their members are fully informed about the content of the guidelines and are able to explain them to the women they care for and help them make informed decisions. Public Health England (PHE) is also working with professional organisations to enhance the awareness and confidence of midwives and health visitors to educate and inform women about avoiding alcohol while pregnant.
PHE's Start4Life social marketing programme delivers advice and practical guidance to parents and parents to be to help them adopt healthy behaviours and build parenting skills to give their child the best possible start. This includes looking after their own health, and addresses the implications of drinking during pregnancy. Start4Life uses a range of products to inform and influence its audience's behaviour around alcohol consumption including the Information Service for Parents, Start4Life website, and leaflets and posters.
Through voluntary actions by alcohol producers, independent research showed that in 2014 90.7% of bottles and cans carried warning labels about drinking in pregnancy, compared to just 17.6% of products six years before.
Asked by: Lord Chadlington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to educate the 2.5 million people who consume more than the new weekly recommended limit for alcohol in a single day, in the light of the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
Public Health England's 'One You' adult health campaign (launched this month) aims to help adults understand their alcohol consumption and take appropriate action. It also focuses on quitting smoking, healthier diets and exercise. The campaign provides information online, including tailored advice and, for example, a Drinks Tracker app.