Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

(asked on 22nd October 2014) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking in respect of Britain's drinking culture in order to reduce liver disease deaths.


Answered by
Earl Howe Portrait
Earl Howe
Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
This question was answered on 4th November 2014

The Government is taking a number of steps to tackle alcohol problems and reduce alcohol-related liver disease. These are being led by Public Health England (PHE), working with partners across government and local authorities. Through the Responsibility Deal the Government is also working with industry partners to tackle alcohol problems.

On 23 October 2014, PHE published its priorities for protecting and improving the nation’s health and one of the seven issues they will be focusing on is preventing and reducing the harmful effects of alcohol. This priority includes two actions relating to liver disease:

- producing a framework on liver disease outlining public health actions to tackle liver disease, including alcohol; and

- launching liver disease profiles to support local authority health and wellbeing boards to understand liver disease and its risk factors in their area and, in turn, design effective local population level interventions.

Other key actions from PHE on alcohol and liver disease include:

- developing the evidence base for what works in preventing alcoholic liver disease and increasing awareness of the harmful effects of alcohol and the impact of interventions, to support policy development nationally and locally;

- supporting and promoting effective use of licensing legislation and local powers to create a safer drinking environment that encourages people who drink to do so at a lower risk levels. Part of this is improving the effectiveness of the powers directors of public health have on alcohol licencing;

- encouraging and supporting people who drink to do so within the lower risk levels;

- reducing the harmful impact of alcohol on individuals who already experience harm. PHE will be supporting a widespread roll-out of interventions and brief advice; and

- supporting improvements in treatment provision in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance. Locally, PHE is supporting the development of effective alcohol specialist services in secondary care and accessible, evidence-based specialist treatment for dependent drinkers.

Reticulating Splines