News roundup: April 2019

Each month we publish a news roundup from the Alcohol Policy UK blog. Since the March roundup…

Lloyd’s of London bans alcohol and drugs

Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, is setting out a new code of conduct 'calling time on drink and drugs', reports the BBC. It states that the long-established insurance firm 'is regarded as the last bastion of the financial district's boozy culture', but following further reports of inappropriate behaviours, anyone deemed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be barred from the building.

MUP anniversary divides headlines

Minimum unit pricing in Scotland was introduced on 1 May, 2018. The BBC asked 'Have new laws changed alcohol habits?', based on a familiar selection of anecdotes. The Scottish National said 'we are a healthier country' one year on, whilst a range of media queued up to declare MUP 'hasn't worked', omitting a number of notable issues. More here [pdf] via SHAAP's weekly media round up.

David Cotterill opens up about alcohol and mental health problems

Former Wales football international David Cotterill has revealed he has been battling problems with alcohol and depression, reports the BBC. Alcohol, he said, was a means for him to cope with the pressures of professional football. "There are so many emotions going on and I thought drinking was helping my situation but it made things a lot worse", he said. Cotterill is launching a foundation to promote greater awareness within football.

Macallan whisky advert banned

A whisky advert showing a man leaping off a cliff has been banned for promoting "risky behaviour", reports the BBC. The Macallan ad showed the man falling towards the ground before sprouting wings and flying away. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the advert was irresponsible. If you’d like to make a complaint about alcohol marketing, our guide can help you through the process.

Alcohol team from SLaM win BMJ mental health team of the year award

A team of alcohol researchers and clinicians from South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) have won the mental health team of the year award at the 2019 BMJ Awards. The team developed an ‘alcohol assertive outreach’ service at SLaM that helps alcohol-dependent patients, which in turn results in cost savings for the NHS.

Teachers using alcohol as coping mechanism for workplace bullying

Teachers are turning to alcohol and prescribed drugs to cope with workplace bullying, reports The Independent, using results from a poll of nearly 2,000 teahcers. Four in five teachers have been victims of bullying in the past year, the NASUWT teaching union said.