Elinor Jayne
edinburghellejayne.bsky.social
Elinor Jayne
@edinburghellejayne.bsky.social
67 followers 90 following 39 posts
Rural living urban exile, with the occasional opinion and a lot of photos. Public health policy, politics, forest walks, food, art, books.
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This Bill seems like a good idea until you unpick it a bit and realise most people with alcohol use disorder are excluded.
Douglas Ross's Right to Recovery Bill will have its stage 1 vote this week. But the well-intended legislation, which would give those with an "addiction" or "dependency" on alcohol or drugs a right to treatment, could exacerbate Scotland's drug death crisis.
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
What will Douglas Ross' Right to Addiction Recovery Bill do as key concern raised
Douglas Ross’s proposed legislation would embed a right to recovery for those diagnosed with an addiction in law.
www.scotsman.com
Reposted by Elinor Jayne
👏In tonight's debate @ronamackaysnp.bsky.social called for:
🩺Better education for healthcare professionals about #FASD
🏷️Alcohol labelling to highlight the risk of #FASD
Reposted by Elinor Jayne
The First Minister responded that we need public health education about the dangers of excess consumption but the public deserve to know all the health risks associated with drinking alcohol
Reposted by Elinor Jayne
Lib Dem MP and Scotch Whisky APPG chair @wendychambld.bsky.social is calling for a multi-year freeze on spirits duty.

But this couldn’t come at a worse time: the UK has seen record alcohol deaths for four years in a row. The most effective way to reduce...(🧵)

www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...
Rachel Reeves must start treating Scotch Whisky like the national asset it is
The whisky industry is getting fleeced by a deeply unfair alcohol duty system – the Chancellor must give Scotch parity with beer
www.politicshome.com
Reposted by Elinor Jayne
Yesterday, SHAAP wrote to the new Secretary of State for Scotland, Douglas Alexander, calling for alcohol duty to be raised in the upcoming UK Government budget.

Learn more and see the full quote from our Chair Dr @alastairmacg.bsky.social 👇
www.shaap.org.uk/news/shaap-c...
It’s so disappointing that the First Minister has fallen for the Scotch Whisky Association’s arguments on duty. Not only that but it’s completely inconsistent with minimum unit pricing which his own government introduced. The SWA really are the best lobbyists. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2546438...
Inside the Oval Office: my talks with Donald Trump on a special deal for whisky
Fresh from Washington talks with Donald Trump, John Swinney writes exclusively for The Herald on Sunday about a crucial week for the sector.
www.heraldscotland.com
So important to celebrate recovery from alcohol (and other) addictions- meet anyone in recovery and it tends to be an uplifting experience. Thank you so much to @monicalennon.bsky.social for using your role in public life to break down stigma surrounding addiction
🥳September is #RecoveryMonth!

"Recovery is possible, it happens every day in every community, but too often stigma is holding people back." Thank you to @monicalennon.bsky.social for her ongoing support in championing recovery in Scotland! 👏

For help and support: shaap.org.uk/who-we-are/h...
Reposted by Elinor Jayne
"A shift to prevention will only succeed if ministers take a bold approach to regulation and lift people out of poverty."

"If rising levels of alcohol are to be tackled, there is no alternative to regulatory measures such as a minimum unit price."

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The Guardian view on public health: if Labour is serious about reducing illness, it must focus on causes | Editorial
Editorial: A shift to prevention will only succeed if ministers take a bold approach to regulation and lift people out of poverty
www.theguardian.com
Reposted by Elinor Jayne
🔊Welcome to our third SHAAP/ @sarnalcohol.bsky.social Alcohol Occasional of 2025.
In today’s seminar, Dr Hannah Carver, Dr Emma King and Jessica Greenhalgh will discuss Scotland's first Managed Alcohol Programme (MAP).
Reposted by Elinor Jayne
In our latest report with @ias.org.uk we found alcohol industry groups claiming “Alcohol harms are going in the right direction.”
In reality, deaths hit a record high.
Read the report 👇
www.shaap.org.uk/publication/...
Reposted by Elinor Jayne
New: Liver cancer death rates have gone up for men (15%) and women (20%), unlike most other cancers. Alcohol is one of the causes of liver cancer, which is why we need government action to tackle Scotland's alcohol problem. @publichealthscot.bsky.social

publichealthscotland.scot/publications...
Cancer mortality in Scotland - Annual update to 2022 - Cancer mortality - Publications - Public Health Scotland
publichealthscotland.scot
Reposted by Elinor Jayne
Prof Sir Ian Gilmore & Dr Peter Rice joined @bbc5live.bsky.social to discuss potential plans to reduce the drink driving limit.

Sir Ian pointed out that the UK (minus Scotland) is the only country in Europe with such a high level and that the @aha-uk.bsky.social...

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
5 Live Drive - 11/08/2025 - BBC Sounds
A round-up of the day's top news and sport with Rima Ahmed and Steffan Powell.
www.bbc.co.uk
Reposted by Elinor Jayne
The government has confirmed alcohol will be included as a risk factor in the National Cancer Plan

Alcohol causes at least 7 types of cancer

Mandatory labelling plans are in development & should include cancer warnings @ashleydaltonmp.bsky.social

questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...
For anyone wondering how someone they know ended up with an alcohol problem, here’s the science behind it and a bit on how treatment and recovery is possible. David explains it all brilliantly.
🧠Today is #WorldBrainDay2025

Dr David McCartney explores the science behind alcohol use disorder. He discusses the impact of trauma, genetics, and stress on compulsive drinking, and why treatment, mutual aid, and psychosocial support offer hope for recovery
youtu.be/3s5WZ59u49s
Alcohol, the brain and associated behaviours by Dr David McCartney
YouTube video by SHAAP
youtu.be
Reposted by Elinor Jayne
Reposted by Elinor Jayne
Research suggests approx. 35% of dependent drinkers have some form of alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD)
Leeanne MacPherson & Dr Ben Chetcuti share their experiences of working with #ARBD patients and the various ways these service users can be stigmatised.
www.shaap.org.uk/stigma-serie...
Your regular reminder that the alcohol industry should never be considered part of the solution to our problems with alcohol. It’s not in their interests to reduce alcohol consumption, after all.
In our latest report with @InstAlcStud we found alcohol industry groups claiming “Alcohol harms are going in the right direction.”
In reality, deaths hit a record high.
Read the report 👇
shaap.org.uk/publication/...
Reposted by Elinor Jayne
🔊Listen to our Chair, Dr Alastair MacGilchrist, on GMS this morning talking about alcohol and the workplace from 06:55

t.co/yBb6Yy54aq

#alcoholawarenessweek
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002fjdl
t.co
Incredibly disappointing “plan” for the NHS by UK govt. It’s not going to do much to improve health services if the govt fails to act on the massive burden caused by our laissez faire approach to alcohol at a UK level. Another win for the alcohol industry, ie profits before people.
As Professor Colin Angus states:

"We've spent the last year listening to the government say sensible, if generic, things about being committed to a prevention agenda. We're seeing today that this, from the perspective of alcohol, was all mouth and no trousers whatsoever."
The Government's big new 10 year health plan has finally been published.

In spite of lots of talk about moving towards prevention rather than treatment, there is basically no meaningful alcohol prevention policy here.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/686638...
Reposted by Elinor Jayne
"Embarrassing" 10-Year Plan.

The government has published its 10-Year Health Plan, which fails to include any of the most-effective prevention policies on alcohol.

The only measures are to improve labelling and support the growth of the zero..(1/2)

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/686638...
Reposted by Elinor Jayne
In response to the NHS 10-year plan, Prof Sir Ian Gilmore, AHA Chair, welcomes improved labelling but says it is "staggering" that the most evidence-based policies to reduce alcohol harm did not make it into the final plan.

Our full statement: ahauk.org/news/nhs-plan/
I would suggest that the huge sums of money spent on advertising demonstrates it does indeed convince people to buy the product being advertised.
"The nanny state seeks to obliterate another chink of our cultural heritage, the TV ad for alcohol, under the guise of preventing alcohol-related deaths... Who ever bought a drink on the strength of seeing it advertised on television?"
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06...
Tell Wes Streeting to leave our genius alcohol adverts alone
Some of our wittiest and most creative talent has been nurtured while promoting booze on TV. Please don’t let the nanny state take it away
www.telegraph.co.uk
Important message to all policy makers (inc manifesto writers…) here: don’t be hoodwinked by misleading and cherry picked claims by the alcohol industry. The industry is not part of the solution to Scotland’s alcohol problem, it is the problem.