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ias.org.uk
Institute of Alcohol Studies
@ias.org.uk
2.1K followers 860 following 620 posts
An independent organisation that seeks to bridge the gap between science and public policies to reduce alcohol-related harm.

Website: https://www.ias.org.uk/

Newsletter & Podcast: https://instalcstud.substack.com/
Posts Replies Media Videos
ias.org.uk
"There's a very poor understanding of the current drink driving limit... But it's unacceptably high in terms of risk" with drivers 6 times more likely to die in a crash at the current limit.

Listen to Dr Katherine Severi on @bbc5live.bsky.social, from 02:19:30.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
5 Live Drive - 07/01/2026 - BBC Sounds
A round-up of the day's top news and sport with Chris Warburton and Lisa McCormick.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 8, 2026 at 1:06 PM
ias.org.uk
The new US Dietary Guidelines have removed the advice to limit alcohol consumption to 2 drinks a day for men and 1 for women or less.

It simply says "Consume less alcohol for better overall health" and advises certain groups to avoid altogether.

www.reuters.com/business/hea...
Trump administration ditches advice to limit alcohol to 1-2 drinks per day
President Donald Trump's administration released new nutrition guidelines on Wednesday that abandon long-standing U.S. recommendations that Americans restrict alcohol consumption to two beverages a da...
www.reuters.com
January 8, 2026 at 11:00 AM
ias.org.uk
"If you want to help rural pubs the way to do that is through business rates, it's through tackling really cheap supermarket alcohol, it's through tackling powerful pubcos, it's not about drink driving limits."

IAS's Jem Roberts speaking to Talk TV's Peter Cardwell

youtu.be/N20IdFDdIGs
Talk TV - Road Safety Strategy - Drink-drive limits
YouTube video by Institute of Alcohol Studies
youtu.be
January 8, 2026 at 9:58 AM
ias.org.uk
How common is guilt after drinking?

In our latest blog, Dr @sharoncox.bsky.social writes about new analysis of data from 40,000 adults, finding:

• 1 in 8 report guilt or remorse
• Higher consumption = higher guilt
• Women & younger adults most affected

www.ias.org.uk/2026/01/08/f...
Feeling guilty after drinking? You’re not alone - Institute of Alcohol Studies
People drinking alcohol at increasing and higher risk levels tend to experience more feelings of guilt about their drinking. But how do people of different ages, gender, and social grade feel?
www.ias.org.uk
January 8, 2026 at 9:21 AM
ias.org.uk
Listen to Dr Katherine Severi discuss evidence around reducing the drink-drive limit and why it wouldn't be bad for rural pubs. From 32:30.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
World at One - 07/01/2026 - BBC Sounds
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
www.bbc.co.uk
January 7, 2026 at 3:07 PM
ias.org.uk
Our Chief Executive Dr Katherine Severi will be on the World at One at 13:30 to discuss plans to reduce the drink-drive limit.

Listen here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 4 - World at One, 07/01/2026
News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
www.bbc.co.uk
January 7, 2026 at 1:11 PM
ias.org.uk
The Road Safety Strategy plans to cut the drink-drive limit in England and Wales - including a zero-tolerance limit for new drivers - are a major step forward for road safety.

Our Chief Executive, Dr Katherine Severi, responds:
January 7, 2026 at 10:42 AM
ias.org.uk
With the Road Safety Strategy being published today, including plans to reduce the drink-drive limit, read our recent blog about the evidence, why the limit should be reduced, the negligible effect on rural pubs, and how important proper enforcement is.

www.ias.org.uk/2025/08/26/w...
Why England and Wales need a lower drink drive limit - Institute of Alcohol Studies
What are the main arguments for and against reducing the drink drive limit in England and Wales?
www.ias.org.uk
January 7, 2026 at 10:33 AM
ias.org.uk
This #DryJanuary, see how much money you can save with Try Dry®, the app that tracks your alcohol-free savings: bit.ly/43HzUIE
January 7, 2026 at 9:29 AM
ias.org.uk
There are clear loopholes in the govt's junk food advertising ban, writes Dr Beverley O'Hara @beverleyoh.bsky.social.

"When it announced the brand exemption in May 2025, the government said it wanted to ensure that the food industry “has confidence to invest...

theconversation.com/theres-a-hug...
There’s a huge loophole in the new UK ban on daytime junk food ads
New regulations target the product but not the brand.
theconversation.com
January 6, 2026 at 12:01 PM
ias.org.uk
“Not me, I’m in control!”

A new study shows how heavier drinkers use 'othering' to distance themselves from 'problem drinkers' - protecting identity, reducing problem recognition, and fuelling stigma.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
“Not me, I’m in control!” a systematic meta-synthesis of othering amongst heavier drinkers
Othering is a discursive practice of constructing or drawing on an extreme or stereotyped problem ‘other’. Othering amongst drinking groups has been proposed as an important barrier to the resoluti...
www.tandfonline.com
January 6, 2026 at 10:11 AM
ias.org.uk
The Road Safety Strategy is expected to be published tomorrow and likely to include plans to reduce the drink drive limit in England and Wales to match Scotland's (and most European countries).

However, it is crucial that enforcement is significantly...

www.thetimes.com/uk/transport...
Enforced eye tests and stricter alcohol limits in road safety reforms
Older drivers must take eye tests and will not be allowed to self-report visual diseases, and penalty points could be given if passengers do not wear seatbelts
www.thetimes.com
January 6, 2026 at 9:19 AM
ias.org.uk
"If you don’t participate in the alcohol-using society…immediately you can become cut off from what is seen as normal social interactions…if you decide not to drink, you’re excluded."

Read our latest report on 'Barriers to alcohol recovery'.
Barriers to Recovery: Overcoming obstacles to alcohol recovery in the UK - Institute of Alcohol Studies
Alcohol-related harm continues to escalate in the United Kingdom (UK), with 2023 marking the highest number of alcohol-specific deaths recorded in England, and only 22% of those in need accessing…
www.ias.org.uk
January 6, 2026 at 9:17 AM
ias.org.uk
Alcohol taxes should reflect the cost of harm to society, incentivising producers to reduce that harm, not profit from it.

Our Autumn Budget Analysis sets out a better way.

Read here: www.ias.org.uk/report/autum...
Autumn Budget Analysis 2025 - Institute of Alcohol Studies
In the Autumn Budget 2025 there were three key announcements: After the increase, alcohol duty will still be much lower than it was in 2012/13. In real terms: Alcohol trade bodies responded with predi...
www.ias.org.uk
January 5, 2026 at 11:08 AM
ias.org.uk
The landmark pre-watershed ban on unhealthy food and drink advertising has come into force.

It bans television ads pre-9pm and all online ads, and is expected to reduce the number of children living with obesity by 20,000.

The ban does not include alcohol ads.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Junk food TV and online advert ban comes into force
Soft drinks, chocolate, pizzas and ice creams will be targeted in the UK government's plan.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 5, 2026 at 9:46 AM
ias.org.uk
This #DryJanuary, track how it feels to go alcohol-free with the Try Dry® app.

Get ready to boss your mood: bit.ly/43HzUIE
January 2, 2026 at 11:24 AM
ias.org.uk
There are 132,000 premises that have a license for either just on-sales or both on- and off-sales of alcohol.

These premises have increased in number by 13% since 2007/08.

See our Availability page for more stats and charts.

www.ias.org.uk/factsheet/av...
December 18, 2025 at 3:26 PM
ias.org.uk
The LGA welcomes the government's multi-year funding settlement for the Public Health Grant.

The Grant will total £13.45 billion over the next three years.

"However, public health services remain under significant pressure. To truly deliver on...

www.local.gov.uk/about/news/l...
LGA responds to Local Government Public Health Grant
"Councils are committed to using this funding to improve the lives of local people and tackle the root causes of poor health."
www.local.gov.uk
December 18, 2025 at 2:40 PM
ias.org.uk
Withdrawal? Crime? Other drug use?

A comprehensive review of minimum unit pricing found these fears don’t materialise – while health benefits do.

In our latest blog, Dr James Clay of @uviccisur.bsky.social explains.

www.ias.org.uk/2025/12/18/m...
Minimum unit pricing works – and it works for the people who need it most - Institute of Alcohol Studies
Real-world evidence from multiple countries shows that minimum unit pricing works: it cuts the purchase of high-strength cheap alcohol, improves health outcomes, and benefits those facing the highest ...
www.ias.org.uk
December 18, 2025 at 9:37 AM
ias.org.uk
Medical students need to understand addiction beyond the textbook.

Humanising Healthcare brings people in recovery into the classroom through their powerful “Conversation Cafés” - breaking stigma, building empathy, and transforming future clinical practice.
Humanising Healthcare Conversation Cafe
www.youtube.com
December 17, 2025 at 2:05 PM
ias.org.uk
Trade bodies claim small duty rises slash Treasury revenue.

For this to be true, drinkers would have to be impossibly price-sensitive - far beyond anything found in decades of economic research.

The maths simply doesn’t work. We explain why:
Autumn Budget Analysis 2025 - Institute of Alcohol Studies
In the Autumn Budget 2025 there were three key announcements: After the increase, alcohol duty will still be much lower than it was in 2012/13. In real terms: Alcohol trade bodies responded with…
www.ias.org.uk
December 17, 2025 at 8:42 AM
ias.org.uk
The alcohol industry says duty increases cut revenue.

Reality? Their claims make no economic sense - people aren’t that price-sensitive.

Jem Roberts breaks down the deception in our latest blog: www.ias.org.uk/2025/12/16/b...
Budget 2025: Alcohol duty kept with inflation, but still far from true cost - Institute of Alcohol Studies
What happened to alcohol at the 2025 Budget? Jem Roberts looks at what was announced and the irony of alcohol trade bodies criticising the OBR while making provably wrong economic claims.
www.ias.org.uk
December 16, 2025 at 8:59 AM
ias.org.uk
Having an 'economic growth objective' would be in total contradiction to the purpose of alcohol licensing, which is about public protection.

Listen to our podcast on the huge issues with the proposed reforms here: www.ias.org.uk/podcast/gove... 🎙️
December 15, 2025 at 12:27 PM
ias.org.uk
Alcohol duty will rise with inflation in Feb 2026 - a welcome step after years of freezes.

But even after this increase, duty will still be far lower in real terms than in 2012, leaving alcohol increasingly affordable and harmful.

📊 Read our Autumn Budget Analysis: www.ias.org.uk/report/autum...
Autumn Budget Analysis 2025 - Institute of Alcohol Studies
In the Autumn Budget 2025 there were three key announcements: After the increase, alcohol duty will still be much lower than it was in 2012/13. In real terms: Alcohol trade bodies responded with predi...
www.ias.org.uk
December 15, 2025 at 9:27 AM
ias.org.uk
Naivety in the Department for Business and Trade explains many of the issues with the proposed licensing reforms.

🎙️Find out more in our latest podcast, with Prof Niamh Fitzgerald & Dr James Nicholls 🎙️

Links: www.ias.org.uk/podcast/gove...
December 10, 2025 at 12:04 PM