SARN response to WHO consultation

World Health Organization consultation on the working document for development of an action plan to strengthen implementation of the Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol

Submitted on 9 December 2020

We suggest four key points to strengthen the draft action plan:-

1) The role of economic operators 

We strongly agree that economic operators should “refrain from activities that may prevent, delay or stop the development, enactment and enforcement of high impact strategies and interventions to reduce the harmful use of alcohol.  (They) are encouraged to contribute to the elimination of marketing and sales of alcoholic beverages to minors and targeted commercial activities towards other high risk groups” (p.12).   

However, in some sections of the document, economic operators are given equal standing to other stakeholders, such as civil society and other UN organizations.  Alcohol adversely impacts 13 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/464642/Alcohol-consumption-and-sustainable-development-factsheet-eng.pdf) yet the alcohol industry has attempted to undermine the focus on alcohol as an obstacle to sustainable development (https://movendi.ngo/news/2020/03/11/un-statistical-commission-refines-sdg-alcohol-indicator/).  Therefore, the role of economic operators should be addressed in a separate section of the document, with attention given to their conflict of interest regarding public health.

2) Emphasis on evidence-based policies (WHO best buys / SAFER)

We strongly support an emphasis on each country implementing evidence-based policies to reduce alcohol-related harm (i.e. WHO best buys / SAFER).  This is especially important in LMICs which are particularly subject to interference from commercial interests.

3) Restricting digital alcohol marketing and protecting minors

One of the most cost-effective policies to reduce alcohol-related harm is to enforce bans on, or comprehensively restrict, alcohol advertising.  The digital marketing of alcohol represents new, high levels of risk, especially for minors. We strongly support statements in this document to regulate digital marketing and social media advertising. This is a global issue, which cannot be solved by any single country, and so it is appropriate that it should be led by WHO. 

4) The role of research / building research capacity

SARN builds capacity in alcohol research at a local, national and international level. SARN members contribute to the research evidence base which allows policymakers to effectively tackle alcohol-related harm, and provides NGOs with robust evidence for advocacy.  We therefore support the objective to “strengthen information systems and research for monitoring alcohol consumption, alcohol-related harm and policy responses at all levels with dissemination and application of information for advocacy, policy development and evaluation purposes” (p.9).  

However, we support a broad interpretation of the objective to focus on research which is “highly relevant to the development and implementation of alcohol policies” (p.18).  This should include qualitative research which is necessary to understand the social context of drinking in high risk groups (as attempting to implement interventions without understanding social and cultural drinking practices will be ineffective) (e.g. Emslie et al. 2017), rapid literature reviews and ‘reviews of reviews’ on emerging issues (e.g. Atkinson et al. 2019;  Fitzgerald et al. 2016), and using innovative methods to understand the lived experience of drinking across the harm continuum (Shortt et al. 2017), as well as more conventional epidemiological research.  

REFERENCES

Atkinson A. et al. 2019. A rapid narrative review of literature on gendered alcohol marketing and its effects: exploring the targeting and representation of women.
http://www.ias.org.uk/uploads/pdf/IAS%20reports/rp39102019.pdf

Emslie, C., Lennox, J. and Ireland, L., 2017. The role of alcohol in identity construction among LGBT people: A qualitative study. Sociology of health & illness39(8), pp.1465-1479.
https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/146558/1/146558.pdf

Fitzgerald, N., Angus, K., Emslie, C., Shipton, D. and Bauld, L., 2016. Gender differences in the impact of population‐level alcohol policy interventions: evidence synthesis of systematic reviews. Addiction111(10), pp.1735-1747.
https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/132212/1/132212.pdf

Shortt, N.K., Rhynas, S.J. and Holloway, A., 2017. Place and recovery from alcohol dependence: A journey through photovoice. Health & Place47, pp.147-155. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1353829217304963

QMJC #1 Write-up

Meeting #1 (November 2020) – Lyons et al. (2016)

In our first meeting on Wednesday 11 November, we discussed Lyons et al. Facebook and the Fun of Drinking Photos: Reproducing Gendered Regimes of Power. Journal of Marketing Education. 2016: 45-53. doi: 10.1177/2056305116672888

This beautifully written qualitative paper examines the meanings which young adults attach to sharing drinking photos on Facebook, and explores how these practices are gendered.  The memorable title clearly conveys the topic, indicates the paper will focus on respondents’ perceptions (aligned with pleasure, rather than risk) and introduces the claim that ‘fun’ drinking photos ultimately reproduce gendered and heteronormative regimes of power.  The authors argue that while both men and women manage their online identities to some extent, the tensions inherent in performing an empowered and sexy femininity in the ‘culture of intoxication’ (Griffin et al 2013) lead to more intensive engagement by young women.  This curation of online displays (taking, uploading, tagging and untagging photos) is then disparaged as trivial and self-indulgent ‘women’s work’ by young men… [Read on]

Professor Carol Emslie

Read the full report on the SSA website

Qualitative Methods Journal Club Meeting #2

SARN is supporting Professor Carol Emslie (SARN Co-Chair) and colleagues at the Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) Substance Use Research Group to host the upcoming series of the Society for the Study of Addiction (SSA) funded Qualitative Methods Journal Club (QMJC) from November 2020 – April 2021.

The QMJC highlights best practice through its selection of good quality qualitative research papers. After each meeting, a summary of the discussion from the Journal Club will be made available on the SSA website: https://www.addiction-ssa.org/hot-topic/qualitative-methods-journal-club/


In our second meeting on Tuesday 15 December from 2pm-3:15pm on Zoom, we will be discussing: Drabble & Trocki (2014) Alcohol in the life narratives of women: Commonalities and differences by sexual orientation, Addiction Research & Theory, 22:3, 186-194, DOI: 10.3109/16066359.2013.806651 A PDF is available on PMC: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4063308/

You must register to attend:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/qualitative-methods-journal-club-meeting-2-hosted-by-gcu-tickets-128496238709

This event is capped at 50 to encourage active and fruitful discussion. If you are registered to attend, please read and reflect on Drabble & Trocki (2014) before the meeting.


Save the date

Next meeting (also 2pm-3:15pm): Thursday 14 January

Qualitative Methods Journal Club Meeting #1

SARN will support Professor Carol Emslie (SARN Co-Chair) and colleagues at the Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) Substance Use Research Group to host the upcoming series of the Society for the Study of Addiction (SSA) funded Qualitative Methods Journal Club (QMJC) from November 2020 – April 2021.

The QMJC highlights best practice through its selection of good quality qualitative research papers. After each meeting, a copy of the paper and a summary of the discussion from the Journal Club will be made available on the SSA website: https://www.addiction-ssa.org/hot-topic/qualitative-methods-journal-club/


In our first meeting on Wednesday 11 November from 2pm-3:15pm on Zoom, we will be discussing Lyons et al. Facebook and the Fun of Drinking Photos: Reproducing Gendered Regimes of Power. Journal of Marketing Education. 2016: 45-53. doi: 10.1177/2056305116672888

You must register to attend:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/qualitative-methods-journal-club-meeting-1-hosted-by-gcu-tickets-124228590057

This event is capped at 50 to encourage active and fruitful discussion. If you are registered to attend, please read and reflect on Lyons et al. (2016) before the meeting.


Future confirmed QMJC dates for the diary (also 2pm-3:15pm):

  • Tuesday 15 December
  • Thursday 14 January

Alcohol Occasionals 2021 – Call for speakers/proposals

*** Please note: We are no longer accepting new submissions ***

The 2021 SARN/SHAAP Alcohol Occasionals will be based on the theme of inequalities. This could include alcohol research regarding: deprivation; gender inequalities; COVID-19 and inequalities; BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) communities; progressive vs. regressive alcohol policy; the homeless (including Managed Alcohol Programmes). 

We are interested to hear from researchers from any discipline who wish to share their findings with an audience made up of fellow researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and the general public. We would particularly welcome presentations from new and early career researchers and/or international speakers. We envisage these events will all take place online.

Dates (all 12:30pm-2pm): Wednesday 20 January / Thursday 25 February / Tuesday 30 March / Wednesday 28 April

If you would like to present or have a suggestion for a researcher you would like to see present, please email c.graham@rcpe.ac.uk

Speakers should provide a short proposal (max. 300 words) and an indication of their availability.