More information and research is available from a number of sources.
- Alcohol Information Scotland provides a wide range of information on alcohol for Scotland. This includes statistics, research, publications, key policy documents and practice guidelines as well as links to useful websites. Up to date news is reported through daily media monitoring.
Research
The Scottish Government is developing interventions which are informed by a strong evidence base. The Alcohol Evidence Group (AEG) was established in 2006 to oversee the development of a co-ordinated alcohol evidence base in which existing research (from Scotland, the rest of the UK and internationally) is consolidated and gaps identified.
The Scottish Alcohol Research Framework was compiled by Scottish Government and NHS Health Scotland with advice from the AEG. The framework sets out existing (or recently completed) and planned work, together with priority areas for new research should budgets allow. The research identified in the framework is intended to inform and evaluate policy developments.
Recent key publications
- Model-Based Appraisal of Alcohol Minimum Pricing and Off-Licensed Trade Discount Bans in Scotland: A Scottish adaptation of the Sheffield Alcohol Policy Model version 2 - a report on the findings of the University of Sheffield's study of how minimum pricing for alcohol and a ban on irresponsible promotions can limit the damage of Scotland's alcohol misuse problems.
- Alcohol Statistics Scotland 2009 - a biennial publication presents the latest available information from a range of national data sources relating to alcohol. The bulletin covers four main sections: The Alcohol market, Alcohol consumption, Alcohol and Health Harm and Alcohol and Social Harm.
- Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2007: Something to be ashamed of or part of our way of life? Attitudes towards alcohol in Scotland - The report contains findings from a module of questions in the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2007, and examines public attitudes towards drinking and the role of alcohol in Scottish culture.
- Alcohol and Drug Delivery Reform Group - Final Report (Scottish Government) the final recommendations of the Delivery Reform Group group set up in January 2008 to make proposals on future local partnership arrangements to tackle alcohol and drugs misuse.
- Alcohol industry sales data
This spreadsheet contains a range of data on alcohol sales by volume, alcohol sales by liquor category, alcohol sales by trade sector, alcohol sales per capita, retail sales value, and the price of alcohol per unit / per litre. The data provides annual figures for 2005, 2006, 2007 separated out by trade sector. Figures are presented for Scotland, England and Wales and Great Britain combined, allowing for comparisons of the amount and type of alcohol sold in each country.
The data was supplied to the Scottish Government by The Nielsen Company and is derived from Nielsen's Retail Tracking of Off-Trade and On-Trade. - The Cost of Alcohol Use and Misuse in Scotland (Scottish Government) sets out the cost to Scottish society of excessive alcohol consumption
- How much are people in Scotland really drinking? A review of data from Scotland's routine national surveys (NHS Health Scotland). This review compares survey estimates with sales data and suggests that people in Scotland may be drinking twice as much as surveys have previously reported
- Revised Alcohol Consumption Estimates from the 2003 Scottish Health Survey (Scottish Government) provides updated Scottish Health Survey 2003 alcohol consumption estimates
- Snapshots of drinking: A rapid review of drinking cultures and influencing factors: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom and Scotland (NHS Health Scotland) assess different drinking patterns and cultures in Europe and elsewhere
- Drinking in Scotland: Qualitative Insights into Influences, Attitudes and Behaviours (NHS Health Scotland) examines factors effecting attitudes to alcohol and influences on consumption patterns and levels