Annual Report 2012/13
reducing harm caused by alcohol
Alcohol Focus Scotland’s purpose is reducing the harm caused by alcohol.
Alcohol Focus Scotland People Senior Management Dr Evelyn Gillan, Chief Executive Barbara O’Donnell, Deputy Chief Executive from 2 July 2012
Our long term aim is a reduction in alcohol harm to individuals,
Mary Ellmers, Head of Training & Development until 30 June 2012
families, communities and Scotland as a whole, through the
Jennifer Curran, Programme Lead from 2 July 2012
implementation of effective alcohol control policies and legislation.
Christina McKenzie, Head of Finance & Human Resources until 30 June 2012
Alcohol is more affordable, more available and more heavily marketed than at any time over the past thirty years. At the same time, our alcohol consumption has doubled and we have seen
Bruce Miller Financial, Controller from 12 September 2012 Laura McFadzen, Programme Lead from 2 July 2012
record levels of alcohol harm.
Board
Alcohol Focus Scotland works with a wide range of partners
Dr Mac Armstrong CB, Chair
to advocate for evidence-based policy; deliver training and
John Carnochan
development programmes and provide accurate and accessible
Mary Cuthbert from 17 September 2012
information about alcohol to the media, policy-makers,
Dr Andrew Fraser until 9 July 2012
practitioners and the general public.
Professor Gerard Hastings Ian Innes Senga MacDonald from 21 August 2012 Harry Miller
Contact us to find out more about our work Alcohol Focus Scotland 166 Buchanan Street, Glasgow G1 2LW 0141 572 6700 enquiries@alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk www.alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk
Dr Marsha Scott Follow us on Twitter @alcoholfocus Sign up for our monthly eFocus newsletter enquiries@alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk Alcohol Focus Scotland is a Registered Scottish Charity (SC009538) and a Company Limited by Guarantee (Scottish Company No. SC094096).
Chris Wigglesworth Colin Wilkinson
Chairman’s Message 2012-13 has been another busy and challenging year for Alcohol Focus Scotland. The Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) Act 2012 which was passed by an
You will read more about our activity over the past 12 months in
overwhelming majority in the Scottish Parliament in May 2012, is
this report; from supporting local communities to reduce alcohol
the most significant public health policy since the smoking ban.
harm, developing resources for children affected by parental
I am proud of Alcohol Focus Scotland’s role in campaigning for the introduction of this measure which will reduce harm and save lives but I am extremely disappointed that the alcohol industry continues
drinking, and working with local partners in public health and licensing to raise awareness of the links between the availability of alcohol and the level of alcohol-related problems.
to delay the introduction of this legislation by their legal challenge.
Controlling the affordability, availability and marketing of alcohol
Minimum pricing was due to be implemented in April 2013 and with
are the most effective ways to reduce alcohol harm. These
each week that goes by, more Scots are dying as the big alcohol
themes will continue to be the focus of our work in the coming
corporations put their profits over the public interest.
year to change Scotland’s relationship with alcohol and protect
The role of the alcohol industry in influencing public health policy,
children, families and communities from its negative impacts.
not just in Scotland but globally, has been a concern for some
Finally, Alcohol Focus Scotland is fortunate to have such a
time. Earlier this year, the Director-General of the World Health
committed staff team and Board and I would like to thank all
Organisation clearly stated that “…the alcohol industry has no role
of them for all their hard work this year.
in the formulation of alcohol policies, which must be protected from distortion by commercial or vested interests.”
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Dr Mac Armstrong CB, Chair
alcohol is a leading cause of ill-health, injury and preventable death
Chief Executive’s Message 24 Scots are dying every week because of alcohol
We have had another busy and productive year at Alcohol Focus Scotland with the passage of the minimum pricing legislation in May 2012 marking a definite high point. With increasing empirical evidence emerging from Canada about
In addition to advocating for reduced affordability and availability
the positive impact of minimum pricing measures on public
of alcohol, Alcohol Focus Scotland wants to see those affected by
health, we believe this life saving policy should be implemented
someone else’s drinking receiving the support they need. This is
without any further delay. Unfortunately, the Scotch Whisky
particularly important for children and young people who are living
Association’s legal challenge to minimum pricing continues
with parents who are drinking harmfully. Last year we trained over
to delay its implementation. Alcohol Focus Scotland made
500 teachers in primary schools and nurseries across Scotland to
legal history in Scotland during the course of the year when
enable them to better support children and young people who are
we were granted leave to intervene as a ‘public interest’ body
affected by family members’ drinking.
in the Hearing.
All the progress that Alcohol Focus Scotland has made over the
We are proud to have played a leading role in advocating for
last year would not be possible without a dedicated staff team
alcohol policies in the two ‘best buy’ areas of price and availability.
and a committed Board. Their work, and the work we do with
Over the last year we have trained every Councillor who sits on a licensing board (379) and have disseminated a licensing toolkit to over 700 people involved in the licensing process in Scotland. We have also produced cost profiles for every local authority which estimated what alcohol harm was costing each authority and have supported a wide range of licensing stakeholders who are engaged in the licensing process.
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our partners in Scotland, the UK and internationally will ensure that Alcohol Focus Scotland continues to make a significant contribution to the reduction of alcohol harm in our society. Dr Evelyn Gillan, Chief Executive
The year in figures...
125
people attended our national licensing conference
26,272
700 6
visits to our website
followers on Twitter
577
personal licence holders trained
181
items of media coverage
500
people trained in alcohol awareness
45,775
INFORMATION
alcohol information leaflets distributed
Cross Party Group meetings facilitated at the Parliament
796
786
licensing toolkits distributed
32
local cost of alcohol profiles produced
nursery and primary teachers trained to support children affected by parental drinking
1600
eFocus newsletter readers per month
379
Councillors who sit on Licensing Boards trained
30
Alcohol and Drug Partnerships supported
Alcohol Focus Scotland Activity 2012-13
The local cost of alcohol In September we published local cost of alcohol harm profiles for every local authority area in Scotland. This was the first time analysis has been undertaken showing the total cost of health, crime, social care and lost productive capacity at a local level. Glasgow topped the table with an annual cost of £364.79m.
Affordability and availability
excessive drinking is fuelled by cheap, strong alcohol
Campaigning for minimum unit pricing
Developing an independent alcohol strategy
Cheap alcohol is the driver of Scotland’s alcohol problems
AFS supported the launch of Health First, the first independent
and that is why Alcohol Focus Scotland has campaigned for
alcohol strategy for the UK. The strategy called on Westminster to
the introduction of minimum pricing in Scotland. The Scottish
follow Scotland’s lead in implementing an evidence-based alcohol
Parliament voted in favour of minimum pricing in May 2012, but
strategy, including the introduction of a 50p minimum unit price
the Scotch Whisky Association mounted a legal challenge to this
across the UK.
lifesaving policy which continues to delay its implementation. In a landmark ruling, Alcohol Focus Scotland was granted ‘leave to intervene’ as a public interest body in the legal challenge and made
Raising concern about ‘Big alcohol’s’ influence on policy
a 5000 word submission to the Court of Session summarising the
Corporate power and the tactics the alcohol industry uses to
scientific evidence in support of minimum unit pricing.
influence policy was the theme of the Cross Party Group on Drugs
AFS also attended meetings in Brussels to build support at EU level for the implementation of minimum pricing in Scotland, and has produced briefings which have been widely disseminated through alcohol and public health networks in the EU.
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and Alcohol at the Scottish Parliament in November. AFS organised an expert seminar with leading international social scientist, Professor Sally Casswell from New Zealand, on the marketing activities of the global alcohol industry in developing countries.
Alcohol Focus Scotland Activity 2012-13
Public health and licensing Promoting good licensing practice Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill MSP, delivered the
We supported partners in West Lothian to undertake a Citizen’s
keynote address at our annual National Licensing Conference.
Panel survey on alcohol and this data is now being used by West
The theme was “Promoting licensing action in the public
Lothian ADP and Licensing Board.
interest” and the event was attended by 125 licensing and health stakeholders from across Scotland.
Other work included submitting a detailed response to the Scottish Government’s consultation, Further Options for Alcohol
Our work to promote good licensing practice involved the
Licensing, and supporting ADPs and other stakeholders in
publication of a Licensing Toolkit to support all those involved in
drafting their own responses.
the licensing process. The toolkit offers advice on using evidence to support decision making, and developing effective licensing policy statements. We also disseminated a step-by-step guide to developing an effective overprovision statement.
Developing and delivering licensing training AFS provides training for people working in the licensed trade and those involved in the regulation of licensing to meet the training
Alcohol Focus Scotland continues to provide support to local
requirements of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005. During 2012-13,
licensing forums and during 2012-13, we provided direct support
577 people completed Personal Licence Holder training, and we
and advice to Falkirk, East Ayrshire, Dumfries & Galloway,
trained 379 Licensing Board members from all 40 Licensing Boards.
Inverness and Perth forums.
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Scotland would be healthier and safer if we drank less
Alcohol Focus Scotland Activity 2012-13
Harm to others Researching how alcohol impacts on others There is increasing recognition that harm from drinking not only affects the drinker but also those around them, including family
A total of 588 people from nurseries, primary schools and child/
members, friends, co-workers and strangers.
family support services were trained in delivering our Oh Lila
and Rory resources which build resilience, emotional skills and
AFS commissioned a major research study to strengthen the
protective factors to help children cope in difficult circumstances.
evidence base on the range and magnitude of alcohol’s harm
children and young people need more protection from alcohol harm
Supporting practitioners to help children and young people
to others in Scotland. At a local level, Edinburgh was used as a case study to explore the impact of alcohol on people other than the drinker from the viewpoint of front line service providers.
An independent evaluation of our Rory resource found a significant increase in teacher’s skills and confidence in identifying and supporting children affected by parental drinking.
The findings will be used to raise awareness of alcohol’s harm
We were delighted to secure additional funding to provide free
to others and the need to develop effective responses to reduce
Rory training and resources to voluntary sector agencies in 10
this harm.
local authority areas. This benefited small community projects, young carers and foster carers who may not otherwise have been able to access these resources. An important addition to our range of resources for children and young people affected by parental drinking is YPAAD. Developed in consultation with young people, YPAAD is a smart phone app aimed at 11-16 year olds who can use the app to explore how another person’s drinking is affecting them, see and hear stories from other teenagers who are in a similar situation, and access a directory of support services.
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Alcohol Focus Scotland Activity 2012-13
Supporting frontline services From national policy to local practice
Working with communities to reduce alcohol harm
In November, AFS appointed a new member of staff to build
Alcohol Focus Scotland’s work to develop community-based
relationships with and provide support to the 30 Alcohol & Drug
approaches to reducing alcohol harm included community
Partnerships (ADPs) across Scotland. This role is part of the
consultations in Neilston, East Renfrewshire and Lochgilphead/
Scottish Government’s national delivery support programme.
Ardrishaig in Argyll. The results have been used to encourage
Building skills and knowledge among practitioners Alcohol awareness training was delivered to a total of 270
community members to get involved in the licensing process, working with teenagers to produce a film about alcohol in their community, and training for nursery and primary school staff in Oh Lila and Rory resources.
frontline practitioners including social and health care workers. We also ran a tailored course for operators of the national alcohol helpline, Drinkline. We continued to provide alcohol and drugs in the workplace training sessions, commissioned and supported by NHS Health Scotland’s Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives. Almost 400 people completed this training. As an associated partner of the European Workplace and Alcohol project, we are coordinating 4 pilot workplace interventions in Scotland.
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people in deprived areas suffer more alcohol harm
Getting our message across Alcohol Focus Scotland informs and influences a wide range
alcohol harm costs Scotland ÂŁ3.6 billion a year
of audiences, from answering enquiries from members of the public, responding to media requests for comment, sending out our monthly e-news, and sharing the best available evidence with
Working together for maximum impact Close ties with public health and other partners are essential to maximise the impact of our activity. AFS has continued to build
policy-makers and practitioners.
strong links with those networks who support evidence-based
As well being Secretariat to the Cross Party Group on Drug and
Public Health Alliance and the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance.
Alcohol Misuse, we responded to 8 consultations with an impact on alcohol policy and legislation. On average, we respond to a media enquiry every two days, as well as issuing news releases, writing opinion pieces and submitting letters. We have around 800 followers on Twitter and our website received over 26,000 visits last year. Although more people are sourcing information on alcohol online, we still distributed over 45,000 alcohol leaflets to the NHS, local authorities and alcohol agencies across the country.
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alcohol policy including the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, European
Summarised accounts for year ended 31 March 2013 Alcohol Focus Scotland reported an overall surplus for the year ended 31st March 2013 of £58,304. Income totalled £964,054 in 2013 compared with £980,882 in 2012. Donations and grants increased by approximately £53,000 and helped to fund the growing programmes of work. Income from charitable activities decreased by £69,527 mostly due to the economic climate and less uptake of training courses and books. Total resources expended in 2013 were £905,750 compared with £890,649 in 2012, the increase being largely attributable to higher property repair costs.
2013 2012 £ £ Income Voluntary income 688,390 635,169 Charitable activities 275,351 344,878 Bank interest 313 835 Total income 964,054 980,882 Expenditure Education and training 365,846 367,662 Project activity 162,208 207,976 Policy & communications 279,409 222,958 Governance 68,619 65,931 Other resources expended 0 17,996 Generating voluntary income 29,668 8,126
For our full report and financial statements, please contact Mr Bruce Miller, Financial Controller at our registered office or email: bruce.miller@alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk
Thank you to our members, partners and funders for their continued support of our work this year.
905,750 890,649 Net movement before other recognised gains /losses 58,304 90,233 Funds Unrestricted – property 337,241 337,241 Unrestricted – other 112,991 26,800 Endowment Restricted
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450,232 364,041 0 0 33,594 61,481 483,826 425,522
Alcohol Focus Scotland 166 Buchanan Street Glasgow G1 2LW
0141 572 6700 enquiries@alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk www.alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk
Alcohol Focus Scotland is a Registered Scottish Charity (SC009538) and a Company Limited by Guarantee (Scottish Company No. SC094096). The Registered Office is 166 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, G1 2LW