Welcome
Alcohol Focus Scotland is the national charity working to prevent and reduce alcohol-related harm. More about us
Our vision
A future free from the widespread health and social harm caused by alcohol.
Our mission
To deliver effective and cost-effective action to reduce alcohol consumption and harm in Scotland and beyond.
Our values
Independent, equitable and fair, evidence-based, person-centred, respectful and collaborative.
Key work
Restricting alcohol marketing
Promoting regulation that reduces the level of exposure – particularly of children and young people and people struggling with alcohol-related issues – to alcohol marketing.
Increasing the price of alcohol
Broadening support for optimising minimum unit pricing by introducing an automatic mechanism linking to affordability.
Training
Alcohol Focus Scotland offers a range of training courses to help people understand, manage and prevent the harm caused by alcohol.
Latest news
AFS welcomes new Alcohol Change UK report on spectrum of alcohol harm
Apr 9, 2025: Alcohol Change UK has today (9th April 2025) published a new report titled 'Alcohol Harm Across the Drinking Spectrum'. The report provides new data on the negative impact of alcohol on the health and wellbeing of the UK population. Even for those drinking within the Chief Medical Officers’ recommended low-risk drinking guidelines, there are statistically significant health impacts compared to non-drinkers, such as higher rates of cardiovascular disease (5% vs 1%) and cancer (4% vs <1%).
Not ‘word policing’: why language matters in reducing alcohol harm - Guest blog, by Dr James Morris
Mar 20, 2025: Issues of stigma and language choice have been gaining increased attention, prompting debate and sometimes even opposition to calls to be mindful of language. Concerns about language choice and its role in stigma are of course valid, one reason being that the context in which they are used matters.
AFS Comment on Burden of Liver Disease Report
Mar 18, 2025: Public Health Scotland has today (18th March) published a new report on chronic liver disease, part of a series of reports on the Scottish Burden of Disease. The reports estimate future disease prevalence and burden due to Scotland’s changing demographics – namely an aging and diminishing population - anticipating the extent of future public health challenges.
Scottish Football in alcohol ban ‘own goal’: study concludes ending alcohol ban could increase risk of disorder and add to alcohol harms
Mar 11, 2025: Football authorities in Scotland pushing to reintroduce alcohol in Scottish football grounds have scored an ‘own goal’ according to Scotland’s national alcohol charity, Alcohol Focus Scotland, after an exploratory study funded by them concluded that doing so could result in increased alcohol consumption, reduced fan safety and increased public disorder.
