News

AFS welcomes new Alcohol Change UK report on spectrum of alcohol harm

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%). 

Additional headline findings include: 

• Healthcare utilisation is higher across all drinking categories compared to non-drinkers, with healthcare interactions increasing by approximately 2 per year even for low-risk drinkers
• There are disparities in alcohol-related harms, with stronger associations between drinking and health problems among men and lower socioeconomic groups
• Sleep quality, dental health, and daily functioning are all negatively impacted even at low risk drinking levels 

These new findings will bolster our sector’s existing calls for governments across the UK to take real action to prevent alcohol harm.  

Commenting on the report, Laura Mahon, Deputy CEO of Alcohol Focus Scotland said,

“Too often in public discourse, conversations on alcohol problems and alcohol harm are narrowly focussed on the most severe cases, framed as something affecting a minority of drinkers.

“This report demonstrates clearly that alcohol harm occurs right across the spectrum – with even those drinking within the Chief Medical Officer’s low risk guidance facing statistically significant risk of serious health problems caused by alcohol compared with non-drinkers, and more likely to require healthcare.

“This reaffirms the vital importance of population measures to prevent and reduce the harm caused by alcohol – the most effective of which remain action on price, marketing and availability.

“With alcohol deaths and other harms increasing across the UK, governments should resist industry lobbying efforts to further delay, deter or block these vital public health policies. We need to expand the conversation about alcohol harm, we cannot simply treat our way out of the public health crisis we currently face.

“In Scotland we can build on the foundation we’ve laid with measures like Minimum Unit Pricing. We urge the Scottish Government to seize the opportunity to re-set Scotland’s relationship with alcohol by developing a new comprehensive alcohol strategy with prevention as the central focus.”