Podcasts about jd wetherspoon

► Get a free share!This show is sponsored by Trading 212! To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR / GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link https://www.trading212.com/Jdsfj/FTSE. Terms apply.When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested.Past performance doesn't guarantee future results.► Get 15% OFF Finchat.io:Huge thanks to our sponsor, FinChat.io, the best investing toolkit we've discovered! Get 15% off your subscription with code below and unlock powerful tools to analyze stocks, discover hidden gems, and build income streams. Check them out at FinChat.io!https://finchat.io/playingftse/?lmref=iQl2VQ► Episode Notes:Who did Steve W meet this week? Find out on this week's PlayingFTSE Show!In a shortened week as we record early, Steve W has outperformed the FTSE 100 and the S&P 500. And Steve D has outperformed Steve W.Warren Buffett is handing over the leadership of Bekrshire Hathaway at the end of the year. But will having Greg Abel in charge make any difference?Steve W thinks so. A more hands-on approach to the company's subsidiaries could generate better operating results, but it might make it harder to use that big cash pile.Disney shares have been rising after an impressive set of earnings. Subscribers in the streaming division are growing and there's a new park on the way in an unusual location.That's a surprise given the way Snow White has gone at the box office and the state of the US economy. Steve D has the details. UK retail has been terrible this year. But Steve W thinks there might be some signs of recovery on the way. Same-store-sales at B&M have been deteriorating less quickly and JD Wetherspoon has recently posted some strong results. So could this be time to consider buying?MercadoLibre has been growing impressively on all front. Its e-commerce division, payment platform and delivery network are all reaching new highs. It's the one that got away for both Steves, but we keep talking about it on the show to remind ourselves of what not to do. But who made a bigger mess of this?Only on this week's PlayingFTSE Podcast!► Support the show:Appreciate the show and want to offer your support? You could always buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/playingftse(All proceeds reinvested into the show and not to coffee!)There are many ways to help support the show, liking, commenting and sharing our episodes with friends! You can also check out our clothing merch store: https://playingftse.teemill.com/We get a small cut of anything you buy which will be reinvested back into the show...► Timestamps:0:00 INTRO & OUR WEEKS7:10 BERKSHIRE & BUFFETT23:23 DISNEY40:46 UK HIGH STREET UPDATE55:02 MERCADO LIBRE► Show Notes:What's been going on in the financial world and why should anyone care? Find out as we dive into the latest news and try to figure out what any of it means. We talk about stocks, markets, politics, and loads of other things in a way that's accessible, light-hearted and (we hope) entertaining. For the people who know nothing, by the people who know even less. Enjoy► Wanna get in contact?Got a question for us? Drop it in the comments below or reach out to us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/playingftseshow Or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playing_ftse/► Enquiries: Please email - playingftsepodcast@gmail(dot)com► Disclaimer: This information is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.

► Get a free share!This show is sponsored by Trading 212! To get free fractional shares worth up to 100 EUR / GBP, you can open an account with Trading 212 through this link https://www.trading212.com/Jdsfj/FTSE. Terms apply.When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested.Past performance doesn't guarantee future results.► Get 15% OFF Finchat.io:Huge thanks to our sponsor, FinChat.io, the best investing toolkit we've discovered! Get 15% off your subscription with code below and unlock powerful tools to analyze stocks, discover hidden gems, and build income streams. Check them out at FinChat.io!https://finchat.io/playingftse/?lmref=iQl2VQ► Episode Notes:What's a gravel bike made of? Find out in this week's PlayingFTSE Show! Contrasting fortunes for the Steves in the stock market this week. One has had a stellar week, but the other has had a more difficult time. Beeks Financial Cloud is a new one for this show and we've had a request from a viewer to talk about it. But could low latency mean a big opportunity? The company has a strong position in an interesting niche. And it's signing up customers from all the big exchanges, meaning there could be a lot more growth to come. JD Wetherspoon is the reason Steve W's portfolio has underperformed this week. And the company's latest report was something of a mixed bag. Like-for-like sales came in higher than the industry average over the last few months. But the market is interested in costs right now – and they're up for the FTSE 250 pub chain.Bloomsbury has come a long way in the time we've been looking at it. And it's reached the stage where the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio has come back down to around 13. Steve D's been looking at the author roster and Steve W's been paying attention to the academic side. Is there anything there to convince them to get buying again?Steve W promised a REIT, so here's Tritax Big Box. The stock comes with a 5.4% dividend yield company owns and leases warehouses and industrial distribution centres.REITs can often find growth difficult, but net rental income is up 24% compared to the previous year. So why is Steve not so convinced by this one?The stock market liked the latest results from Judges Scientific and so did Steve D. Steve W didn't, though, a revenue drop is enough to leave him disappointed. There's a lot of scope for growth from this one and investors should think about whether they can look past a cyclical downturn. And it looks like they are, with the stock going up…Only on this week's PlayingFTSE Podcast!► Support the show:Appreciate the show and want to offer your support? You could always buy us a coffee at: https://ko-fi.com/playingfts► Timestamps:0:00 INTRO & OUR WEEKS5:18 BEEKS FINANCIAL18:19 JD SPOONS30:45 BLOOMSBURY  41:07 TRITAX BIG BOX51:06 JUDGES SCIENTIFIC► Wanna get in contact?Got a question for us? Drop it in the comments below or reach out to us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/playingftseshow Or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playing_ftse/► Enquiries: Please email - playingftsepodcast@gmail(dot)com► Disclaimer: This information is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.

What makes a railway pub different? Wetherspoon's The Lion & The Unicorn pub in London Waterloo is the company's biggest so far. I've visited on the pub's opening morning and talked to Barry Brewster of JD Wetherspoon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bank of England decided to hold the base rate for the sixth time in a row this week – but was it the right decision? Should the MPC have been bold and made a cut? What does it mean for our mortgages and savings? And when will a move come - and in what direction? This week, Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce talk about the base rate decision and what happens next. In the world of property, the number of homes being devalued is on the rise. So, what's going on? And what can you do if it happens to you. Bungalows are having a moment. They're not just for the elderly and downsizers, young families and first time buyers are also increasingly interested - pushing the price of them higher since the pandemic. . Energy firms have been trying to push smart meters on us for years. Have they uncovered a new trick to get us to make the swap? And finally, it's been good news for JD Wetherspoon - the no frills pub chain said it expects annual profits to come in towards the 'top end' of forecasts. Where do you stand on Spoons? Lee and Simon face-off with different pints of view on the pub giant.

In this episode we discuss Prudential, Direct Line, Next, Trust Pilot, JD Wetherspoon & Guess. $pru $dlg $nxt $trst $jdw $ges

On Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, Lord Cameron accuses Israel of 'arbitrary denials' as UK aid to Gaza is held up. Sir Tim Martin, Founder & Chair of JD Wetherspoon joins Nick live in the studio. After it was reported that hospital staff had attempted to access the Princess of Wales' medical records, Nick speaks to an official from the watchdog investigating the breach. All of this and more on the Nick Ferrari Whole Show Podcast.

The latest on the Post Office as the chairman of the Land Registry Neil Sachdev is reportedly being considered as a potential replacement for Henry Staunton.Ian's also joined by the boss of pub chain J.D Wetherspoon Tim Martin after announcing an increase in pre-tax profits and an increase in like-for-like sales. And hear from James Ryan from Grove Gallery who are hoping to attract art buyers and investors at this years Ideal Home Show in London. 

The FTSE 100 has continued positively on from one of its best trading sessions in recent times. The blue-chip index is edging closer to a one-year high, having closed at an 11-month peak, after the Bank of England restored confidence regarding upcoming interest rate cuts. In equities, Phoenix Group, the pension firm, soared higher after it revealed it had swung from a full-year loss in 2022 to a pre-tax profit of £20 million in the most recent financial year. JD Wetherspoon sunk despite both revenues and profits ticking higher in its interims. Boss Tim Martin highlighted fears about further Covid lockdowns, but said the pub group still anticipates a reasonable outcome for the rest of the financial year. Finally, tissue manufacturer Accrol revealed it would be joining the swarm of companies leaving the London Stock Exchange as its set to be bought for more than £127 million. #proactiveinvestors #market report #ftse #ftse100 #footsie #phoenixgroup #jdwetherspoor #covid #accrol #invest #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews

Good morning from London where the FTSE 100 remains rangebound at pretty much the same level its been at for the last six days. Some good UK corporate updates have so far been counterbalanced by a tough morning for financial stocks. All of the early fallers were banks, insurers or wealth platforms, but there was better news from Marks & Spencer, which has restored its dividend for the first time in four years after a 56% jump in first half profits. Food sales led the way and clothing also did well though there was a hint of caution about the rest of the year. Pub group JD Wetherspoon is also booming with like-for-like sales 9.5% higher in its latest quarter. Moves by broadcaster ITV to take some of the fat out of its programme roster appears to have offset a decline in TV advertising revenue to keep revenues more or less flat. Streaming service ITVX was a highlight with revenues up by almost a quarter. And finally in small caps, Rainbow Rare Earths shares are up as US government-backed TechMet took an option over a key project in South Africa. #ProactiveInvestors #FTSE100 #invest #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews

Good morning from London where the FTSE 100 has maintained its gains from yesterday, trading at close to three-week highs. A preponderance of energy companies listed here in London means that this week's jump in oil prices has buoyed the whole index, and also pushed UK gas prices to six month highs. Prices hit the milestone of near 125p per BTU on Tuesday afternoon following the closure of Chevron's gas field to the North of Israel after the outbreak of war at the weekend. Damage to a gas pipeline between Estonia and Finland has also contributed to supply concerns. BP's shares are up by even more than its competitors this morning, as interim chief executive Murray Auchincloss reassured investors on plans to reduce oil and gas output in the long term. Elsewhere, pub chain Marston's are up so far this morning after following JD Wetherspoon by reported sales growth during the year to September. Building merchant Travis Perkins has had a more difficult morning however, after significantly lowering profit guidance on the recent slowdown in construction projects. And finally in small caps, Avingtrans jumped early on after announcing its subsidiary Stainless Metalcrafts had won two contracts to build containers for UK nuclear waste. #ProactiveInvestors #FTSE100 #invest #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews

Good morning from London where the FTSE 100 is up by around a third of a percent so far this morning, bolstered by some very strong starts in the world of insurance. Aviva is up more than 7% on the day – broker Jeffries said yesterday that it expects Aviva to deliver a best-in-class capital return yield…and the strongest free cash flow amongst peers.” Legal & General, Beazley and Prudential are all up as well. In energy, Shell is reported a rebound in gas trading during the third quarter, pushing its shares higher while Exxon Mobil is reportedly close to purchasing America's Pioneer Natural Resources in a whopping US$60 billion deal. JD Wetherspoons also up so far this morning after the pub chain reported a return to profit over the year to July. GSK investors happy to see the biopharma company announce the sale of a further chunk of Haleon shares, raising some £885.6 million. Outside of the stock market Halifax is saying today that property prices have slipped for a sixth month in a row and 4.7% over the year, leaving the average down at around £278k. #ProactiveInvestors #FTSE100 #invest #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews

By creating a network of pubs that are accessible to anyone with 89p for a coffee, JD Wetherspoon has become something of a public service. But should Britain's most popular pub chain really be owned by Tim Martin and a small group of shareholders? Is it time to nationalise Wetherspoons?In this episode, Lewis Bassett is joined by Jemma Greenwood to discuss the origins and meanings of Spoons, and by James Meadway to discuss pubs and public ownership.Mixing and sound design is from Forest DLG.Follow the Full English on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Get extra content and support the show on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we discuss Hargreaves Lansdown, Barratt Developments, Carnival, Burberry, JD Wetherspoon & PepsiCo $hl. $bdev $ccl $brby $jdw $pep

Last week saw the shares of JD Wetherspoon, the owner and operator of pubs throughout the UK and Ireland, increase by approximately 8.7% after announcing a trading update. The update demonstrated that trading was in line with market expectations and in the last 10 weeks like-for-like sales were 11% higher than 2019 levels. The company also announced a small improvement in expected utility costs, resulting in a one-off uplift to the company's estimates for 2024...Stocks featured:JD Wetherspoon, Experian and Ashmore GroupTo find out more about the investment management services offered by Walker Crips, please visit our website:https://www.walkercrips.co.uk/This podcast is intended to be Walker Crips Investment Management's own commentary on markets. It is not investment research and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy, sell or trade in any of the investments, sectors or asset classes mentioned. The value of any investment and the income arising from it is not guaranteed and can fall as well as rise, so that you may not get back the amount you originally invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Movements in exchange rates can have an adverse effect on the value, price or income of any non-sterling denominated investment. Nothing in this podcast constitutes advice to undertake a transaction, and if you require professional advice you should contact your financial adviser or your usual contact at Walker Crips. Walker Crips Investment Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is a member of the London Stock Exchange. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Andrew Hollingworth of Holland Advisors discusses what he looks for in the maverick owner managers he invests in. He talks about what he chose to back Mike Ashley of Sports Direct, now Frasers and how he thinks about capital allocation and governance issues. He also runs through his investment thesis on JD Wetherspoon, and other owner-managed scale economy shared businesses like RyanAir and Charles Schwab. Andrew is the fund manager of the VT Holland Advisors Equity Fund. This episode is produced in conjunction with Progressive Equity Research, offering objective analysis and access to company management teams across every market sector.

Today Andy Silvester talks to City A.M.'s Economics and Markets reporter Jack Barnett. They go through UK and US rate rises, discuss the likelihood of a recession, and explain equity market slumps. Also in the news: Crossrail is only 20 days away and sales are slowing at JD Wetherspoon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK Investor Magazine Podcast is joined by Alan Green to jump into this week's key markets themes and the UK equities grabbing the attention of investors.We start by looking at the Microsoft takeover of Activision and what the biggest cash takeover of the pandemic means for the Metaverse.UK inflation has jumped to 5.4%, the highest levels in 30 years. There is consideration paid to what this means for uk investors that focus on London-listed shares and the sectors that could benefit in an inflationary environment.Although Burberry noted rising prices in their recent update, their biggest issue was the lack of spending by tourists. Despite this dent in sales figures, the market seems to looking past the short term impact of COVID to a resumption of normal consumer behaviour.JD Wetherspoon was ravaged by the pandemic and the reduction in spending was still evident in the latest figures. With shares around 900p there could be a rebound as drinkers return to their bars.We also touch on Technology Minerals and the establishment of their operations in the Circular Economy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hello and welcome to the Alcohol Alert, brought to you by The Institute of Alcohol Studies.In this edition:COVID-19: Latest lockdown measures leave pubs in tiersIAS second briefing on COVID-19 alcohol consumption warns of the hidden harm from the rise in increasing and higher risk drinking 🎵 Podcast feature 🎵ScotRail considers a blanket ban on alcohol on Scottish trainsGovernment in call for evidence for review of alcohol dutyResearch finds that NoLo beers have a small impact on alcohol purchasesScottish and Irish governments face challenges over minimum unit pricing legislationSobriety tag scheme reaches WalesHeineken fined £2m for breaching Pubs CodeWe hope you enjoy our roundup of stories below: please feel free to share. Thank you.COVID-19: Latest lockdown measures leave pubs in tiersAs the UK began to experience an upturn in coronavirus case numbers, so policymakers in the devolved administrations started looking at tackling the sources of the dreaded second wave of COVID-19, and pubs have come under close scrutiny in all quarters.ScotlandScotland decided to close pubs across its central belt for a 16-day period, and limit the opening hours of other licensed premises, as part of a ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown (Scottish Government, 07 Oct).* Quoting her chief medical officer’s evidence, first minister Nicola Sturgeon drew a correlation between the ‘more than one fifth of people contacted by Test and Protect’ who reported visiting a hospitality setting, and the increase in the R rate above 1 ‘approximately three weeks after the hospitality sector opened up’:* subsequently extended to 02 November (STV News, 21 Oct)WalesIn Wales, where a 10PM curfew on selling alcohol for licensed premises was introduced last month, first minister Mark Drakeford proceeded to issue a ‘firebreak’ lockdown of his own – turning pubs into takeaway taverns only between 23 October and 09 November (Welsh Government, 19 Oct).EnglandThe same curfew applies to England. However, lawmakers decided to adopt the novel approach of localising management of the lockdown with a tier system, which has resulted in curious outcomes such as a legal definition of what a ‘substantial’ meal is, for the purpose of allowing some licensed premises to continue to operate under the most severe tier restrictions (The Mirror, 12 Oct).For some venue owners, the new rules also mean that in addition to pressure from law enforcement to check IDs for names and addresses in a bid to stop households mixing (EuroWeekly, 21 Oct), those situated in ‘high’ and ‘very high’ tier areas are either subject to the inevitability of fewer customers paying a visit, or temporary closure for wet-led pubs. One Financial Times article predicts the end of chains whose main custom is serving alcohol (13 Oct):On the face of it, the most affected of the UK’s listed national inn groups are Marston’s, JD Wetherspoon and M&B. It looks like last orders.Large proportions of Marston’s and JD Wetherspoon’s hostelries are wet-led. Food as a percentage of JDW’s total sales rank among the lowest in the sector. More than two-thirds of Marston’s pubs are old-fashioned boozers.All three groups are loaded with debt, which even last year was many times ebitda. Earnings of all three are expected to at least halve this year. Marston’s stood at about £1·4bn at the last count or £1·2bn including the cash coming in from the brewing joint venture with Carlsberg opportunely signed this summer. That could be more than 10 times this year’s ebitda. Pub earnings of many groups will barely cover interest bills this year.The resulting uncertainty has only served to anger licensees and those sympathetic to the plight of the industry. Some have pulled stunts, such as a retaliatory ban (Telegraph, 30 Sep); others have sought further evidence for the 10PM curfew’s effectiveness and whether it represents a threat to the health of people thrown out of pubs and restaurants at the same time (London Evening Standard, 06 Oct); but The Night Time Industries Association has launched legal action to try to prevent the new lockdown measures entirely (Daily Mail, 12 Oct).Whatever the outcome, the reality of the current measures will most likely be a further loss of jobs in the hospitality sector, like Greene King (Sky News, 07 Oct), and a permanent shutdown of licensed premises – as many as one in five, according to real estate adviser Altus Group (Morning Advertiser, 08 Oct).Northern IrelandHaving already set a curfew time for licensed premises of 11PM as opposed to 10PM in other areas of the UK, the Stormont executive decided to do lockdown a little differently from the other Home Nations too. Their first minister, Arlene Foster, announced a four-week shutdown of the hospitality sector apart from deliveries and takeaways for food only during trading hours. Uniquely, Northern Ireland is the only nation to address the availability of alcohol in the off-trade too: off-licences and supermarkets will not be permitted to sell alcohol after 8pm (Northern Ireland Executive Office, 14 Oct) during the period.Too much focus on pubs?In the row between government and the hospitality sector over the COVID-19 restrictions, the deputy chief medical officer for England was reported to have said that he ‘could not guarantee’ the 10PM curfew would ‘bring the virus under control’ (The Telegraph, 18 Oct, £wall), instead preferring a mandatory closing time of 6PM.But while much has been made of the impact of the latest round of restrictions on licensed premises, supermarkets have benefited from the increase in alcohol purchases in the four weeks to 04 October: Kantar data reported Britons spent an extra £261m on alcohol in grocery stores (Guardian, 13 Oct).Data from Public Health England Wider Impacts of COVID-19 on Health (WICH) monitoring tool indicates the influence of pandemic-induced home drinking on the intake of increasing and higher risk drinkers.COVID-19 briefing warns of rising health risks to heavy drinkers🎵 Podcast feature 🎵The second Institute of Alcohol Studies briefing on alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic (08 Oct) warns of the hidden harm from the rise in increasing and higher risk drinking and highlights the need for the UK Government to find public health solutions to the issue.Speaking on the podcast, Dr Sadie Boniface, IAS head of research, who authored the briefing, hinted at the impact that increased consumption among the heaviest drinkers may have on treatment providers for substance problems:In terms of treatment for substance use problems including alcohol, there’s been a bit of a fall compared with the same time period last year, but I have read some other statistics as well that say it’s starting to pick up now, so what’s really concerning is that problems to do with increased drinking during the pandemic might be being stored up for the future.Alcohol ban on Scottish trains under considerationAccording to The Scotsman, national train operator ScotRail have informed the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) Union of the possibility of bringing in ‘a full all-hours drinking ban on trains in a bid to tighten up on COVID-19 safety measures’ (17 Oct).It comes after the nation’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon said more stringent travel rules ‘need to be considered’.However, the move is rumoured to have been put on hold after the British Transport Police (BTP) called for more time to consider the resource implications, and the RMT have expressed some concerns about enforcement of the new rules.Mick Hogg, regional organiser for the RMT in Scotland, said: ‘We have been told by ScotRail that there will be a full ban on alcohol on trains as a COVID-19 measure. We welcome that.‘But it has to be resourced or it puts more pressure on our staff. It’s a double whammy for them. They can’t enforce the wearing of masks or police passengers drinking alcohol. That has been a big issue for a while. We know the BTP don't have enough staff as it is.’ScotRail’s current alcohol byelaws state that passengers can't drink alcohol on their trains between 21:00 and 10:00hrs, and they may not allow you to board if you are extremely drunk. But this has not stopped it happening. One conductor told the newspaper: ‘Busy weekend nights haven't calmed down in recent weeks. People from Edinburgh and Glasgow have been piling on trains across to Fife to go to the pub. I've seen packed trains with the vast majority of passengers drunk’.Government in call for evidence for review of alcohol dutyPublic health and trade organisations are lining up to submit evidence to the Alcohol duty review, as per the government’s Budget announcement earlier this year (Gov.uk, 01 Oct).The review has been widely welcomed by stakeholders, as the UK gains the power to reform alcohol taxation following their departure from the European Union. HM Treasury’s call for evidence will also ask whether:the method of alcohol taxation should be standardisedthe duty categories should be changed or unifiedproducts should be consistently distinguished by their strengthdistinctions should be made based on the place of retailsmall producer reliefs should be extended or standardisedduties could be uprated for inflation in a more consistent mannera single process for approvals, declarations and payments should be introducedmore could be done to tackle avoidance and evasion of dutyThe deadline for responses is 29 November.NoLo beers have small impact on alcohol purchasesResearch published in BMJ Open has found that there were significant but small reductions to alcohol sales following the introduction of new no and low alcohol beers during 2017–2018 and reformulation of existing beers to contain less alcohol during 2018 (12 Oct).Using purchase data from Kantar Worldpanel’s household shopping panel for 2015–2018, researchers looked at the purchasing habits of 64, 286 British households following a period which saw 46 new low and no alcohol beer beverages and 33 beer beverages reformulated to contain less alcohol. A step-jump in volume bought was noticed for both beverage types at the beginning of March 2017 and during mid-March 2018 respectively. Interrupted time series analyses found a combined associated impact of both events with relative reductions of alcohol by volume of beer between 1·2% and 2·3%; purchases of grams of alcohol within beer between 7·1% and 10·2%; and purchases of grams of alcohol as a whole between 2·6% and 3·9%. The reductions were greater for reformulation than for the introduction of new low and no alcohol products. Reductions were independently higher for younger age groups of shoppers and for households that bought the most alcohol.The research team conclude that the fact that the volume of purchases for both new low and no alcohol beer products (2·6% of total beer volume purchased during 2018) and of new reformulated beer products (6·9%) was very small ‘indicates that there are future opportunities to increase the volume of such products so as to reduce the harm done by alcohol’.In other newsA 30-year review of global disease burdens published in The Lancet finds alcohol use was the leading risk factor for those aged 25–49 years (17 Oct). Overall, alcohol use was one of the fastest growing burdens, at more than 0·5% per year. When split by sex, ‘there were large differences between attributable deaths in males and females due to alcohol use, which accounted for 2·07 million (1·79–2·37) deaths in males and 0·374 million (0·298–0·461) deaths in females in 2019’. The national picture estimated alcohol to be the cause of approximately 4% of deaths and 5% of Disability Adjusted Life Years in 2019 (illustrated).A team of researchers will establish the effectiveness and cost‐effectiveness of the Drink Less app at reducing alcohol consumption among hazardous and harmful adult drinkers, in what will be the first randomised controlled trial of an alcohol reduction app for the general population in the UK (17 Oct). The result of the study will inform the decision on whether it is worth investing resources in large‐scale implementation.Alcohol screening and supportive interventions from primary care practitioners can help older people make healthier decisions about their alcohol use, according to a qualitative study published in the British Journal of General Practice (19 Oct). A total of 24 older adults aged ≥65 years and 35 primary care practitioners in northern England participated in interviews and focus groups. Researchers found that they were motivated to make changes to their alcohol use when they experienced symptoms, and if they felt that limiting consumption would enable them to maintain their quality of life.Minimum unit pricing – the latest from Scotland and IrelandScotland: is a legal challenge possible?The Scottish Parliament voted 90 to 28 to refuse legislative consent to the UK Internal Market Bill (BBC News Scotland, 07 Oct), fearing that the legislation could cause a constitutional rift that would open bold public health measures such as minimum unit pricing for alcohol (MUP) to another legal challenge.The Westminster government is not bound by the vote in Holyrood, but the Scottish constitution secretary notes that it formalises the nation’s ‘explicit’ and comprehensive rejection of the bill. Last month, Michael Russell said in a statement (Scottish Government, 08 Sep) that the bill would ‘open the door to a race to the bottom on food standards, environmental standards and will endanger key public health policies such as minimum unit pricing.’The Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack issued a rebuttal denying the ‘false claims’ made by First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon about the bill, assuring in point four of his statement that MUP would still have been introduced:But devolution expert Jess Sargeant states that the internal market bill could be interpreted in a way that ‘inevitably will place greater limits on devolved competence than present arrangements’, which could also ‘impede key benefits of devolution “as a policy lab”, allowing new policies to be tried in one jurisdiction before being adopted elsewhere’. (Institute for Government, 14 Sep)This opinion was supported by an advisor to Holyrood's Constitution committee, who told The Scotsman that ‘issues may arise if minimum pricing is considered in the context of “indirect discrimination”’, and this may give rise to a court challenge (12 Oct).He explains in a paper: ‘A Scottish rule that applies Minimum Unit Pricing to all alcohol whether domestic or imported could be indirectly discriminatory if it impacts more on imported alcohol than it does comparable Scottish-produced alcohol’. Rules will be assessed on three conditions, including on the grounds of whether it ‘cannot reasonably be considered to be a necessary means of achieving a legitimate aim’.Although the ‘protection of public health’ is recognised in the bill as a legitimate aim, the advisor warns there could be questions raised around whether MUP will be ‘reasonably’ considered to be ‘necessary’ to achieve this aim, and so a challenge based on the new conditions may be brought.Irish MUP still on ice two years on from the Public Health (Alcohol) ActThe Irish Times reports that on the second anniversary of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act, MUP is still to be implemented (12 Oct). Alcohol Action Ireland’s head of advocacy Eunan McKinney went further, saying that there is ‘no starting date for the “difficult stuff”… including labelling on all alcohol products of the links to cancer, the 9PM broadcasting watershed for alcohol advertising, and restriction on the content of advertising to make it “utilitarian” with “no hero, no glamour”’.The news comes as the Budget 2021 statement made no direct reference to alcohol, meaning duties were left unchanged (Government of Ireland, 13 Oct). While Alcohol Action Ireland (13 Oct) welcomed ministers for not acquiescing to ‘the extensive lobbying of the alcohol industry, who had sought a 15% reduction’, they regretted the missed opportunity ‘to introduce a Cost-of-Living index to excise rates’, amongst other plans outlined in their Pre-Budget submission.Responding to the Budget, Alcohol Action Ireland chief executive Dr Sheila Gilheany (listen to the podcast for her full statement) said that ‘everyday that delays these measures being introduced can be counted in lives unnecessarily lost and endless public expenditure that could be saved, if implemented they will undoubtedly achieve better public health outcomes. Left dormant on the statute books, they are useless. ‘What’s required now, two years on, is a firm timeline from Taoiseach and his government that commits to the implementation in full of the suite of measures whose effectiveness relies on coherent and cohesive actions.’Sobriety tag scheme reaches WalesOffenders convicted of alcohol-related crimes in Wales can now be banned from drinking and ordered to wear a sobriety tag by judges (Gov.uk, 21 Oct).The ankle tags will monitor offenders’ sweat every 30 minutes and alert probation staff if alcohol is consumed. Those found in breach of their drinking bans can face fines or be sentenced in court. The tags can be given out when courts impose an alcohol abstinence order, a new power which serves a drinking ban on an offender for up to 120 days. The Ministry of Justice says treatment referrals for alcohol use will continue to be made for those with more serious alcohol addictions who commit crimes.The Welsh scheme follows two pilots in London and across Humberside, Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire, both of which showed that offenders were sober on 97.4% of the days monitored, although their apparent success is qualified by the fact they involved fewer than 500 people, and only six participants agreed to be interviewed about the tags in the Humberside, Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire pilot (NatCen, Oct 2019).Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart said: ‘Alcohol can have a devastating impact on lives and figures show it is a key factor behind far too many crimes.‘I am encouraged to see Wales at the forefront of implementing this new technology, which we believe will contribute towards lowering reoffending rates, making our streets safer and supporting those who need help.’Heineken fined £2m for breaching Pubs Code The pubs code adjudicator (PCA) has found Heineken guilty of forcing tenants of its public houses to sell ‘unreasonable’ amounts of their own beers and ciders (Gov.uk, 15 Oct).Following a three-year investigation ending in July 2019, Fiona Dickie concluded that Heineken – via its pubs business, Star – had ‘seriously and repeatedly’ breached laws that protect publicans from company behaviour aimed at prohibiting pubs selling competitor brands. This was despite repeated regulatory interventions and clear arbitration rulings from the adjudicator.Dickie said: ‘The report of my investigation is a game-changer. It demonstrates that the regulator can and will act robustly to protect the rights that parliament has given to tied tenants.’The PCA’s assessment of industry malpractice found Heineken had committed a total of 12 breaches with the result that it had frustrated the principles of the Pubs Code. As well as identifying how the company had offered stocking terms that had acted as a deterrent to pub tenants pursuing a free-of-tie tenancy, the PCA highlighted systemic corporate failures by Star in its approach to compliance.The news comes weeks before the conclusion of a government review into the Code itself. The tie element of the Code has long been criticised by pub owners and campaigners, who say it is being routinely abused by deep-pocketed pubcos able to flout the spirit of the code that governs it (Guardian, 15 Oct).The PCA also discovered that the company rewrote the job description of Code Compliance Officer ‘to ensure the Code is interpreted to the commercial benefit of Heineken UK’. This breached the Code requirement to appoint a compliance officer whose role is to verify compliance.Dickie decided upon ‘the imposition of a sanction’ to ‘change the company’s mindset’ towards compliance and ‘serve as a deterrent to future non-compliant conduct by Star and other pub-owning businesses’.As well as imposing the fine – which can account for up to 1% of the relevant pub-owning group’s annual UK turnover – the PCA has also ordered Star to make all its free-of-tie tenancies Pubs Code compliant and to ensure future Code compliance. In response, Star pubs managing director, Lawson Mountstevens, said in a statement: ‘We are deeply disappointed and frustrated at the outcome of this investigation.‘There are many aspects of the report that we fundamentally disagree with and we are actively considering an appeal.‘This penalty is unwarranted and disproportionate, and comes at a time when the entire sector is in serious financial crisis as we work around the clock to support our pubs and licensees to keep their businesses afloat.’Dickie has given Heineken six weeks to provide a detailed response to how it will implement her recommendations, and has ordered them to write to all its tenants explaining her findings, the measures Star is taking to respond to them and how these will affect tenants in practical terms.‘I will be holding discussions with all the companies I regulate following my findings about how they will ensure they are code-compliant,’ Dickie said. ‘My message is that if anyone previously had any doubts about my resolution to act when I find breaches, they can have no doubt now.’The UK Alcohol Alert (incorporating Alliance News) is designed and produced by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. Please click the image below to visit our website and find out more about us and what we do, or the ‘Contact us’ button. Thank you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit instalcstud.substack.com

In this podcast we discuss Episode 6 - JD Wetherspoon, Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser, Snap, moneysupermarket & AJ Bell. $jdw $ulvr $rb $snap $mony $ajb

Hello and welcome to the Alcohol Alert, brought to you by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. In this edition:A round-up of how alcohol drinkers, producers and retailers have fared as the prospect of a second coronavirus wave loomsThink tank finds NoLo drinks have limited impact 🎵 Podcast feature 🎵SHAAP and IAS launch the Men and Alcohol reportNumbers of alcohol-related admissions to English hospitals continue to risePoll shows almost half of Scots surveyed now back minimum pricing for alcoholBacklash over NICE plans to record pregnant womens’ consumptionWe announce the winners of our Small Grants SchemeWe hope you enjoy our roundup of stories below: please feel free to share. Thank you.Drinking in the second wave of a pandemicCoping with COVID-19: Alcohol offers little comfort to solitary drinkers One of the enduring stories of 2020 has been the question of how some people use alcohol to cope with new ways of living in the time of COVID-19. One of the many research attempts to find this out, the Global Drug Survey (GDS), found that almost half (48%) of Brits have so far upped their alcohol intake during the pandemic, ‘due to loneliness, depression and anxiety’ (Guardian, 09 Sep). Furthermore, 30% of drinkers said increased alcohol consumption had worsened their mental health and 47% disclosed that their physical health had deteriorated.Researchers found that increased use of both alcohol and cannabis due to anxiety, loneliness or depression was significantly higher among people with a pre-existing mental health or neurodevelopmental condition. That group of respondents were at least twice as likely to report worse mental health (38%) due to drinking more alcohol than those without such conditions (19%).The study also highlighted the limitations of a substance perceived as having some social purpose: when the venue for consuming alcohol is removed from people’s lives, drinking for some doesn’t simply stop, but instead manifests in other potentially unhealthy ways. The number of people drinking alone at home while on audio or video calls, such as Zoom meetings, or during ‘watch parties’, where friends view and discuss films and TV programmes together via group chat, increased from 17% to 38%.Comparing alcohol with cannabis, professor Adam Winstock, GDS chief executive, observed: ‘People’s drug use is hugely dependent upon being able to socialise and when that ability goes away, people turn to drugs that they’re already familiar with – cannabis and alcohol. But the impact of increases of those two drugs is quite distinct, and those drinking more alcohol come off worse.’Closing time for COVID? Pubs on curfewSome spending data indicated the desire on the part of some to resume pre-pandemic habits, but the results were mixed, ‘with like-for-like [August] sales down 3·6%’ against the same month last year (This is Money, 28 Sep).Signs of economic recovery were likely the focus of discussions between Hospitality Ulster and Stormont ministers about the prospect of reopening drink-only pubs (BBC News Northern Ireland, 07 Sep).But with an uptick in the number of coronavirus cases in September, attention turned to whether and how pubs – the symbol of a nation trying to return to some kind of normal – were keeping customers safe (BBC News Business, 13 Sep)?In England, hospitality businesses (including pubs) became legally mandated to take customers’ contact details so they can be traced if a potential outbreak is linked to the venue. These rules were in addition to the new ‘Rule of Six’, which limits the number of people allowed to meet each other.Some pubs experienced small outbreaks within their own workforce: the JD Wetherspoon chain reported 60 Wetherspoon staff across 50 branches had tested positive for COVID-19 (Mirror, 14 Sep).Meanwhile, rumours spread of the possibility of implementing curfews on pub opening hours if the number of new coronavirus cases did not fall over the next few weeks (Daily Star, 14 Sep). A survey of more than 4,000 UK adults found that 69% would be favour of a 9PM curfew (YouGov, 15 Sep).And so, the government made plans to shut the pubs… at 10PM (BBC News, 22 Sep). While BBC health correspondent Nick Triggle wondered whether the move would be of marginal benefit in staving off the threat of the virus, chair of the Public Accounts Committee Meg Hillier asked the prime minister how the government was able to square their proposal with extending alcohol licensing provisions for pubs to acquire pavement licences for eating and drinking on the public highway?For all the government’s desire to strike a balance, representatives of the hospitality industry still claim that a curfew will neither help curb the virus nor the commercial viability of their businesses, which are ‘still on life support’. Talking to trade outlet Morning Advertiser (22 Sep), Fuller’s chief executive Simon Emeny called pubs ‘the home of responsible socialising’ and said his company had worked hard to implement safety measures across its pubs, to be rewarded with unnecessary restrictions, while Peter Borg-Neal, chief executive at multiple operator Oakman Inns, said he saw little public health benefit but ‘lots of economic damage’ instead.Can addiction treatment services survive a second wave?Whatever happens in the coming weeks, it is clear that our addiction services can ill afford to combat the swelling number of high risk drinkers seeking treatment alongside a second wave of COVID-19 cases. Royal College of Psychiatrists analysis of Public Health England’s latest data on the indirect effects of COVID-19 found that over 8·4 million people are now drinking at higher risk, up from just 4·8 million in February. But the multi-million-pound cuts made to addiction services since 2013/14 mean they could miss out on life-saving treatment (14 Sep).Professor Julia Sinclair, chair of the college’s addictions faculty, said: ‘COVID-19 has shown just how stretched, under-resourced and ill-equipped addiction services are to treat the growing numbers of vulnerable people living with this complex illness.Drug-related deaths and alcohol-related hospital admissions were already at all-time highs before COVID-19. I fear that unless the government acts quickly we will see these numbers rise exponentially.’Think tank: NoLo drinks have limited impact🎵 Podcast feature 🎵A report on no and low alcohol beverages (‘NoLo’) from the Social Market Foundation finds limited evidence for their impact on health outcomes (08 Sep). Sponsored by Alcohol Change UK (ACUK), the publication finds that whilst NoLo products may help individuals reduce their consumption, they are unlikely to produce the aggregate level reductions in alcohol-related harms public health experts would desire.The key findings were:The market for NoLo drinks – whilst brands continue to release new products into the NoLo drinks category – worth around £110 million in 2018/19 – it is thought NoLo products comprised just 0·2% of the total market for alcoholic drinks in that year. The report estimates that annual sales growth of NoLo drinks would have to exceed over 40% per annum for market share to stand above 10% by 2030Consumers in the NoLo market – survey results commissioned specially for this study found that one in five people (21%) have consumed an alcohol-free beer, cider, wine or spirit in the last year. Including low-strength drinks (up to 1·2% alcohol content), this rises to 27%. Young people and those in higher income socioeconomic groups were more likely to have tried a NoLo productThe regulation of the NoLo market – Guidance and ABV descriptors issued by the Department of Health and Social Care contains elements of ambiguity and are often out of step with other European countriesThe presentation of NoLo products – press coverage of NoLo drinks typically centres on the ‘new sensibility’ of younger people and NoLo as a ‘community’ or ‘movement’. Some producers have tapped into this by promoting their NoLo products as substitutes for stronger products. Others prefer to market them as additional to existing drinks on the marketThe impact on alcohol-related harms – survey results for this report indicate that among those that have consumed NoLo drinks over the past 12 months, about four in ten have cut back on their alcohol consumption. However, a similar number reported no change. A significant proportion of consumers of NoLo also indicated that they do so on top of, rather than instead of, stronger products. This raises concerns about how NoLo products can tackle alcohol-related harms at the population levelConsiderations for policy – whilst the Government has indicated that NoLo products will be key to reducing alcohol-related harm, this report cautions that NoLo drinks must form part of a much wider harm prevention strategy. Government should also consider reforming ABV descriptors for NoLo and legislate to protect against alibi marketing.Commenting on the findings, ACUK director of research and policy Lucy Holmes said (you can listen to our interview on NoLo drinks in our podcast):MPs and peers call on government to urgently address Britain’s alcohol harm crisisAbridged from the Alcohol Health Alliance UK press releaseAs the leading risk-factor for ill health, death and disability among those aged 15 to 49 in England, alcohol is inflicting long-lasting harm across all areas of society and family life, yet not enough is being done to tackle the problem, say a group of cross-party parliamentarians, who are calling on the government to develop an alcohol strategy to get to the heart of the nation’s drink problem.Under the independent Commission on Alcohol Harm was set up by alcohol health experts and parliamentarians to examine the full extent of alcohol harm across the UK. Evidence submitted to the Commission highlights the serious impact alcohol harm has on family life, with children living with an alcohol dependent parent five times more likely to develop eating disorders, twice as likely to develop alcohol dependence or addiction, and three times as likely to consider suicide. The accompanying online launch also saw moving testimony from those whose lives have been harmed by alcohol.The Commission concluded that a new UK-wide alcohol strategy is required urgently. Recommendations from the final report include (summary):The new alcohol strategy must include targeted measures to support families and protect children from harm, including alcohol-fuelled violenceThe new alcohol strategy must be science-led and adopt the World Health Organization’s evidence-based recommendations for reducing the harmful use of alcohol. This includes measures on affordability – such as the introduction of minimum unit pricing in England – and restrictions on alcohol advertising and marketing – such as ending sports sponsorship, better information for consumers, advice and treatment for people drinking at hazardous and harmful levels, and action to reduce drink-drivingReducing the £3·5bn cost of alcohol to the NHS would help to relieve pressure on the service and free up capacity to respond to the consequences of COVID-19Changing the conversation and challenging alcohol’s position in our culture. This means addressing the stigma around alcohol use disorders, encouraging conversations about drinking to take place more easily and creating space for people to be open about the effects of alcohol on their health and those around them.Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance said (you can also hear his thoughts on the report in the podcast): ‘When people think about alcohol harm, they often think about liver damage – but its impact goes much further than this. This report highlights the very real ways that alcohol can devastate not just the life of the drinker but those around them. If we wish to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic as a healthier society, we must address the ongoing health crisis of alcohol harm.’If you want to help the Alcohol Health Alliance reach decision makers so they take action to reduce alcohol harm, you can – follow the link below to share the report with your local MP.Launch of Men and Alcohol reportScottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) and the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) have launched a new report presenting key findings and recommendations for policy and practice from their 2019/2020 Men and Alcohol seminar series (09 Sep), along with a webinar discussion of key themes raised.The report highlights how alcohol consumption is closely connected to male identity, and that alcohol-related harms, both mental and physical, remain a significant issue for men in the UK, with men less likely to seek help for mental health problems.Key recommendations for policy include: calls to strengthen restrictions on alcohol availability; to enforce bans on alcohol advertising, sponsorship and promotion; to make alcohol less affordable via taxation and pricing policies, and to invest in youth services and ‘alcohol-free’ spaces to help prevent alcohol-related harm.The report’s recommendations for practice address the need for all services to be joined-up, trauma-informed and exercising professional optimism, and emphasise that services should be guided by the expertise of individuals with lived experience in order to reduce the stigma of seeking help.Alcohol-related admissions to hospitals risingNHS Digital’s latest release on patient care activity in English NHS hospitals (17 Sep) has found that there were nearly 670,000 admissions by diagnosis for the three most common alcohol-related case types (Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol, Alcoholic liver disease, and Toxic effects of alcohol) in 2019/20.The number of admissions marks a 4% increase on the previous year: there were approximately 644,000 admissions in 2018/19. As the main diagnosis, the three main case types totalled just over 120,000 admissions, 2% up on the previous period, when there were almost 118,000.When split by case type, the majority (69%) of the three major alcohol-related admissions were for Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol (459,468), of which it was the main diagnoses for 68,128 admissions. A quarter were for Alcoholic liver disease (170,031), of which it was the main reason for 50,561 admissions. 6% were for the Toxic effects of alcohol (40,337), of which it was the main reason for 1,329 admissions.The majority of cases were male (67%), and when split by age, those in their fifties were most frequently admitted to English hospitals in 2019/20. There were across-the-board increases in admissions for patients aged 50 years and above compared with 2018/19. In other researchAlmost half of Scots surveyed now back minimum pricing for alcohol: 49·8% of 1,022 people surveyed by Public Health Scotland supported the measure (22 Sep).The survey comes as research published in Health Economics finds that minimum unit pricing (MUP) has had a successful initial impact on increasing alcohol prices (thus reducing affordability) and reducing alcohol sales (and consumption by proxy). The paper found that the impact of MUP on alcohol prices and sales is most pronounced on off‐premise venues (15 Sep).And in Wales, polling commissioned by Alcohol Change UK Cymru found that three quarters of 1,000 respondents knew about MUP compared with just half of drinkers in Wales when asked a year ago, and that of those who were aware of its implementation six months ago, 10% were drinking less alcohol because of it (Bro Radio, 28 Sep).Using publicly available national data (including Hospital Episode Statistics), a study conducted by the University of Hull reported that a decrease in admissions to specialist alcohol inpatient services subsequently marked an increase in admissions to acute hospital services (Alcohol and Alcoholism, 04 Sep). This decrease in admissions to specialist treatment centres has been associated with significant reductions in public health funding to such services since the introduction of the Health and Social Care Act 2012. However, these reductions have resulted in a shift of service use, particularly placing increasing pressures on emergency departments due to a larger number of patients with chronic alcohol disorders accessing care.A new paper conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Dark Nudges and Sludge in Big Alcohol: Behavioral Economics, Cognitive Biases, and Alcohol Industry Corporate Social Responsibility, evaluates the roles of dark nudges and sludges in the alcohol industry (Milbank Quarterly, 15 Sep; video summary here). It shows how alcohol industry bodies such as Drinkaware use dark nudges and sludges to influence consumers’ views, often against their best interests. In particular, messages promoting the ‘social norms’ of drinking are frequently distributed, for example the technique of ‘omission biases’ in the infographic ‘Alcohol and the body’ from Drinkaware Ireland, which, by omitting women, consequently fails to highlight that breast cancer is also a major hazard of alcohol consumption.A multicohort study conducted by University College London has shown that those who have reported losing consciousness due to alcohol consumption (regardless of their weekly intake) have double the risk of developing dementia, compared with moderate drinkers who never lost consciousness (JAMA Network, 09 Sep). Overall, those who were moderate-to-heavy drinkers had a 1·2-fold greater risk of developing dementia in the long-term. Alcohol misuse was seen to cause brain atrophy and neuronal loss in several areas of the brain, such as the frontal cortex. Other side-effects of heavy drinking, such as hypertension, can also be attributed to dementia. Plans to record pregnant womens’ consumption not so NICEPregnancy rights’ advocates have criticised a proposal from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) of a Quality Standard to record pregnant women’s alcohol consumption on their child’s medical records in England (Guardian, 16 Sep).NICE’s proposal was drawn up as part of a consultation to cement guidelines for doctors to diagnose and prevent foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Proponents argue that the risk of FASD – a range of physical and mental conditions caused by drinking in pregnancy – to an unborn child should be the reason for prioritising their needs.However, pregnancy charities including the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BASP) and Birthrights suggested that the guideline on recording alcohol consumption could be a breach of the expectant mother’s confidentiality, and therefore fall foul of data protection regulations.A quarter of adopted UK children may have symptoms of FASDThe results of an Adoption UK survey of nearly 5,000 adopters underscore FASD campaigners’ concern about drinking habits during pregnancy: one in four adopted children are either diagnosed with or suspected to have a range of conditions caused by drinking in pregnancy (Guardian, 29 Sep).8% of children had a diagnosis, and a further 17% were suspected by their parents to have foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD),The survey also showed 55% of families polled had waited two years or longer for an FASD diagnosis, and 78% felt healthcare professionals lacked basic knowledge about the condition.Maria Catterick, director of the FASD Network UK, said the statistics were unsurprising given that ‘alcohol, drugs and domestic abuse are major reasons why children are placed into the care system’.Small Grants Scheme awards announced!We are delighted to announce that we will be funding three projects led by early career researchers in the alcohol field through the new IAS Small Grants Scheme.Proposals were considered in a two-stage process and reviewed externally. This was a highly competitive round and the standard of applications overall was extremely high. Feedback was provided to all applicants. We will be funding the following projects in the coming months:Dr Elena Dimova, Glasgow Caledonian University: Exploring men’s alcohol consumption in the context of becoming a father: A scoping reviewJessica Muirhead, Wrexham Glyndŵr University: Effective online age gating using MCC codesDr Emily Nicholls, University of Portsmouth: Rewriting the rules or playing the game? An investigation into the ways in which social norms around gender & drinking are challenged &/or reinforced through the promotion, marketing & consumption of Alcohol-Free drinksThe UK Alcohol Alert (incorporating Alliance News) is designed and produced by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. Please click the image below to visit our website and find out more about us and what we do, or the ‘Contact us’ button. Thank you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit instalcstud.substack.com

This is the first of Alcohol Alert newsletter articles on a new platform, Substack. If you like it, please do click on the button below to subscribe. Thank you.Britain’s relationship with alcohol in lockdownOn the 23rd of March, the nation went into lockdown in response to an extraordinary event, a global pandemic of the COVID-19 virus.The emergence of the deadly disease forced people to adapt rapidly to a drastically new environment, which has led many to explore how we cope.In relation to alcohol, this has meant discovering the ways in which the lockdown has affected the nation’s drinking habits, as well as producers’ and retailers’ ability to cope with a decimated market: the pandemic forced pubs across the country to close their doors – some unwillingly (JD Wetherspoon) – and await the time when the government would declare them safe to reopen.Now, as we near the reopening of pubs and other licensed premises, we took the pulse of an emerging evidence base on changes in UK alcohol consumption during the lockdown by bringing together findings from different sources.The findings from our briefing, Alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 lockdown in the UK present a mixed picture, where the proportion of people drinking less during lockdown mostly reported to be similar to or slightly higher than the proportion drinking more during lockdown. Dr Sadie Boniface, who authored the briefing, told BBC radio that although there does not appear to have been a massive shift in the nation's drinking habits, those who have upped their intake may be heavy drinkers already, and therefore at greater risk of harm.Producers’ and retailers’ responses to the lockdown ranged from producing hand sanitiser as part of a national effort to combat the virus, with Brewdog being one prominent example – although their initial batch did not meet clinical standards (The Guardian, 02 Apr) – to those who tried to deny there was a problem, and so were reluctant to support their employees through straitened times. JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin told Sky News (20 Mar) that shutting pubs over the coronavirus outbreak was ‘over the top’ and that ‘there had hardly been any transmission of the virus’ in pubs. In his view. pubs were ‘much less crowded’ than supermarkets. When the lockdown forced him to close his establishments across the UK, he announced that employees would not be paid until the government stepped in to pay them on furlough, which sparked a public backlash (The Independent, 24 Mar).Others adapted to the new environment, taking advantage of the new conditions for selling alcohol. The UK Government was quick to add off-licensed premises to its list of ‘essential’ retailers (BBC News Business, 25 Mar), and subsequent lobbying to gain greater freedoms in selling alcohol on premises has resulted in the Business and Planning Bill, which seeks to authorise new innovations such as outside seating and takeaway pints ‘in efforts to stop drinkers crowding indoors’ (Sunderland Echo, 26 Jun).Alcohol industry players such as the BBPA and WSTA have clubbed together within the umbrella of the hospitality sector to push for changes to mitigate the negative impacts of the pandemic, which The Bureau of Investigative Journalism described as an ‘opportunity for [an] industry power grab’ (TBIJ, 24 Jun). Industry influence runs deep, as the following passage would attest:… both of Diageo’s lobbying agencies are run by former Number 10 communications chiefs. The former boss of Scotch Whisky Association, of which Diageo is a member, is David Frost, Britain’s chief Brexit negotiator. The departing chief executive of the civil service, John Manzoni, is joining Diageo’s board later this year. Indeed, support for UK producers and retailers stretches beyond national borders. Diageo, for example, is promoting a new global programme called ‘Raising the Bar’, a $100 million recovery fund for pubs and bars ‘to support pubs and bars to welcome customers back and recover following the COVID-19 pandemic’. The drinks giant invite applications from vendors based in cities across the world – including London – over the next two years.However, such attempts to get the economy up and running could be seen as at odds with the messaging from public health experts to exercise caution easing out of lockdown, in order to prevent a further spike in COVID-19 cases. Furthermore, the prioritisation of alcohol consumption may hamper efforts to treat tackling alcohol harms as integral to the UK’s pandemic recovery plan. As Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of Alcohol Health Alliance UK, wrote in the British Medical Journal (20 May):This can be achieved through relatively low-cost prevention policies such as minimum unit pricing and marketing restrictions, plus those that can generate revenue, such as duty increases, alongside investment in alcohol treatment which presents savings in the long-run.Minimum Unit Pricing worksThe introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) in Scotland on 01 May 2018 was associated with a fall in the total volume of pure alcohol sold off-trade per adult in Scotland of 4–5% in the first 12 months, according to the latest Monitoring and Evaluating Scotland’s Alcohol Strategy (MESAS) report from Public Health Scotland (10 Jun).The subsequent annual monitoring report of alcohol sales activity found that volumes stayed at their lowest levels in a quarter of a century (17 Jun).Keep it on the lowIn 2019, 9·9 litres of pure alcohol were sold per adult in Scotland, equivalent to 19·1 units of alcohol per adult per week. Furthermore, 0·8 litres more pure alcohol per adult was sold in Scotland (9·9L) compared with England & Wales (9·1L). This was ‘one of the smallest differences seen in the available time series’.It’s all in the off-tradeThe narrowing of sales volumes between both nations speaks to the influence of MUP on off-licence purchases, made all the more impressive by the fact that alcohol sold in the UK is now 75% more affordable than it was just over three decades ago, having risen in the alcohol affordability index for the eighth year running.In the first 12 months of MUP, the largest relative net reductions in per-adult off-trade alcohol sales were observed for cider and perry. Smaller net reductions were seen for spirits and beer; however, these account for a greater share of the off-trade market and so made an important contribution to the fall in total off-trade sales in Scotland.The reductions observed in these drink categories were partly offset by off-trade sales of wine, fortified wine and RTDs, beverages typically sold at prices above the 50p per unit threshold, and whose sales all increased in the post-MUP year.We conclude that MUP has been effective in reducing population consumption levels in Scotland in the one year period after it was implemented.‘The impact of MUP on off-trade alcohol sales in Scotland is most likely explained by the policy’s effect on alcohol prices’, MESAS researchers wrote.‘Attributing our findings to changes in price is further supported by the fact that the drink categories for which we estimated net reductions in off-trade sales in Scotland were also those that had the highest proportion of their sales at below 50ppu before MUP was introduced.‘They were also the drink categories with largest increases in average sales price after MUP was implemented' (perry, +54%; cider, +28; spirits and beer, both +11%).‘We conclude that MUP has been effective in reducing population consumption levels in Scotland in the one year period after it was implemented.’You can watch lead author Lucie Giles summarise the MUP evaluation findings in their video explainer:Notable alcohol research findingsAlcohol behind a quarter of inequalities in mortality A systematic review of studies containing more than 400,000 adults, 30,000 deaths from all causes and 3,000 events where alcohol is entirely attributable over a period of six years, has found that alcohol use explains up to 27% of the socioeconomic inequalities in mortality (The Lancet, 01 Jun).The authors find evidence for large socioeconomic inequalities in alcohol harm, with people of lower socioeconomic status experiencing up to 3·5-fold and 5-fold higher risk of all-cause and alcohol-related mortality, respectively, compared with those of higher socioeconomic status. They also explore some of the potential mechanisms underlying these inequalities, and find that the periodicity of drinking – rather than mean (average) consumption – could explain the difference in alcohol-related mortality between socioeconomic groups, which suggests that targeting heavy episodic drinking and binge drinking could be important to address the uneven impact of alcohol. The review is one of several chapters focusing on alcohol-related issues in the June 2020 edition of The Lancet, led by an editorial titled ‘Failing to address the burden of alcohol’.Other studiesLabelled glasses make no impact on 'ad libitum' alcohol consumption (drinking at one's pleasure) in a bar settings, according to a laboratory experiment from a couple of researchers, published in the Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research journal (11 Jun). This is despite 85% of participants noticing the information. Qualitative analysis suggests that although participants perceived the glasses as useful for increasing awareness of the unit guidelines, they were seen as limited in their potential to change drinking behaviour ‘due to the unappealing design of the glass and a view that unit guidelines were not relevant to drinking patterns or contexts’.An Evaluation of Alcohol Treatment Centres from the National Institute for Health Research finds evidence that ‘alcohol intoxication management services improve ambulance response times and reduce emergency department attendance’ (11 Jun), suggesting that the full range of possibilities for diversions away from emergency departments have not yet been entirely realised. Although the nurse-led model was the most expensive service evaluated, it was also the most likely to divert patients away from emergency departments, suggesting that a successful implementation plan would necessarily involve greater clinical involvement and alignment with emergency departments.A detailed analysis of the ‘fatal four’ road safety offences (which include drink-driving) since 2010 found that ‘where cutbacks have affected enforcement, there has been little or no improvement’ (Police Professional, 04 Jun). Published by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), the findings chime with the 2017 IAS report Running on empty, which discovered falling levels of road safety enforcement amidst a backdrop of no significant improvements in reducing drink drive fatalities and casualties on Britain's roads.A survey of 2,000 18-25-year-olds conducted by the National Organisation for Foetal Alcohol Syndrome-UK found a quarter were ‘unaware women should not drink alcohol during pregnancy’ (Daily Star, 04 Jun). Health and social care lecturer Jo Buckard, an expert in Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD), said: ‘There's been progress but no one should rest easy with these figures. If one-quarter of those in childbearing years hasn't got the message yet, that could lead to a massive risk of FASD.’Hospital admissions for alcohol-related liver disease worsenA new CCG Outcomes Indicator Set from NHS Digital – the last quarterly publication in this series – shows that there has been a creeping upward trend in emergency admissions for alcohol-related liver disease in the five years up to 2018/19 (18 Jun).During that period, the number of emergency admissions for alcohol-related liver disease rose by 27% – from 10,696 in 2013/14 to 13,576 in 2018/19 (see numerator column in table below) – and the rate (represented by indicator value in the table below) rose by 22%.The dataset also shows that both alcohol-specific hospital admissions and emergency alcohol-specific readmission to any hospital within 30 days of discharge were slightly up on five years prior, in line with overall increases in English hospital admissions for alcohol-related reasons.Future versions of this publication will be released on an annual basis, starting from October this year.The UK Alcohol Alert (incorporating Alliance News) is designed and produced by The Institute of Alcohol Studies. Please click the image below to visit our website and find out more about us and what we do.If you wish to suggest corrections, clarifications, comment and contributions, please contact us at info@ias.org.uk. Thank you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit instalcstud.substack.com

On this week's Companies & Markets Show John Hughman and Phil Oakley talk about why Fevertree is losing its fizz, JD Wetherspoon's winning pub formula, and how the examples of PepsiCo and Sage show why UK investors should broaden their horizons. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week's IC Companies & Markets Show editor John Hughman talks to Phil Oakley about why Kingfisher is ripe for a breakup, why investors should look past the politics of JD Wetherspoon, and why more companies should report as transparently as Next. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today: Sarah keeps getting weird emails from England so they try to get to the bottom of it, Sourz cherries and reciepts, who is this fancy JD Wetherspoon, buy a murderers house, attempted stabbing over pizza, and we make a new friend across the pond - have a great afternoon all! :) 

On this week's Companies and Markets Show editor John Hughman talks to Phil Oakley about how the growth taps are running dry at JD Wetherspoon, while Tom Dines explains why shareholders have been left high and dry in the latest outsourcing collapse. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Marcus Stead and his friend James Easton (Charlton Athletic fan, real ale aficionado and Brexiteer) went to the Mount Stuart pub in Cardiff Bay and recorded their conversation for Talk Podcasts listeners. The chat began on a sombre note as they reflected on their visit to the memorial to Emiliano Sala at the Cardiff City Stadium earlier in the day. They then moved on to discuss the disconnect between professional football clubs and the fans, the delights of non-league football, the rise and rise of PDC darts, and where the JD Wetherspoon name really came from.

In an exclusive interview with the IC’s Julia Faurschou, Tim Martin, founder and chairman of JD Wetherspoon talks Brexit, debt and strikes and reveals why he thinks his pub chain is “the grooviest”. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode 23 of PR Bants covers these topics: Windrush and the government's handling of a 'national disgrace' Starbucks' nationwide effort to educate its workforce about racial bias JD Wetherspoon go back to basics and shuts its social media accounts Maya Jama and why celebrities should care about their social media footprint Happy listening, and let us know what you think by tweeting @PRbants using the hashtag #PRbants Music from Jukedeck - create your own at Jukedeck

Episode 23 of PR Bants covers these topics: Windrush and the government's handling of a 'national disgrace' Starbucks' nationwide effort to educate its workforce about racial bias JD Wetherspoon go back to basics and shuts its social media accounts Maya Jama and why celebrities should care about their social media footprint Happy listening, and let us know what you think by tweeting @PRbants using the hashtag #PRbants Music from Jukedeck - create your own at Jukedeck

Facebook releases New Video Monetization and Promotion Tools for Facebook Watch, Twitter goes down again, Teens prefer Snapchat and Instagram according to survey, Snapchat rolls out new type of ad inside its camera, Pinterest change the design for business profile pages, British pub chain JD Wetherspoon quit social media and there's a new dating app, exclusively for the privately educated. 

Tim Martin is the chairman and founder of the pub company JD Wetherspoon. He opened his first pub, Martin's Free House, in 1979 in North London. Now the chain employs 37,000 people, in 891 pubs of which 54 are hotels. Travelling from his home in Devon, Tim visits at least ten of them a week taking detailed 'call notes' on the staff, the beer, the quality of the food and even the cutlery. In 2016 he became one of the most high-profile UK business people arguing in favour in leaving the EU. He printed half a million beer mats for his pubs, making the case for Brexit. His success in the pub industry might be in the genes. His father, initially an aerobatic pilot, later worked for Guinness, which took the family around the globe and Tim spent his childhood in both New Zealand and Northern Ireland. He trained for the law but instead chose the career of a publican. Presenter: Kirsty Young Producer: Cathy Drysdale.

Tim Martin is the chairman and founder of the pub company JD Wetherspoon. He opened his first pub, Martin's Free House, in 1979 in North London. Now the chain employs 37,000 people, in 891 pubs of which 54 are hotels. Travelling from his home in Devon, Tim visits at least ten of them a week taking detailed 'call notes' on the staff, the beer, the quality of the food and even the cutlery. In 2016 he became one of the most high-profile UK business people arguing in favour in leaving the EU. He printed half a million beer mats for his pubs, making the case for Brexit. His success in the pub industry might be in the genes. His father, initially an aerobatic pilot, later worked for Guinness, which took the family around the globe and Tim spent his childhood in both New Zealand and Northern Ireland. He trained for the law but instead chose the career of a publican. Presenter: Kirsty Young Producer: Cathy Drysdale.

From The Red Lion to the Bucket of Blood, how did your local get its name? Michael Rosen asks Word of Mouth's resident linguist Dr Laura Wright about her research into pub names. And guest Eddie Gershon explains how the JD Wetherspoon pub chain goes about naming new pubs. Produced by Mair Bosworth.

The battle for Britain's future -- in or out of the European Union -- will be settled In just two months' time. Advocates of a vote to remain, led by the prime minister David Cameron, see economic arguments as their most potent weapon; Brexit, they claim, will come at a crippling cost in terms of jobs, investment and growth. Many business leaders seem to agree but by no means all. Stephen Sackur talks to Tim Martin, founder and chairman of the pub chain JD Wetherspoon. Could Brexit make economic sense?(Photo: Tim Martin in the Hardtalk studio)

This week the boys have a can each of an American beer making an appearance on UK shores in JD Wetherspoon pubs around the country: Six Point Brewery’s Bengali Lancer. Listen for their thoughts on this, as well as lots of beery news and chatter. It’s Beer O’Clock!