Holy Grail?

An effective way to reduce costs and hospital admissions occasioned by alcohol harm is a bit of a philosopher's stone for the public health world. The South East Alcohol Innovation Programme's final evaluation should therefore be welcome reading. Three of the projects have already been taken up by the NHS as QIPP initiatives. The SHAHRP programme (School Health and Alcohol Harm Reduction Project), devised in Australia, has recently been applied in Northern Ireland with positive results. SHAHRP is also being trialled in Liverpool. In its submission to the House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology Inquiry on Alcohol Guidelines, the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has suggested that government sensible drinking guidelines should be amended, particularly as regards frequency: "the RCP disputes the claim that drinking every day will not accrue a significant health risk." The report also expresses concern about the consistency and effectiveness of the government's communications in this area. The Scottish Government is making another attempt to legislate for minimum pricing, with the reintroduction earlier this month of the Alcohol Bill. And the effort to tackle alcohol harm seems also to extend to the work of Transport Scotland, as a consultation on reorganising rail services includes the suggestion (received with scant enthusiasm) that alcohol be banned on trains.