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Spain’s alcohol deaths “remain high”, finds new 20-year study: Over 300,000 deaths in Spain resulted from alcohol consumption in the 20 years to 2021, found a report from Instituto de Salud Carlos III. Three quarters of them were men. Read more
“The Welsh Conservatives have accused the First Minister of ‘hitting hardworking families in the pocket’ by increasing the minimum unit price by 30 per cent, from 50p to 65p…” Minimum price advocates will say it has little impact of low risk drinkers. Read more
Increasing the minimum drinking age from 18 to 21 in Trinidad and Tobago is “simply a new age number on a piece of paper”, argues a lawyer. Read more
“US soldiers stationed on Japan’s Okinawa have been given a month-long curfew and banned from drinking alcohol while they undergo discipline training after a Marine was alleged to have murdered and robbed a local woman.” Read more
Previously
Updated: Global alcohol taxes offer a large untapped opportunity to improve health and state finances, according to an inaugural yearly “scorecard” evaluation.
Law professor explains NY state intoxication loophole: “When an individual has voluntarily taken drugs or alcohol and is compromised or impaired, the law [in New York State] requires that the prosecutor prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person was physically helpless…,” explains a law professor of a law relevant to the newly-reopened Cornell university fraternity rape case. Read more
“Alcohol dependence has almost quadrupled in Portugal over the last decade, but only 20% of patients are receiving treatment, the Institute for Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies has warned.” Read more
“Abstinence-focused treatment models [for alcohol use disorder] may inadvertently reinforce restrictive eating…, underscoring the need for further research into holistic, integrated approaches.” Read more
“Non-alcoholic beers produced via membrane dealcoholisation retained purines comparable to full-strength versions.” Purines are associated with elevated levels of uric acid often found in the joint disease gout. Read more
“The alcohol industry has worked hard to make [sobriety] uncomfortable. So when somebody chooses not to drink, it’s, ‘Oh no, did they have a drinking problem? Why are they not having fun?’” The Washington Post explores the social impact of stopping drinking. Read more
“[Nigeria’s] National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has confiscated alcoholic beverages worth about 300m naira [$225,000] during a major enforcement operation against the sale of banned sachet alcohol and small PET bottled drinks in Lagos State.” Read more
“Cambodia’s alcohol retailers and frontline staff will receive training on age verification, refusing sales to minors and intoxicated customers under a new initiative launched by the Ministry of Commerce, Cambodia Wine Spirit & Beer Importers and Distributors Association (WSBIDA) and the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD)”. Read more
“A 17-year-old identified as DE, who is accused over a racist attack on Indian men in Nitra [Slovakia], has told a court that he and his friends could buy alcohol despite being underage at a COOP Jednota shop, using an app from an adult friend.” Read more
“A US-based private equity investment group has reached an agreement to acquire the proprietary alcohol-infused lollipop formula developed for Licksy…” Read more
Bill aims to close New York State’s “voluntary intoxication loophole”: People who become unable to consent after voluntarily consuming alcohol or using other drugs should be protected, according to two new New York State lawmakers. Read more
Most of the men accused of a fraternity party rape at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York State in 2024 were questioned by university officials in the weeks after the incident, reported the New York Times. Read more
Health advocates oppose axing of Thai alcohol levy: “Health advocates and an economic expert have opposed a proposed amendment that would end the additional 2% alcohol and tobacco tax funding for Thailand’s Health Promotion Fund…” Read more
“The Greenlandic government, Naalakkersuisut, has introduced a temporary ban on the sale and serving of alcohol in the southern Greenlandic municipality of Kujalleq.” It hopes to remove the threat to children’s welfare and the safety and security of the population. Read more
Alcohol-free day season begins: “There are… three dates tied to alcohol awareness worldwide: October 2nd and October 3rd, observed by many groups as World Alcohol-Free Day or World Temperance Day, and November 15th. In India, October 2nd is also a nationwide dry day, with no alcohol sales permitted.” Read more
Daughter of alcohol delivery victim calls for ban: “A heartbroken daughter is calling for booze to be banned from delivery apps after her… dad was allegedly able to order a bottle of vodka to his home every day,” reports the Sun.
Poll measures alcohol brand strength by generation: “Guinness… ranks first across all four generations we looked at… Smirnoff, however, has by far its strongest appeal among younger consumers. Read more
“The [Kenyan] government will subject all alcohol manufacturers to fresh inspections as it moves to tighten the fight against illicit and counterfeit alcoholic drinks across the country.” Read more
Alcohol tax offers “incredible opportunity”: Global alcohol prices, tax share, and tax structures are only a third as good as they could be, an inaugural yearly “scorecard” evaluation found, showing alcohol tax is an untapped opportunity to improve health and state finances. Read more
“The floor price of alcohol in Wales goes up by nearly a third from Thursday, and the strongest cheap drinks on the shelf will feel it most. From October 1st nothing can be sold for less than 65p a unit, up from the 50p that has applied since March 2020.” Read more
“A former Northern Arizona University fraternity leader was sentenced to two months in jail Wednesday for his role in a hazing that led to the death of a pledge.” Read more
EU health committee calls for urgent alcohol action using “deeply problematic” language: UPDATED: The European Parliament’s Committee on Public Health (SANT) yesterday called on the EU’s executive body to take action to deliver health-related labels and alcohol strategies using “deeply problematic” language, critics say. Comment/share
Mars to halt Pop-Tarts and BuzzBallz co-branding: Food giant Mars reportedly agreed on Friday to halt a co-branding deal between its toasted pastry brand Pop-Tarts and BuzzBallz, a brand of novelty ready-to-drink cocktails, after a protest from US public health organisations. Read more/share
Andy Burnham delivers welcome alcohol-free speech: In a welcome departure from his leadership campaign UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham made no reference to pints or pubs in his conference speech today. Instead his wide-ranging and sometimes emotional speech talked about creating a national care service, finding state pensions savings, reducing the damage of Brexit, AI regulation, housing, electricity delivery and electoral reform. Read more
“The course, given by educational charity Alcohol Change UK, spoke to staff [at Buckingham Palace] about the dangers of drinking on the job and how to deal with colleagues who may be drinking excessively.” Read more
“Dr Joel Gelernter [Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Genetics and of Neuroscience at Yale]…, said he now thinks there is a linear relationship between alcohol consumption and risk for cognitive decline,” says the concluding paragraph of a NYT piece on alcohol and brain health. Read more
“In hopes of scaling back crime, the [Californian] city of Redlands is considering banning neighbourhood bars from selling alcohol after midnight, two hours earlier than state law.” Read more
UPDATED: Health advocates slam alcohol industry for promoting daily drinking on World Heart Day: European NGOs have protested against a wine-industry-sponsored meeting promoting what one critic has called a “hilariously flawed” concept in the European Parliament on World Heart Day, which is today. Comment
“The government [of Trinidad and Tobago] is proposing to raise the legal age for alcohol and tobacco from 18 to 21, while the minimum age for cannabis and gambling would rise to 25.” The government is expected to bring legislation to parliament tomorrow, September 30th. Read more
“The Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority has banned advertisements promoting prescription medicines claimed to reduce or eliminate the urge to consume alcohol, warning that using such drugs without medical supervision could expose users to serious health risks.” Read more
“Illicit tobacco, alcohol and cash with a combined estimated value of more than €607,000 has been seized following an intelligence-led operation in Co. Westmeath [in Ireland].” Read more
“In 2025, 4.8% of people aged 16 or over in the EU consumed alcohol every day. The share of people who consumed alcohol every week was 19.2%, and 21.8% for those consuming every month.” Read more
UK adults overwhelmingly support continued alcohol ban in football stands: Nearly 70% of UK adults think the ban on drinking alcohol within sight of the pitch should continue, according to a Yougov poll. Over half said that lifting the ban would make watching matches in the stadium worse. Read more
Burnham’s football alcohol ban remarks: The risks of an unbanning alcohol in sight of the pitch in English football would outweigh any benefits, argues Lydia Spencer-Elliott in the Independent, despite Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s saying it is “unfair”. AR adds that it is hard to see Burnham’s offhand proposal surviving contact with reality. The have more to do with burnishing his everyman branding, while pleasing the alcohol and hospitality industries, to which he has ties. Read more
“The [UK] Conservatives have promised to prevent long-term jobless benefit claimants from spending their welfare payments on alcohol, cigarettes and gambling.” Read more
Alcohol Review – Issue 126, September 23rd 2026 In this issue: Alcohol-free drinks are not the secret to cutting down, argues AR editor; How the digital world amplifies alcohol harms; Recently closed pubs could comfortably house all rough sleepers. And summer’s news highlights. ■