This month’s episode of the Alcohol Alert Podcast is a special cross-post from The Alcohol Debate Podcast, hosted by alcohol-freedom coach Tabbin Almond. In this episode, Tabbin is joined by Jem Roberts, Head of External Affairs at the Institute of Alcohol Studies, for a wide-ranging discussion on alcohol policy in the UK and Ireland.

From Ireland’s world-first alcohol labelling law and its recent delays, to the UK Government’s 10-Year Health Plan and the omission of minimum unit pricing, Jem explains how political choices – and industry lobbying – shape the nation’s response to alcohol harm.

“Pricing policies have a really quick effect on saving lives. So if you want to be coming into the next general election showing tangible results from your policies, they're pretty good policies to introduce."

Subscribe to Tabbin’s podcast on Apple, Spotify, or most other podcast platforms.

On this month's podcast we spoke to Professor Julia Sinclair and Arlene Copland about Alcohol Care Teams – the small but vital hospital teams supporting patients with complex alcohol problems.

They explained how ACTs not only manage alcohol withdrawal, but also build trust with vulnerable patients, advocate across departments, and link people to the wider support they need. Despite clear evidence they improve care and reduce costs, many teams now face closure as funding dries up.

We also explored stigma, the misunderstanding of addiction in healthcare, and what’s needed to secure these essential services for the future.

As Professor Sinclair puts it:

“This is about working with some of the most vulnerable people with the greatest needs.”

Why are young people drinking less? 🎵 podcast feature 🎵

On this month’s podcast we spoke to Professor John Holmes, University of Sheffield, and Amy Pennay, La Trobe University, about their new book: Young People, Alcohol, and Risk: A Culture of Caution.

We discussed the decline in young people's drinking; whether this is continuing into adulthood; factors influencing this decline; and a why this has to be understood as a much broader sociological issue of generational change.

“It's about this idea that young people have a very different perspective on the world. This particular generation, that often gets called Gen Z, have a very particular perspective on the world that is quite different to those that have come before them.” – Professor John Holmes.

In our latest podcast Dr Will Haydock, Executive Director of Collective Voice, sheds light on alcohol treatment services in England. Representing an alliance of charities supporting people with alcohol and other drug issues, Haydock emphasises that free treatment is available in every local area – yet awareness remains low. He discusses barriers like stigma and the misperception that support is costly or inaccessible. Haydock calls for a whole-system approach, integrating alcohol treatment into broader health and social care.

“There can be almost more shame around having developed a problem with alcohol than with other drugs.”

In our latest podcast, Dr Megan Cook of La Trobe University discusses alcohol’s overlooked environmental impact. Dr Cook explores how alcohol production exacerbates climate harms, from water scarcity to packaging waste, and highlights the industry's "greenwashing" through corporate social responsibility campaigns. She argues that:

"If we reduce alcohol consumption for health reasons, that’s going to have climate benefits. And if we reduce consumption for climate reasons, that’s going to have health benefits too."

We also discussed a recent report from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) and Zero Carbon Forum, which looked at the risk of climate change to the UK’s beer production. In a news article publicising the report, it stated that:

“Concern was also raised in the report that crops may be prioritised for food rather than brewing, which would risk livelihoods across the supply chain.”

On this month’s podcast we spoke to Florence Berteletti and Anamaria Suciu, who work for the European Alcohol Policy Alliance, or Eurocare. We spoke about levels of alcohol harm in Europe, the crucial role the EU plays in shaping the alcohol policy landscape, and lessons we can learn from tobacco control about how to counter powerful lobbying by the alcohol industry.

“Because even if we are David and Goliath... David wins, but we need a sling. The sling comes from our members, their collaboration and knowledge.” - Florence Berteletti

On this month’s podcast we spoke to Tabbin Almond, alcohol-freedom coach and author of the recent book: ‘Bottling Up Trouble: How alcohol is harming your business... and what to do about it’. Tabbin shares insights from her work helping people change their relationship with alcohol. We discussed the pro-alcohol workplace culture, its impact on employees and businesses, and the need for structural change. We also delved into her new podcast, The Alcohol Debate.

“We are pretty much the only country in the world where alcohol addiction is not a protected disability. Employers encourage drinking, then punish people when it becomes a problem. That needs to change.”

In this episode, we dive into the history, structure, and impact of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Our guests, Tim, a long-standing member and trustee on the General Service Board, and Dr Kieran Moriarty, founder of Alcohol Care Teams and AA trustee, share their insights into the organisation’s role in supporting individuals struggling with alcohol dependence.

Tim outlines AA’s origins in 1935, its foundational principles, and how it operates as a fellowship rather than a governing body. Kieran discusses the success of AA as outlined in a Cochrane review and NICE Quality Standard on alcohol-use disorders.

A key takeaway is the power of community in recovery. As Tim puts it:

“AA isn’t about rules or restrictions; it’s about one alcoholic helping another. That’s where the real change happens.”

To find information on AA, including meetings, visit: https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/

On this month’s podcast we spoke to Will Prochaska, Leader of the Coalition to End Gambling Ads and former Chief Executive of the charity Gambling with Lives. We discussed:

* What the gambling world looks like.

* The harms associated with gambling.

* Why New Labour’s liberalisation of gambling was "one of the worst things we did as a government" according to Alastair Campbell.

* The many similarities in how the alcohol and gambling industries behave.

* And the pros and cons of a levy on the gambling industry.

On the podcast Mr Prochaska said:

“The industry would like to present that only those people who are addicted are harmed. But actually, there are a whole host of lower level harms that aren’t given the importance they deserve.”

On Wednesday 27 November, after our podcast recording, the government announced that it will introduce a £5 per spin limit to online slots betting for adults 25 and older, and a £2 limit per bet for 18 to 24-year-olds. Gambling minister Baroness Fiona Twycross also said that the government would introduce “the first legally mandated” tax on the betting industry, which will be used to fund research, prevention, and treatment of gambling harm. On Twitter Mr Prochaska said:

“Today's announcement of a statutory levy on gambling companies is a hard won step in the right direction, but it must mark the beginning of a full government review of gambling’s place in society."

On this month's podcast we spoke to Dr Aveek Bhattacharya about the decisions taken on alcohol duty in Labour's first Budget in 14 years. We discussed the positives and negatives of the decisions, whether Labour could and should have been more radical, how duty should be structured to cover the cost of alcohol harm, and whether public health groups should have welcomed the decision.