alcohol misuse

Untold damage: children's accounts of living with harmful parental drinking

Report that highlights the findings of a collaborative research study undertaken by Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) and the NSPCC's ChildLine in Scotland service to explore children and young people's experiences of harmful parental drinking and the concerns they express about the impact this is having on their lives.

Parental problem drinking and its impact on children

This review of the available research will address the definition and extent of parental problem drinking; its impact across important dimensions of children’s lives; the impact on children as they become adults; and some messages for practice, including a suggested service specification. The research focus is mainly on UK studies published in the last two decades, supplemented by research from other countries, especially the USA, Australia and Europe.

Alcohol attributable mortality and morbidity : alcohol population attributable fractions for Scotland

Summary of the findings of a study which attempted, for the first time, to calculate alcohol population attributable fractions for Scotland using estimates based on evidence available in the epidemiological literature and specific estimates of population drinking in Scotland. The mortality and morbidity data for 2003 was used to estimate more fully the burden of alcohol related harm in Scotland.

How much are people in Scotland really drinking?

Alcohol is a significant and growing problem in Scotland in terms of mortality, morbidity and social harm. From 2001 to 2005, alcohol-related deaths rose by 15% and general hospital admissions by 7% while recent results from the Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey indicate that more people view alcohol as a serious social problem. Yet surveys of alcohol consumption suggest that Scots may be drinking less. As they are the main source of data for national monitoring of drinking behaviour, it is important that survey estimates of alcohol consumption are as robust as possible.

Living with social evils - the voices of unheard groups

Paper dealing with the social evils of UK society as experienced by people whose voices are not usually heard. Workshops/discussion groups with lone parents, ex-offenders, unemployed and other vulnerable and socially excluded people were used to explore personal experiences of living and coping with social evils. Ideas for overcoming them suggest a combined individual and collective responsibility to take forward social change.

National Forum on Drug Related Deaths in Scotland: Annual Report 2008-09

This is the second report from the National Forum on Drug-related Deaths. The drug death statistics published each year in the General Register of Scotland (GROS) report are fundamental to the work of the National Forum. This year the GROS report was more detailed than ever before. The report confirmed a disappointing but not unexpected trend.