Risk and Substance Use: Framing Dangerous People and Dangerous Places, Feb 21, 2020
Debate rages over communicating messages to the public regarding alcohol consumption during pregn... more Debate rages over communicating messages to the public regarding alcohol consumption during pregnancy. This chapter considers how research-based evidence has been translated into risk communications through three key mechanisms: ‘official’ publications and guidance issued by government departments or health authorities in the UK; websites run by advocacy groups; and midwives at the front line in delivering advice to women. Concern over drinking in pregnancy is not new but over recent decades the ‘risk narrative’ around alcohol has strengthened and the ‘precautionary principle’ has dominated advice on drinking in pregnancy, although systematic reviews and longitudinal prospective studies have found no evidence of harm from low alcohol intake during pregnancy. Official guidance and advocacy sources have become increasingly consistent regarding the way in which alcohol consumption during pregnancy is framed in terms of risk to the foetus, whereas research studies indicate more diverse and nuanced views among midwives. The chapter considers how the issue is framed by different stakeholders and how official sources and advocacy are attempting to shift towards the ‘precautionary principle’. It also illustrates how moral frameworks and value judgements underpin attitudes and approaches towards alcohol consumption in pregnancy and pose questions regarding female autonomy in relation to the rights of the foetus and the responsibility of the mother.
... In: Mental Health Foundation (1996), Too Many for the Road, p. 11 (London, Mental Health Foun... more ... In: Mental Health Foundation (1996), Too Many for the Road, p. 11 (London, Mental Health Foundation). KINGSLEY, S. & MAIR, G. (1983) Diverting Drunks from the Criminal lustice System. ...RACHEL HERRING Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour
Rachel Herring, Betsy Thoma, Mariana Bayley & Jordan Tchilingirian Within the UK, there i... more Rachel Herring, Betsy Thoma, Mariana Bayley & Jordan Tchilingirian Within the UK, there is a drive to encourage the delivery of alcohol screening (or identification) and brief advice (IBA) in a range of contexts beyond primary care and hospitals where the evidence is strongest. However, the evidence base for effectiveness in non-health contexts is not currently established. This paper considers the case of housing provided by social landlords, drawing on two research studies which were conducted concurrently. One study examined the feasibility of delivering alcohol IBA in housing settings and the other the role of training in delivering IBA in non-health contexts including housing. This paper draws mainly on the qualitative data collected for both studies to examine the appropriateness and feasibility of delivering IBA in a range of social housing settings by the housing workforce. Findings suggest that while it is feasible to deliver IBA in housing settings, there are similar challenges and barriers to those already identified in relation to primary care. These include issues around role inadequacy, role legitimacy and the lack of support to work with people with alcohol problems. Results indicate that the potential may lie in focusing training efforts on specific roles to deliver IBA rather than it being expected of all staff.
ABSTRACT Tackling alcohol-related harms crosses agency and professional boundaries, requiring col... more ABSTRACT Tackling alcohol-related harms crosses agency and professional boundaries, requiring collaboration between health, criminal justice, education and social welfare institutions. It is a key component of most multi-component programmes in the United States, Australia and Europe. Partnership working, already embedded in service delivery structures, is a core mechanism for delivery of the new UK Government Alcohol Strategy. This article reports findings from a study of alcohol partnerships across England. The findings are based on a mix of open discussion interviews with key informants and on semi-structured telephone interviews with 90 professionals with roles in local alcohol partnerships. Interviewees reported the challenges of working within a complex network of interlinked partnerships, often within hierarchies under an umbrella partnership, some of them having a formal duty of partnership. The new alcohol strategy has emerged at a time of extensive reorganisation within health, social care and criminal justice structures. Further development of a partnership model for policy implementation would benefit from consideration of the incompatibility arising from required collaboration and from tensions between institutional and professional cultures. A clearer analysis of which aspects of partnership working provide ‘added value’ is needed.
ABSTRACT Young people’s drinking is a matter of social, media, and political concern and the focu... more ABSTRACT Young people’s drinking is a matter of social, media, and political concern and the focus of much policy activity within the United Kingdom. Little consideration has been given to the fact that some young people choose to drink little or not all and our knowledge and understanding of their choices and how they manage not drinking is limited. Nor has much attention been paid to the possibility that the insights of young light and non-drinkers could be useful when thinking about how to change the prevailing drinking culture, but if we are to gauge and engage with the current culture of consumption then we need to understand all parts of it. This qualitative study of young people (aged 16–25) who drink little or no alcohol aimed to further understanding of their lives and choices. The results highlight that choosing not to drink or drink lightly is a positive choice made for diverse reasons with the strongest messages and influences coming from real-life observations. Young people develop strategies to manage not drinking or drinking lightly. Alcohol education messages need to present not drinking as a valid option to young people, parents, and society more broadly.
Based on documentary analyses and interviews with twenty key informants in 2012, this paper analy... more Based on documentary analyses and interviews with twenty key informants in 2012, this paper analyses the shift in British drugs policy towards "recovery" from the perspectives of major stakeholders. The processes involved in reopening the debate surrounding the role of substitution treatment and its re-emergence on to the policy agenda are examined. Drawing on Kingdon's work on agenda-setting, the ways in which methadone maintenance was challenged and defended by key stakeholders in the initial phase of policy development and the negotiation of a "recovery" focus as the organizing concept for British drugs policy are explored. Study limitations are noted.
ABSTRACT In Britain, there have been a number of changes in young people's drinking patte... more ABSTRACT In Britain, there have been a number of changes in young people's drinking patterns over the last decade. Of most concern is the emergence of a 'binge' drinking culture. While there are considerable descriptive data on these changes, there has been little research which seeks to explore them from the perspective of young people themselves. By drawing on the drinking experiences of a sample of 40, young (16-24), white, males and using a youth transitions framework, this paper develops a model of eight drinking styles to describe the meaning young men attributed to their drinking behaviour. The model illustrates that the young men's motivation for drinking and their resulting drinking behaviour changes with variation in context. Differences occurred in drinking style in accordance with drinking venue, drinking companions and drinking time; and with changes in age and status.
ABSTRACT Young people’s drinking is a matter of social, media, and political concern and the focu... more ABSTRACT Young people’s drinking is a matter of social, media, and political concern and the focus of much policy activity within the United Kingdom. Little consideration has been given to the fact that some young people choose to drink little or not all and our knowledge and understanding of their choices and how they manage not drinking is limited. Nor has much attention been paid to the possibility that the insights of young light and non-drinkers could be useful when thinking about how to change the prevailing drinking culture, but if we are to gauge and engage with the current culture of consumption then we need to understand all parts of it. This qualitative study of young people (aged 16–25) who drink little or no alcohol aimed to further understanding of their lives and choices. The results highlight that choosing not to drink or drink lightly is a positive choice made for diverse reasons with the strongest messages and influences coming from real-life observations. Young people develop strategies to manage not drinking or drinking lightly. Alcohol education messages need to present not drinking as a valid option to young people, parents, and society more broadly.
Risk and Substance Use: Framing Dangerous People and Dangerous Places, Feb 21, 2020
Debate rages over communicating messages to the public regarding alcohol consumption during pregn... more Debate rages over communicating messages to the public regarding alcohol consumption during pregnancy. This chapter considers how research-based evidence has been translated into risk communications through three key mechanisms: ‘official’ publications and guidance issued by government departments or health authorities in the UK; websites run by advocacy groups; and midwives at the front line in delivering advice to women. Concern over drinking in pregnancy is not new but over recent decades the ‘risk narrative’ around alcohol has strengthened and the ‘precautionary principle’ has dominated advice on drinking in pregnancy, although systematic reviews and longitudinal prospective studies have found no evidence of harm from low alcohol intake during pregnancy. Official guidance and advocacy sources have become increasingly consistent regarding the way in which alcohol consumption during pregnancy is framed in terms of risk to the foetus, whereas research studies indicate more diverse and nuanced views among midwives. The chapter considers how the issue is framed by different stakeholders and how official sources and advocacy are attempting to shift towards the ‘precautionary principle’. It also illustrates how moral frameworks and value judgements underpin attitudes and approaches towards alcohol consumption in pregnancy and pose questions regarding female autonomy in relation to the rights of the foetus and the responsibility of the mother.
... In: Mental Health Foundation (1996), Too Many for the Road, p. 11 (London, Mental Health Foun... more ... In: Mental Health Foundation (1996), Too Many for the Road, p. 11 (London, Mental Health Foundation). KINGSLEY, S. & MAIR, G. (1983) Diverting Drunks from the Criminal lustice System. ...RACHEL HERRING Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour
Rachel Herring, Betsy Thoma, Mariana Bayley & Jordan Tchilingirian Within the UK, there i... more Rachel Herring, Betsy Thoma, Mariana Bayley & Jordan Tchilingirian Within the UK, there is a drive to encourage the delivery of alcohol screening (or identification) and brief advice (IBA) in a range of contexts beyond primary care and hospitals where the evidence is strongest. However, the evidence base for effectiveness in non-health contexts is not currently established. This paper considers the case of housing provided by social landlords, drawing on two research studies which were conducted concurrently. One study examined the feasibility of delivering alcohol IBA in housing settings and the other the role of training in delivering IBA in non-health contexts including housing. This paper draws mainly on the qualitative data collected for both studies to examine the appropriateness and feasibility of delivering IBA in a range of social housing settings by the housing workforce. Findings suggest that while it is feasible to deliver IBA in housing settings, there are similar challenges and barriers to those already identified in relation to primary care. These include issues around role inadequacy, role legitimacy and the lack of support to work with people with alcohol problems. Results indicate that the potential may lie in focusing training efforts on specific roles to deliver IBA rather than it being expected of all staff.
ABSTRACT Tackling alcohol-related harms crosses agency and professional boundaries, requiring col... more ABSTRACT Tackling alcohol-related harms crosses agency and professional boundaries, requiring collaboration between health, criminal justice, education and social welfare institutions. It is a key component of most multi-component programmes in the United States, Australia and Europe. Partnership working, already embedded in service delivery structures, is a core mechanism for delivery of the new UK Government Alcohol Strategy. This article reports findings from a study of alcohol partnerships across England. The findings are based on a mix of open discussion interviews with key informants and on semi-structured telephone interviews with 90 professionals with roles in local alcohol partnerships. Interviewees reported the challenges of working within a complex network of interlinked partnerships, often within hierarchies under an umbrella partnership, some of them having a formal duty of partnership. The new alcohol strategy has emerged at a time of extensive reorganisation within health, social care and criminal justice structures. Further development of a partnership model for policy implementation would benefit from consideration of the incompatibility arising from required collaboration and from tensions between institutional and professional cultures. A clearer analysis of which aspects of partnership working provide ‘added value’ is needed.
ABSTRACT Young people’s drinking is a matter of social, media, and political concern and the focu... more ABSTRACT Young people’s drinking is a matter of social, media, and political concern and the focus of much policy activity within the United Kingdom. Little consideration has been given to the fact that some young people choose to drink little or not all and our knowledge and understanding of their choices and how they manage not drinking is limited. Nor has much attention been paid to the possibility that the insights of young light and non-drinkers could be useful when thinking about how to change the prevailing drinking culture, but if we are to gauge and engage with the current culture of consumption then we need to understand all parts of it. This qualitative study of young people (aged 16–25) who drink little or no alcohol aimed to further understanding of their lives and choices. The results highlight that choosing not to drink or drink lightly is a positive choice made for diverse reasons with the strongest messages and influences coming from real-life observations. Young people develop strategies to manage not drinking or drinking lightly. Alcohol education messages need to present not drinking as a valid option to young people, parents, and society more broadly.
Based on documentary analyses and interviews with twenty key informants in 2012, this paper analy... more Based on documentary analyses and interviews with twenty key informants in 2012, this paper analyses the shift in British drugs policy towards "recovery" from the perspectives of major stakeholders. The processes involved in reopening the debate surrounding the role of substitution treatment and its re-emergence on to the policy agenda are examined. Drawing on Kingdon's work on agenda-setting, the ways in which methadone maintenance was challenged and defended by key stakeholders in the initial phase of policy development and the negotiation of a "recovery" focus as the organizing concept for British drugs policy are explored. Study limitations are noted.
ABSTRACT In Britain, there have been a number of changes in young people's drinking patte... more ABSTRACT In Britain, there have been a number of changes in young people's drinking patterns over the last decade. Of most concern is the emergence of a 'binge' drinking culture. While there are considerable descriptive data on these changes, there has been little research which seeks to explore them from the perspective of young people themselves. By drawing on the drinking experiences of a sample of 40, young (16-24), white, males and using a youth transitions framework, this paper develops a model of eight drinking styles to describe the meaning young men attributed to their drinking behaviour. The model illustrates that the young men's motivation for drinking and their resulting drinking behaviour changes with variation in context. Differences occurred in drinking style in accordance with drinking venue, drinking companions and drinking time; and with changes in age and status.
ABSTRACT Young people’s drinking is a matter of social, media, and political concern and the focu... more ABSTRACT Young people’s drinking is a matter of social, media, and political concern and the focus of much policy activity within the United Kingdom. Little consideration has been given to the fact that some young people choose to drink little or not all and our knowledge and understanding of their choices and how they manage not drinking is limited. Nor has much attention been paid to the possibility that the insights of young light and non-drinkers could be useful when thinking about how to change the prevailing drinking culture, but if we are to gauge and engage with the current culture of consumption then we need to understand all parts of it. This qualitative study of young people (aged 16–25) who drink little or no alcohol aimed to further understanding of their lives and choices. The results highlight that choosing not to drink or drink lightly is a positive choice made for diverse reasons with the strongest messages and influences coming from real-life observations. Young people develop strategies to manage not drinking or drinking lightly. Alcohol education messages need to present not drinking as a valid option to young people, parents, and society more broadly.
Uploads