This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/sep/22/glasgow-alcohol-free-drinks-festival-aims-to-help-change-culture
The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
Next version
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| A pint of mindful, please: festival makes it cool to be teetotal in Glasgow | A pint of mindful, please: festival makes it cool to be teetotal in Glasgow |
| (4 months later) | |
| It has all the offerings of a typical drinks festival: beer on tap, live music, cocktail masterclasses and competitions to find the best bartender. But the mindful drinking festival coming to Glasgow next month is missing one key ingredient: alcohol. | It has all the offerings of a typical drinks festival: beer on tap, live music, cocktail masterclasses and competitions to find the best bartender. But the mindful drinking festival coming to Glasgow next month is missing one key ingredient: alcohol. |
| Billed as Scotland’s first alcohol-free drinks festival, the event is organised by Club Soda, a mindful drinking movement with 23,000 members across the UK, and aims to meet growing demand from pubs and bars keen to learn more about alternatives amid rising concern about the health risks of alcohol abuse. | Billed as Scotland’s first alcohol-free drinks festival, the event is organised by Club Soda, a mindful drinking movement with 23,000 members across the UK, and aims to meet growing demand from pubs and bars keen to learn more about alternatives amid rising concern about the health risks of alcohol abuse. |
| “Glasgow recognises itself as a hard-drinking city, and I get the impression that, collectively, people know this is something it needs,” says Laura Willoughby, campaigner and co-founder of Club Soda. It will be the first time the movement has held a festival outside London. | “Glasgow recognises itself as a hard-drinking city, and I get the impression that, collectively, people know this is something it needs,” says Laura Willoughby, campaigner and co-founder of Club Soda. It will be the first time the movement has held a festival outside London. |
| Willoughby says prominent public health campaigns, as well as strict drink-driving laws and a vocal debate about Scotland’s alcohol problems, have fuelled a change in attitudes. “Our members in Scotland are far more willing to talk about it because there doesn’t seem to be the stigma around changing your drinking that there is in England,” she says. | Willoughby says prominent public health campaigns, as well as strict drink-driving laws and a vocal debate about Scotland’s alcohol problems, have fuelled a change in attitudes. “Our members in Scotland are far more willing to talk about it because there doesn’t seem to be the stigma around changing your drinking that there is in England,” she says. |
| Despite 21% of Scots declaring themselves teetotal in 2017, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), alcohol consumption in Scotland remains high. A report by NHS Health Scotland found that enough alcohol had been sold in Scotland in 2017 for every adult to exceed the official guidelines by 40% every week of the year. Focused efforts by the Scottish government, including minimum alcohol unit pricing, which came into force in May, have aimed to tackle this. | Despite 21% of Scots declaring themselves teetotal in 2017, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), alcohol consumption in Scotland remains high. A report by NHS Health Scotland found that enough alcohol had been sold in Scotland in 2017 for every adult to exceed the official guidelines by 40% every week of the year. Focused efforts by the Scottish government, including minimum alcohol unit pricing, which came into force in May, have aimed to tackle this. |
| Dr Eric Carlin, director of Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems, welcomes the move to challenge the entrenched notion that socialising and drinking must go hand in hand. | Dr Eric Carlin, director of Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems, welcomes the move to challenge the entrenched notion that socialising and drinking must go hand in hand. |
| “One of the things we’ve found talking to people is that often they’re quite embarrassed about saying they’re not drinking,” he says. “We thoroughly support any move that would make it normal to be out having a good time without alcohol being a part of it all the time.” | “One of the things we’ve found talking to people is that often they’re quite embarrassed about saying they’re not drinking,” he says. “We thoroughly support any move that would make it normal to be out having a good time without alcohol being a part of it all the time.” |
| This is something Rhona Burton, 28, from Glasgow can relate to. After suffering from crippling anxiety following a period of heavy drinking, she decided to cut back on alcohol and has now quit altogether. “Not drinking still holds connotations of being no craic,” she says. “I personally waited so long because I was worried what people would think of me.” | This is something Rhona Burton, 28, from Glasgow can relate to. After suffering from crippling anxiety following a period of heavy drinking, she decided to cut back on alcohol and has now quit altogether. “Not drinking still holds connotations of being no craic,” she says. “I personally waited so long because I was worried what people would think of me.” |
| So is there a new generation of Scots shunning alcohol? “Young people are drinking less than they ever have been in Scotland,” says Carlin. “However, the ones who are drinking are probably drinking a lot more than used to be the case, so there’s a need for targeted action.” | So is there a new generation of Scots shunning alcohol? “Young people are drinking less than they ever have been in Scotland,” says Carlin. “However, the ones who are drinking are probably drinking a lot more than used to be the case, so there’s a need for targeted action.” |
| According to the ONS release on adult drinking habits in Great Britain, Scots report drinking less overall than in England, but have higher rates of binge-drinking. | According to the ONS release on adult drinking habits in Great Britain, Scots report drinking less overall than in England, but have higher rates of binge-drinking. |
| Carlin also stresses the importance of addressing drinking among older people, particularly in middle age. “That’s the group which is drinking the most in Scotland, and suffering the most harm as a result,” he says. | Carlin also stresses the importance of addressing drinking among older people, particularly in middle age. “That’s the group which is drinking the most in Scotland, and suffering the most harm as a result,” he says. |
| In a bid to reach this audience, the mindful drinking festival will run workshops and talks in collaboration with Drink Wise Age Well, a Glasgow-based campaign aimed at helping people make healthier alcohol choices as they age. | In a bid to reach this audience, the mindful drinking festival will run workshops and talks in collaboration with Drink Wise Age Well, a Glasgow-based campaign aimed at helping people make healthier alcohol choices as they age. |
| Both Willoughby and Carlin believe accessibility to alternative drinks is key to aiding healthier choices. Low-alcohol and no-alcohol offerings have seen fast-growing consumer interest. According to figures from Kantar Worldpanel, sales of beer and cider with less than 1.2% alcohol grew by nearly 30% last year compared with 2015. | Both Willoughby and Carlin believe accessibility to alternative drinks is key to aiding healthier choices. Low-alcohol and no-alcohol offerings have seen fast-growing consumer interest. According to figures from Kantar Worldpanel, sales of beer and cider with less than 1.2% alcohol grew by nearly 30% last year compared with 2015. |
| BrewDog, a craft brewer based in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, reported a 53.5% rise in sales of its 0.5% beer Nanny State in Scotland in 2017. | BrewDog, a craft brewer based in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, reported a 53.5% rise in sales of its 0.5% beer Nanny State in Scotland in 2017. |
| “I still think Scotland has a long way to go with drinking, as you are trying to retrain a culture,” says Rhona Burton. “But I think bringing a cool status to sobriety would help us rethink.” | “I still think Scotland has a long way to go with drinking, as you are trying to retrain a culture,” says Rhona Burton. “But I think bringing a cool status to sobriety would help us rethink.” |
| A Scottish Government spokesperson said: | A Scottish Government spokesperson said: |
| “It’s no secret Scotland has a troubled relationship with alcohol, with nearly 700 hospital admissions and an average of 22 deaths per week from alcohol misuse. | “It’s no secret Scotland has a troubled relationship with alcohol, with nearly 700 hospital admissions and an average of 22 deaths per week from alcohol misuse. |
| “A key milestone in tackling this was the introduction of minimum unit pricing earlier this year, which will save lives, reduce hospital admissions and, ultimately, have positive impacts across our communities. | “A key milestone in tackling this was the introduction of minimum unit pricing earlier this year, which will save lives, reduce hospital admissions and, ultimately, have positive impacts across our communities. |
| “Ventures such as the Mindful Drinking Festival are always welcome, providing as they do, a friendly, sociable space for people to have a good time while enjoying an alternative to alcoholic drinks.” | “Ventures such as the Mindful Drinking Festival are always welcome, providing as they do, a friendly, sociable space for people to have a good time while enjoying an alternative to alcoholic drinks.” |
| Alcohol | Alcohol |
| The Observer | The Observer |
| Alcoholism | Alcoholism |
| Health | Health |
| Glasgow | Glasgow |
| Scotland | Scotland |
| Mindfulness | Mindfulness |
| news | news |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |
Previous version
1
Next version