Alcohol

The Royal College of Physicians has a long history of raising awareness of the health damage caused by alcohol and has played a crucial role in the debate surrounding government alcohol policy since its first comments on the gin epidemic in 1725. The RCP remains a leading voice in the public debate on alcohol and coordinates the Alcohol Health Alliance UK (AHA UK), a network of organisations working to reduce alcohol-related harm.

The provides an expert view on alcohol and alcohol-related harm and has, most recently, submitted evidence to: 

• House of Commons Health Committee inquiry on the alcohol strategy - the RCP and AHA UK responses can be downloaded from the end of this page
• House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee inquiry on alcohol guidelines - Download the RCP's written evidence on alcohol guidelines (PDF 745KB)

Alcohol Health Alliance UK

About the AHA UK

The Alcohol Health Alliance UK brings together medical bodies, patient representatives, charities and alcohol health campaigners to:

• highlight the rising levels of alcohol health harm
• propose evidence-based solutions to reduce this harm
• influence decision makers to take positive action to address the damage caused by alcohol misuse.

Our mission is to reduce the damage to health caused by alcohol misuse.

Key messages

• Health Committee Inquiry on the alcohol strategy - AHA UK written evidence, May 2012
• Public health white paper - AHA UK response, March 2011

• Minimum pricing for alcohol
• Treatment services
• Alcohol marketing
• Mandatory code
• Three key messages from the Alcohol Health Alliance

Background and members

The AHA UK was launched on 13 November 2007 in conjunction with the publication of a BBC survey on health services in the UK. It is chaired by Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, the former president of the RCP.

Read the press release launching the Alcohol health Alliance

The AHA UK is comprised of the following organisations:

• Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
• Action on Addiction
• Alcohol and Health Research Trust
• Alcohol Concern
• Alcohol Focus Scotland
• British Association for the Study of the Liver
• British Liver Trust
• British Society of Gastroenterology
• Cancer Research UK
• College of Emergency Medicine
• Faculty of Dental Surgery
• Faculty of Occupational Medicine
• Faculty of Public Health
• Institute of Alcohol Studies
• Medical Council on Alcohol
• National Addiction Centre
• National Heart Forum
• Royal College of Anaesthetists
• Royal College of General Practitioners
• Royal College of Nursing
• Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh
• Royal College of Physicians London
• Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow
• Royal College of Psychiatrists
• Royal College of Surgeons London
• Royal Pharmaceutical Society
• Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems
• Scottish Intercollegiate Group on Alcohol
• UK Public Health Association