Apr 24 2024BMJ Public health experts are calling for a ban on alcohol industry-funded education programmes in UK universities and schools, which they say normalize drinking and downplay the long-term health risks of alcohol.
But in the UK, universities continue to welcome initiatives funded by Drinkaware - a charity funded by major alcohol producers and retailers, venues and restaurant groups - intended to educate students about "responsible" drinking skills. But Mark Petticrew at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said this focuses on the short-term effects of getting drunk. "Food has no relevance to the longer-term harms of alcohol, including cardiovascular disease, cancers and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders," he argues.
In Wales, universities were given a toolkit to assess whether they are keeping students safe from alcohol created by the Welsh government, NUS Wales, and Drinkaware.