Skip to main content
Log in

The Alcohol Health Alliance: The emergence of an advocacy coalition to stimulate policy change

  • Original Article
  • Published:
British Politics Aims and scope

Abstract

This article provides an account of the emergence and early development of the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA), a coalition of organizations including medical bodies, charities and alcohol health campaigners. Launched in 2007, the AHA aimed to re-frame awareness of alcohol consumption and related harms, to gain greater policy saliency for health compared with criminal justice priorities, and to shift policy towards adopting a population approach as compared with a targeted approach to intervention. The strategies used by the AHA to mobilize support and re-frame understanding of the alcohol problem were successful in the short term. The alliance benefited from their links with established powerful institutions that helped them secure a strong presence within the policy arena and in the media, not least by forging relationships with political allies. However, in the longer term, it may be difficult to maintain a position of strength and to combat pre-existing entrenched relationships that favour competing alternative perceptions of the alcohol problem and the appropriate policy response.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. From April 2013 the National Heart Forum became UK Health Forum, ‘Our new name reflects the wider focus of our work today, both within the UK and internationally, across the range of preventable non-communicable diseases that share common risk factors and determinants’ (www.ukhealthforum.org.uk/who-we-are/, accessed 5 December 2013).

  2. These policy briefings (dated 2009) were downloaded from the Website by the research team but they have now been removed (accessed, March 2013).

References

  • ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) (2014) About ASH, http://www.ash.org.uk/about-ash, accessed 22 April 2014.

  • AHA UK (Alcohol Health Alliance UK ) (2013) About AHA UK, website page last updated 9 October 2013 http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/alcohol-health-alliance-uk), accessed 22 April 2014.

  • AMS (2004a) Calling Time: The Nation’s Drinking as a Major Health Issue. London: Academy of Medical Sciences.

  • AMS (2004b) Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit Report on Alcohol Misuse, Press release from academy of medical sciences, published 15 March 2004.

  • Arnott, D. (2012) Lessons from 50 years of tobacco control in the UK. In RCP/UKCTCS. Fifty Years Since Smoking and Health: Progress, Lessons and Priorities for a Smoke Free UK. London: RCP.

    Google Scholar 

  • Babor, T.F. (ed.) (2010) Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity. Oxford: Oxford Medical Publications.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Baggott, R. (2006) York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Alcohol strategy and the drinks industry. A partnership for prevention? http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/1955-drugs-alcohol-prevention-uk.pdf, accessed 22 April 2014.

  • Baggott, R. (2010) A modern approach to an old problem? Alcohol policy and new labour. Policy and Politics 38(1): 135–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • BBC News (2011) Thousands are ‘at risk of alcohol death’ say doctors, BBC News 21 February, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12506127, accessed 2 April 2014.

  • Cairney, P. and Studlar, D.T. (2014) Public health policy in the United Kingdom: After the war on tobacco, is a war on alcohol next? World Medical and Health Policy 6(3): 308–323.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daily Mail (2011) Ministers ‘too cosy with the alcohol trade’ as doctors warn extra 250,000 lives are at risk from liver disease. 21 February 21, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1359008/MPs-cosy-alcohol-trade-Doctors-warn-extra-250k-lives-risk-liver-disease.html, accessed 2 April 2014.

  • Daily Mirror (2011) Ministers accused of being too close to the drinks industry as report warns booze could kill 250,000 in next 20 years. 21 February, http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ministers-accused-of-being-too-close-to-the-drinks-111926, accessed 2 April 2014.

  • Flint, J. and Powell, R. (2012) The english city riots of 2011, ‘Broken Britain’ and the retreat into the present. Sociological Research Online 17(3): 20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foster, J.H., Herring, R., Waller, S. and Thom, B. (2009) The licensing act 2003: A step in the right direction? Journal of Substance Use 14(2): 113–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenaway, J. (2011) How policy framing is as important as the policy context: The story of an english and welsh licensing act 2003. British Politics 6(4): 408–429.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins, B. and Holden, C. (2013) Framing the alcohol policy debate: Industry actors and the regulation of the UK beverage alcohol market. Critical Policy Studies 7(1): 53–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins, B. and Holden, C. (2014) ‘Water dripping on stone’? Industry lobbying and UK alcohol policy. Policy and Politics 42(1): 55–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heclo, H. (1978) Issue networks and the executive establishment. In: A. King (ed.) The New American Political System. Washington DC: American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hellman, M. (2012) Multistakeholder alcohol policy. Goal-based and value-based rationalities in an alcohol marketing task force. In: M. Hellman, G. Roos and J. von Wright (eds.) A Welfare Policy Patchwork: Negotiating the Public Good in Times of Transition. Helsinki, Finland: Nordic Center for Welfare and Social Issues, pp. 143–161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herring, R., Thom, B., Foster, J.H., Franey, C. and Salazar, C. (2008) Local responses to the alcohol licensing act 2003: The case of greater London. Drugs: Education, Prevention And Policy 15(3): 251–265.

    Google Scholar 

  • House of Lords (2015) A New EU Alcohol Strategy? European Union Committee 8th Report of Session 2014−2015. London: The Stationery Office, http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201415/ldselect/ldeucom/123/123.pdf(report); http://www.parliament.uk/documents/lords-committees/eu-sub-com-f/eu-alcohol-strategy/alcohol-strategy-evidence.pdf(writtenevidence).

  • IAS (2004) The strategy: After the long wait, humbug and evasion. Alcohol Alert 2: 1–4.

  • Katikireddi, S.V., Bond, L. and Hilton, S. (2014) Changing policy framing as a deliberate strategy for public health advocacy: A qualitaive policy case study of minimum unit pricing of alcohol. Milbank Quarterly 92(2): 250–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katikireddi, S.V., Hilton, S. and Bond, L. (forthcoming) The role of the Sheffield model on the minimum unit pricing of alcohol debate: The importance of a rhetorical perspective. Evidence and Policy, http://dx.doi.org/10.1332/174426415X14430986392944.

  • Kübler, D. (1999) Ideas as catalytic elements for policy change: Advocacy coalitions and drug policy in Switzerland. In: D. Braun and A. Busch (eds.) Public Policy and Political Ideas. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 116–135.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kübler, D. (2001) Understanding policy change with the advocacy coalition framework: An application to Swiss drug policy. Journal of European Public Policy 8(4): 623–641.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCambridge, J., Hawkins, B. and Holden, C. (2013) Industry use of evidence to influence alcohol policy: A case study of submissions to the 2008 scottish government consultation. PLoS Med 10(4): e1001431.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCambridge, J., Hawkins, B. and Holden, C. (2014) Vested interests in addiction research and policy. The challenge corporate lobbying poses to reducing society’s alcohol problems: insights from UK evidence on minimum unit pricing. Addiction 109(2): 199–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKee, M. (2012) Editorial: Minimum unit pricing for alcohol – The case for action is overwhelming. European Journal of Public Health 22(4): 451.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls, J. (2011) UK news reporting of alcohol: An analysis of television and newspaper coverage. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy 18(3): 200–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls, J. (2012) Time for reform? Alcohol policy and cultural change in England since 2000. British Politics 7(3): 250–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • PMSU (2003) Alcohol Misuse: How Much Does it Cost? London: Cabinet Office.

  • PMSU (2004) Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England. London: Cabinet Office.

  • Rein, M. and Schon, D. (1991) Frame-reflective policy discourse. In: P. Wagner, C.H. Weiss, B. Wittrock and H. Wollman (eds.) Social Sciences and Modern States. National Experiences and Theoretical Crossroads. Cambridge, US: Cambridge University Press, pp. 262–289.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Room, R. (2004) Disabling the public interest: Alcohol strategies and policies for England. Addiction 99(9): 1083–1089.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Royal College of Physicians (2001) Alcohol – Can the NHS afford it? Recommendations for a Coherent Alcohol Strategy for Hospitals. London: Royal College of Physicians.

  • Sabatier, P.A. (1988) An advocacy coalition framework of policy change and the role of policy-oriented learning therein. Policy Sciences 21(2/3): 129–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sabatier, P. and Jenkins-Smith, H. (1993) Policy Change and Learning. Boulder, CO: Westview.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheron, N., Hawkey, C. and Gilmore, I. (2011) Projections of alcohol deaths – A wake-up call. Lancet 377(9817): 1297–1299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sobeck, J. (2003) Comparing policy frameworks: What do they tell us about group membership and participation for policy development? Administration and Society 35(3): 350–374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tether, P. and Harrison, L. (1988) Alcohol Policies. Responsibilities and Relationships in British Government. ESRC Addiction Research Centre, University of Hull, Hull.

    Google Scholar 

  • The Daily Telegraph (2011) 250,000 deaths from alcohol abuse ‘unless Government acts’. 21 February, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/8336726/250000-deaths-from-alcohol-abuse-unless-Government-acts.html, accessed 2 April 2014.

  • The Guardian (2011) Drink deaths: Failure to act will cost an extra 250,000 lives by 2031, say doctors. 21 February, http://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/feb/21/drink-deaths-250000-lives-2031, accessed 2 April 2014.

  • The Independent (2011) 250000 may be killed by alcohol, warn doctors. 21 February.

  • The Stationery Office (2003) Licensing Act 2003 TSO. London: The Stationery Office.

  • University of Stirling (2013) Health First: An evidence-based alcohol strategy for the UK, Stirling, UK: University of Stirling. (also known as the ‘Stirling Report’).

  • WHO (2010) Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful use of Alcohol. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organisation.

  • WHO (2014) Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organisation.

Download references

Acknowledgements

The research leading to these results or outcomes has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no 266813 – Addictions and Lifestyle in Contemporary Europe – Reframing Addictions Project (ALICE RAP). Participant organizations in ALICE RAP can be seen at www.alicerap.eu/about-alice-rap/partners.html. The authors would like to extend their thanks to those individuals who agreed to be interviewed for this study, giving up their valuable time to share their thoughts and experiences. They would also like to thank Susanne MacGregor and James Nicholls for helpful comments on the article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Thom, B., Herring, R., Thickett, A. et al. The Alcohol Health Alliance: The emergence of an advocacy coalition to stimulate policy change. Br Polit 11, 301–323 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1057/bp.2015.50

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/bp.2015.50

Keywords

Navigation