The UK is in recession – what does this mean for alcohol harm?

Length of time unemployed is linked to alcohol problems – the longer we are out of work, the greater our risk of drinking heavily. It’s likely to affect some disproportionately: black and ethnic minority workers are overrepresented in sectors hit worst by the economic crisis; young workers are most likely to have lost work; and older adults have been shown to increase alcohol use during financial stress. But this isn’t inevitable, Mark Leyshon of Alcohol Change writes.