Alcohol companies could face tighter restrictions on advertising in order to protect society’s most vulnerable, under new proposals which have been set out by the Scottish Government.
The public’s views are being sought on plans to restrict adverts for alcohol at sporting events, on buses, and online and elsewhere – to reduce the appeal of alcohol and improve the nation’s health.
Proposals have been informed by the Children’s Parliament and the Young Scot Health Panel, delivering on the Government’s commitment to ensure that children and young people’s views are heard.
This is the latest step in efforts to reduce harmful drinking and alcohol-related harms in Scotland and follows the successful introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing, which has already reduced purchases of cheaper, more potent alcoholic drinks.
The public consultation is in line with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended approach to comprehensively restrict exposure to alcohol marketing.
Public Health Minister, Maree Todd, said:
“There is clear evidence that adverts which glamorise drinking can encourage young people to drink alcohol and have a detrimental impact on those in recovery from problem alcohol use.
“We are making progress already – with our minimum unit pricing reducing alcohol sales in the off-trade – but with 1,245 alcohol related deaths last year we know that more needs to be done if we are to tackle Scotland’s problematic relationship with alcohol.
“This consultation is an important step in doing that, and I am extremely grateful for the young voices who have helped us get this far.”
The public can view the proposals and give their views on the Scottish Government consultation website. The consultation will run for 16 weeks to allow for the Christmas holiday period and February recess, closing on 9 March 2023.
Public Health Scotland (PHS) have published a report which evaluates the price and range of alcohol products in the Scottish off-trade sector in the 12 months following the implementation of Minimum Unit Pricing of alcohol (MUP).
The research shows that the average price of alcoholic drinks in the off-trade increased in Scotland to a greater extent than was seen in England and Wales over the same period. The increase in average prices during the study period was also greater than the rises seen between the two years in Scotland prior to MUP.
Before the implementation of MUP, supermarkets tended to have lower alcohol pricing than convenience stores. In the first 12 months after the introduction of MUP, prices in supermarkets increased more than those in convenience stores, meaning that both had a similar pricing level.
The greatest increases in price were seen in the types of alcoholic drinks that were priced the lowest relative to their alcohol by volume (ABV) prior to MUP, such as some ciders, perries and supermarket own-brand spirits – all of which tended to be priced below £0.50 per unit prior to MUP being implemented. The products that increased the least in average price, such as some ready-to-drink beverages, or those that decreased in price, such as some fortified wines in convenience stores, appeared most likely to see increased sales.
Changes were seen in sales across different container sizes, including reductions in the amount sold in larger single-item containers, especially for some ciders and own-brand spirits in containers of 1 litre and over. The amount of beer and cider sold in the largest multipacks also declined, while sales in smaller multipacks increased.
Dr Karl Ferguson, Public Health Intelligence Adviser at Public Health Scotland, said:
“In the first 12 months after MUP was implemented, we found that, especially for products that were priced below £0.50 per unit of alcohol prior to MUP, prices went up, the amount sold in larger container sizes went down, and sales also declined. We also found that, because of the price increase, even in instances where the volume of sales went down, the value (£) of sales remained fairly constant or increased.”
Most data (price outcomes, container size, multipacks, volume and value sales) were derived from weekly off-trade electronic point of sale data covering May 2016 to April 2019, obtained from market research specialist NielsenIQ.
The Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) is commissioned by the Scottish Government Health Directorates to provide reliable information on the health, and factors related to health, of people living in Scotland that cannot be obtained from other sources.
The series aims to:
estimate the occurrence of particular health conditions
estimate the prevalence of certain risk factors associated with health
look at differences between regions and between subgroups of the population
monitor trends in the population’s health over time
make a major contribution to monitoring progress towards health targets
For the first time, the data for the diet chapter of the SHeS, provides comparison with the SDGs as they were collected by a new methodology developed by Food Standards Scotland (FSS).
The overall picture of diet in Scotland remains very poor, with fibre intake among the worst of the survey results. Diets which are high in fibre are associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and bowel cancer.
The data shows that, on average, adults consumed 17.2g of fibre per day, well below the target of 30g. Men, who typically have a higher total food intake, were more likely to achieve the target (8%), compared with women (5%).
Key findings from the report show that in 2021:
revalence of hazardous or harmful weekly alcohol consumption has reduced from 34% in 2003 to 23% in 2021. Nine per cent of adults reported ever having had a problem with alcohol, with 1% saying they still had a problem.
Five per cent of adults were current e-cigarette users, a reduction from 7% each year between 2015 and 2019.
Thirty per cent of adults were living with obesity. This was similar to or marginally higher than rates in each year since 2008 (ranging from 27% to 29%).
Around one in five of all adults consumed five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day (22%). This was similar to levels since 2003 (21% in 2003).
One in five children (20%) aged 2 to 15 met the five-a-day recommendation for consumption of fruit and vegetables. This was significantly higher than in the years 2008 to 2019.
Almost half of all adults (48%) met the Scottish Dietary goal to reduce total fat intake to no more than 35% of food energy. Around one in five adults (22%) met the Scottish Dietary Goal for free sugarsintake to not exceed 5% of total energy.
Food Standards Scotland have launched a campaign aimed at encouraging people to take a daily vitamin D supplement.
Getting enough vitamin D is important to support bone and muscle health.
In Scotland, between October and March, we don’t get enough of the right kind of sunlight for our bodies to make vitamin D.
Therefore, FSS are recommending that everyone considers taking a supplement containing 10 micrograms (400 IU) of vitamin D daily.
People who are more likely to be deficient in vitamin D are recommended to take a daily supplement all year round. Those more at risk include:
pregnant and breastfeeding women
infants and children under 5 years old
people who have low or no exposure to the sun, for example those who cover their skin for cultural reasons, are housebound, confined indoors for long periods or live in an institution
people from minority ethnic groups with dark skin such as those of African, African-Caribbean and south Asian origin, who require more sun exposure to make as much vitamin D
Visit our website to find out more about vitamin D.
On the 10 November, the Draft National Planning Framework was laid in the Scottish Parliament for approval along with an Explanatory Report that outlines the changes from Draft NPF4 to the Revised Draft. This is a significant milestone for Scotland’s planning system.
The Revised Draft is a product of extensive engagement and collaboration and maintains the direction of travel that gained support through our 3 rounds of consultation: the Call for Ideas (2020), the Position Statement (2020) and Draft NPF4 (2021).
Proposals in NPF4 include:
enabling more renewable energy generation, outside National Parks and National Scenic Areas, to support the transition away from reliance on fossil fuels
supporting emerging low-carbon and zero emissions technologies – including hydrogen and carbon capture – and developments on land that unlock the transformative potential of offshore renewable energy, such as expansion of the electricity grid. Waste incineration facilities would be highly unlikely to receive permission
facilitating creation of cycling or walking routes, low carbon transport, more green spaces and opportunities for play, culture and tourism
helping rural communities grow by enabling more local homes and encouraging a more diverse rural economy
regenerating city and town centres to help them adapt to economic change while enabling people to access shops, schools and workplaces within a 20 minute walk or cycle
adopting a planned and evidence-based approach to delivering good quality and affordable homes that benefit communities.
NPF4 is required to be approved by the Scottish Parliament, then adopted by Scottish Ministers. On adoption we will commence the provisions in the Planning Act which will make NPF4 part of the statutory development plan.
The Scottish Government has officially commenced the development of the new National Marine Plan. This announcement follows the previous National Marine Plan Review in 2021 and the government’s decision in Programme for Goverment 2022 – 2023.
The first National Marine Plan was developed in 2015. It is now time to develop the new plan to face the twin crisis of climate change and nature loss and to support Scotland’s Blue Economy. Effectively managing how we use our marine space is critical in our transition to net zero by 2045.
The University of the West of Scotland are running on Online Open day on Wednesday 30 November, where potential students can find out more about the BSc (Hons) in Environmental Health with Professional Practice and studying at the University of the West of Scotland. This degree course is accredited by the Institute and is the ideal step to becoming an Environmental Health Officer in Scotland.
For more information and to book a place go to here.
The Institute’s Annual General Meeting will this year be held in hybrid format, on Friday 18 November 2020 at 2pm. It will be held at the Edinburgh Training and Conference Venue and on MS Teams and is open to members of the Institute. Members should have received their papers by now which includes the agenda and details of nominees who are up for election to the Institute’s Council. To register to attend please refer to the Institute’s website: REHIS Environmental Health Update and Annual General Meeting – REHIS
Professional Development Opportunities
The Institute has a number of training and professional development opportunities currently taking bookings. These can be found athttps:/event-type/rehis-events/ and include Dog Control Training, the annual Pollution Update, the annual Health and Safety Update and the Institute’s Environmental Health Update which precedes the AGM. The Northern and Southern Centres also have training events available for booking on Smoke Nuisance and Gas Safety respectively.
The dog control training has been long anticipated and it would be hoped as many officers as possible, who have responsibility for serving Dog Control Notices, can manage to attend the training. Bookings for the in person day (3 November) must be made by Friday 28 October.https:/events/dog-control-training-part-2/ This day includes a number of speakers including dog behaviorists and the Dog’s Trust, offering information which can be shared with dog owners to assist in controlling their dog, the signs to look out for, when a dog may be moving towards a point of being out of control, ways to maintain personal safety around dogs and will offer ample time for sharing experiences. Delegates attending either/both training sessions from a local authority need not provide a purchase order number at the time of booking as funding made available by the Scottish Government can be utilized to attend the training.
Community Training – Save the Date
The REHIS Food and Health Update Seminar is being held on the morning of Wednesday 15 March 2023 (half day). The intention is to host this as a hybrid event. Details to follow in the coming months.
The multi-agency Incident Management Team (IMT) said there have been no new cases of the infection in more than 28 days, meaning that the outbreak has been concluded.
A total of 57 cases were identified and five nurseries in Musselburgh and Haddington were closed as a safety precaution during the outbreak of E-coli.
The IMT, which was formed to manage the outbreak response, thanked all of the affected families for helping to contain the outbreak and prevent further spread through the community.
Dr Graham Mackenzie, Consultant in Public Health Medicine and Chair of the IMT, said: “We are very grateful to families, nurseries, and other workplaces affected by this outbreak. Your collective action has helped to minimise the onward spread of this dangerous bug.”
Letters advising families about the conclusion of the outbreak and the most up to date information have also been issued.
Work is still continuing behind the scenes by the health care scientists in epidemiology and microbiology to try and identify the source of the infection.
The Health Protection Team is also working with and supporting some families through the clearance process, which is a normal part of an E. coli outbreak.
Dr Mackenzie reminded families of the need for ongoing good hand hygiene, especially as Scotland experiences an overall rise in the number of cases of E-coli.
He added: “This outbreak has highlighted the importance of careful handwashing, with soap and warm water, and drying hands thoroughly, before eating and after going to the toilet.
“It also reinforces the need to stay off nursery, school or work, while unwell. With most vomiting and diarrhoea illnesses it is important to stay off for 48 hours after symptoms have stopped. E. coli is different because of the seriousness of infection.
“The outbreak in Haddington and Musselburgh has coincided with a national rise in E. coli cases. It is important to remain vigilant.”
Following an increase in the number of detections of avian influenza (bird flu) in wild birds and other captive birds, the Chief Veterinary Officers from England, Scotland and Wales have declared an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) across Great Britain to mitigate the risk of the disease spreading amongst poultry and other captive birds.
This means that from 12:00 noon on Monday 17 October, it will be a legal requirement for all bird keepers in Great Britain to follow strict biosecurity measures to help protect their flocks from the threat of avian flu.
The introduction of the AIPZ comes after the United Kingdom has faced its largest ever outbreak of avian flu with more than 190 cases confirmed across the United Kingdom since late October 2021, with over 40 of these confirmed since the beginning of this month. The East of England has been particularly badly hit with cases in poultry and other captive birds. There have also been cases in the south west and findings in wild birds at multiple sites across Great Britain.
Avian influenza circulates naturally in wild birds and when they migrate to the United Kingdom from mainland Europe over the winter they can spread the disease to poultry and other captive birds. Maintaining strict biosecurity is the most effective method of protecting birds from the virus.
Keepers with more than 500 birds will need to restrict access for non-essential people on their sites, workers will need to change clothing and footwear before entering bird enclosures and site vehicles will need to be cleansed and disinfected regularly to limit the risk of the disease spreading. Backyard owners with smaller numbers of poultry including chickens, ducks and geese must also take steps to limit the risk of the disease spreading to their animals.
Public Health Scotland advises that the risk to public health from the virus is very low and Food Standards Scotland advises that avian influenzas pose a very low food safety risk for consumers. Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.
In a joint statement, the Chief Veterinary Officers for England, Scotland and Wales said:
“Bird keepers have faced the largest ever outbreak of avian flu this year and with winter brings an even more increased risk to flocks as migratory birds return to the United Kingdom.
“Scrupulous biosecurity and hygiene measures are the best form of defence, which is why we have declared an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) across Great Britain, meaning that all bird keepers must take action to help prevent the disease spreading to more poultry and other domestic birds.
“The introduction of an AIPZ means that regardless of whether you keep a few birds or thousands, you are legally required to meet enhanced biosecurity requirements to protect your birds from this highly infectious disease.”
The introduction of an AIPZ follows a decision to raise the risk level for avian influenza incursion in wild Birds in Great Britain from ‘medium’ to ‘high’. For poultry and other captive birds the risk level has been raised from ‘medium’ to ‘high’ at premises where biosecurity is below the required standards, and from ‘low’ to ‘medium’ where stringent biosecurity measures are applied.
The nationwide AIPZ builds on the additional biosecurity measures that were brought in last week as part of the regional housing order that covers Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex. The AIPZ, now in force across Great Britain, does not include a nationwide requirement to house birds. However, this is being kept under constant review.
There has been a prolonged season of avian influenza this year and with the now increased risk during the winter, the need to include a mandatory housing requirement in the AIPZ may arise. Further disease control measures will be based on the latest scientific evidence and veterinary advice.
The AIPZ means bird keepers across Great Britain must:
Keep free ranging birds within fenced areas, and ponds, watercourses and permanent standing water must be fenced off (except in specific circumstances, e.g. zoo birds).
Cleanse and disinfect footwear and keep areas where birds live clean and tidy;
Minimise movement in and out of bird enclosures;
Reduce any existing contamination by cleansing and disinfecting concrete areas, and fencing off wet or boggy areas
Keep domestic ducks and geese separate from other poultry.
Ensure the areas where birds are kept are unattractive to wild birds, for example by netting ponds, and by removing wild bird food sources;
Feed and water your birds in enclosed areas to discourage wild birds;
The Avian Influenza Prevention Zone will be in place until further notice and will be kept under regular review as part of the government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of bird flu.
Dead wild birds may be infected, so don’t touch them unless wearing suitable protective clothing. When found on publicly owned land, the local authority will consider on a case by case basis the removal of carcases.
Poultry keepers and members of the public should consult our latest guidance to check the latest threshold for reporting dead wild birds to Defra’s national GB helpline on 03459 33 55 77 and should not touch or pick them up.
Food Standards Scotland have relaunched their Healthy Eating Tutorial, developed in collaboration with Public Health Scotland.
The tutorial serves as a helpful tool for those looking for an introduction to nutrition, and who may be required to provide healthy eating messages to others as part of their job, for example those working in health and social care, education, community groups, local authorities, retail, catering and food manufacturing. It may also be of interest to consumers who want to learn more about healthy eating.
Along with updated content and modules, the tutorial now carries Continual Professional Development (CPD) hours for REHIS CPD scheme – a score of 80% or more in the optional final assessment will receive a certificate for up to a maximum of 1.5 CPD hours.
The digital tool familiarises users with the Eatwell Guide and aims to demonstrate the importance of a healthy diet and what it’s comprised of; as well as outlining the advice and support available to achieve it.
From 1 October 2022, all short-term let accommodation will need a licence, unless specifically excluded. This will ensure there is a mandatory set of standards that apply to all short-term lets across Scotland.
The new licence is a legal obligation, even if hosts occasionally let out a spare room or sub-let while on holiday for example.
The licensing scheme was developed in response to concerns raised by residents about the impact of short-term let properties on their local communities. It gives councils flexibility to develop licensing schemes that meet local needs, and sits alongside powers for councils to establish short-term let control areas.
To comply with the licence, hosts will be required to meet a set of mandatory conditions which apply across Scotland, plus any additional conditions set by their council.
Anyone operating as a host before 1 October has until 1 April 2023 to apply for a licence and can operate until their application has been determined. New hosts must obtain a licence before accepting bookings and welcoming guests to stay.
Licence fees will vary depending on the local authority, size of property and type of let. Mandatory licence conditions can be found in Schedule 3 of the Licensing Order.
The Scottish Government has committed to working with local authorities, as well as organisations such as Airbnb, Booking.com and the Association of Scotland’s Self Caterers, to review levels of short-term let activity in hotspot areas next summer. This will help the Scottish Government to monitor the impact of these measures on the wider tourism sector, and to assess whether any further measures are required.
Housing Secretary Shona Robison said:
“Our new licensing scheme will support responsible operators and give guests the confidence that their short-term let – be it a flat in Edinburgh, a property for a business trip to the Borders, or a cottage in the Highlands – meets the same set of safety standards.
“These new conditions include measures such as displaying an energy performance rating on listings, or securing valid buildings and public liability insurance. We know the vast majority of short-term lets businesses are already following these safety standards as a matter of best practice, and some are already required by existing legislation.
“We know short-term lets make a positive contribution to Scotland’s tourism industry and local economies, and these measures will allow them to continue doing just that while ensuring this is balanced with the needs of local residents and communities.
“The deadline for applications from existing hosts is 1 April, and I would urge all hosts and operators to contact your local authority as early as possible to learn how to apply.”
Malcolm Roughead, CEO at VisitScotland, said:
“The small accommodation sector is a key contributor to the economy and our high-quality and varied offering is one of the things that makes Scotland such a special destination.
“Through an Industry Advisory Group, we’ve been working closely with representatives from across the sector ahead of introduction of the licensing schemes.
“We’ll continue to give both new and established businesses the right advice to help them through the process of applying for a short-term let licence.”
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