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Welcome

Alcohol Focus Scotland is the national charity working to prevent and reduce alcohol-related harm. More about us

Our vision

A future free from the widespread health and social harm caused by alcohol.

Our mission

To deliver effective and cost-effective action to reduce alcohol consumption and harm in Scotland and beyond.

Our values

Independent, equitable and fair, evidence-based, person-centred, respectful and collaborative.

Alcohol Focus Scotland has joined forces with BMA Scotland, Children in Scotland, Scottish Families affected by Alcohol and Drugs (SFAD) and Scottish Health Action on Alcohol (SHAAP) in a mission to end the harmful impacts of alcohol marketing on children and young people in Scotland.

Alcohol marketing leads children and young people to start drinking earlier, to drink more, and to drink at problematic levels. We need to do more to prevent this.

Find out more and join our campaign »

Key work

Marketing screen

Restricting alcohol marketing

Promoting regulation that reduces the level of exposure – particularly of children and young people and people struggling with alcohol-related issues – to alcohol marketing.

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Price tag

Increasing the price of alcohol

Broadening support for optimising minimum unit pricing by introducing an automatic mechanism linking to affordability.

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Warning label icon

Mandatory health warning labels

For consumers to make an informed choice, alcohol labels need to provide clear product and health information.

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Latest news
Next event

No room for complacency despite alcohol death decrease

Sep 23, 2025: No room for complacency as deaths from alcohol remain appallingly high and more than double the level of 30 years ago says Alcohol Focus Scotland

Ireland’s alcohol advertising controls

Sep 9, 2025: In our latest blog, Dr Sheila Gilheany, CEO of Alcohol Action Ireland, reflects on Ireland’s experience of implementing restrictions on alcohol marketing and advertising - along with a range of other public health measures including minimum unit pricing and labelling laws. Sheila describes the positive impact these measures have had in reducing alcohol consumption in Ireland, and reflects on learning for countries such as Scotland who may be exploring their own restrictions on alcohol marketing and advertising.

New Report: Alcohol advertising fuels drinking

Sep 2, 2025: In a new report published today, Public Health Scotland have concluded that introducing restrictions on alcohol advertising and marketing is an effective and cost-effective way of reducing how much we drink, and in turn improving the health of people living in Scotland.

Alcohol-Free Childhood Campaign Webinar

Nov 6, Online: Join the Alcohol Free Childhood Campaign Partners on Thursday 6th November at 2pm GMT for a webinar exploring the findings of Public Health Scotland’s recent evidence review on alcohol marketing and advertising, and children and young people’s views on how they experience alcohol marketing and what action they would like to see.

The figures

Over 50
deaths in Scotland each week are caused by alcohol
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