Dave Boulger

Increase in alcohol deaths in England an ‘acute crisis’ The persistent higher rate of alcohol deaths in England since the pandemic in 2020 is an “acute crisis” requiring urgent action from government, according to a new study led by researchers at the Univ...

We’re in an acute crisis when it comes to the persistent high rate of alcohol deaths since the pandemic. Whilst death rates were stable between 2009-2019, they increased by a fifth in 2020 and a further 13.5% between 2020 and 2022.

www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/increas...

Trends in alcohol-specific deaths in England, 2001–22: an observational study Alcohol-specific deaths in England remain high and increased after the COVID-19 pandemic. Policies should aim to reduce rates of alcohol consumption at the population level. Substantial investment is ...

We've got a new paper out today in @thelancetph.bsky.social, led by @melissaoldham.bsky.social, looking at the sharp increase in alcohol-specific deaths in England since the start of the pandemic and digging into which groups in the population have been worst affected
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Why men are so unhealthy - and what can be done Men are more likely to die prematurely than women - and worse at seeking care when they need it.

Interesting article on mens health. It is a bit simplistic but raises important points about health literacy, confidence, and perceptions of masculinity:
www.bbc.com/news/article...

Doctors urge government to fight poverty after rise in patients with Victorian diseases Survey finds vast majority of doctors are concerned at impact of health inequalities on their patients

Terrible #PublicHealth and #poverty: can't tackle the first without dealing with the second

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

20 mph speed limits and zones: public health impacts How can 20 mph speed limits and zones provide public health benefits? What are the challenges for interpreting the evidence, and policy considerations?

1/2. The evidence on 20mph speed limits from Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) post.parliament.uk/research-bri...

🧵 #5FromFPH – Five highlights from the Faculty and our partners on Bluesky this week as we work together to support Better Health For All, leaving no one behind.

Record breaking new poverty data (for 2023/4) for all the wrong reasons.

📈Record number children in poverty - 4.5m
📈Record number people experiencing food insecurity - 7.5m
📈Record number people in households using a food bank in previous 12 months - 2.8m (1.1m of whom were children)

Interpreting the latest life expectancy data What's happening to life expectancy in the UK? Myriam Vriend and Anna Gazzillo interpret the latest data on period and cohort life expectancy.

Our updated analysis on life expectancy, including latest data, shows the UK continuing to lag behind other advanced nations.

While those born today are still expected to live longer than previous generations, they aren't expected to live as long as previously thought ⬇️

buff.ly/TZCLYMj

T&V Bill passes into the House of Lords as MPs resoundingly vote to phase out the sale of tobacco to the next generation. One step closer to #smokefreegeneration

Great new analysis showing that smoking isn't just bad for health it's bad for our economy. It creates almost no UK jobs and if people bought other things it would create 135k jobs. Time to create a #smokefreegeneration

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we have been conditioned to accept that the policy solution is to build more roads
expose, debunk, and confront those who are shaping current narratives that devalue or obstruct physical activity related policy

Commercial Determinants of physical inactivity

HT @kentbuse.bsky.social

Feels like we are on the cusp of a really exciting and fundamental shift in how we design and provide services for the public in #GreaterManchester through our #LiveWell approach.

What does it take to lead in local gov today?

What skills, mindsets & qualities are needed to navigate the choppy waters surrounding public services?

After a year of exploring with our council network, our new report shares what we found 💡 buff.ly/JiKVood

Congratulations to the cities of Córdoba, Argentina; Fortaleza, Brazil; and Greater Manchester, UK for being honored at the 2025 #Cities4Health Summit for their public health achievements! Your dedication to creating healthier urban environments sets a remarkable example for cities worldwide.

Fantastic week sharing our Greater Manchester experiences and learning from amazing cities and inspirational people. It fills me with hope during these challenging times ❤️

Where people live, work and play has ‘profound impact’ on health – report The wealthier people are, the more likely they are to have access to places that keep them healthy, the Royal Society for Public Health said.

Where people live, work, learn and play has a profound impact on their life. 🏠🏫🏢

We want to make sure that the environments we spend our time in don't hinder our health, but improve it.

Read some of the report's coverage in the @the-independent.com 👇
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/roya...

infographic showing that adjusting calculations of cost of living to better reflect the spending habits of poorer households, the disparity for poorer households in Britain is even worse compared to the OECD average.

Infographic showing that for food, communications and clothing - the UK is cheaper than the OECD average.

Despite this, poorer households in Britain pay more for housing compared to higher income households. And housing in the UK is particularly expensive compared to OECD averages.

The high cost of housing, and the higher amount of their budgets that poorer households spend on this, means that the UK is relatively more expensive for poorer families than it is for the population as a whole.

Why is it more expensive to be poor in Britain?

Low-to-middle income households in Britain fare worse than their German. French and Dutch counterparts.

Promotional graphic for 'UK Poverty 2025' webinar, featuring a collage with four individuals seated at a table. It will take place Thursday, January 30th 2025, from 10:30am to 12 pm.

📉 How can Labour tackle poverty in the UK in 2025?

On 30 Jan, we'll be discussing our annual UK Poverty report - and how the government can create lasting change through access to good work, social security reforms and affordable housing.

Sign up here: events.zoom.us/ev/AlxlUn_TR...

One in six UK workers skipping meals to make ends meet, says TUC Trade unions body finds 17% have skipped meal in past three months, and as many as 10% do so most days

People shouldn't have to choose between making ends meet and their health.

The cost-of-living crisis is also a public health crisis.

If we want to secure a healthier, happier nation, healthy foods must be made accessible to everyone. 🍏

www.theguardian.com/business/202...

I planned to do the same today, but then decided to see if I could encourage some x friends to join me here before I left that cesspit for good.

Want to cut back on drinking alcohol this January or are thinking of trying Alcohol Change UK's Dry January?

In this blog, Professor Sir Ian Gilmore shares his top tips to help you cut down on drinking and improve your health.

ahauk.org/top-tips-to-...

The Tobacco & Vapes Bill is a game-changer for a smokefree future, but it’s just the start. To help 6 million smokers quit, we need aligned efforts across the NHS and local gov – and proper funding for services and campaigns. With the right support, real progress is within reach.

Changing public perceptions of alcohol, alcohol harms and alcohol policies: A multi‐methods study to develop novel framing approaches Background and aims Public perceptions of alcohol and its related harms and policies are shaped by multiple discourses and can influence behaviour and policy support. As part of a FrameWorks-informe...

Our new paper on how to change public perceptions of alcohol, its harm and possible policy responses is now published in @addictionjournal.bsky.social

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Inequalities in the prevalence recording of 205 chronic conditions recorded in primary and secondary care for 12 million patients in the English National Health Service - BMC Medicine Background Understanding the prevalence of diseases and where it is detected and recorded in healthcare settings is important for planning effective prevention and care provision. We examined inequali...

New publication from Shaolin Wang, Shing Lau, @mattxsutton.bsky.social, Michael Anderson, Laura Anselmi & colleagues. Exploring inequalities in the prevalence of 205 conditions by the setting of recording in England.

Read it here 👇
bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

Simple home modifications like grab rails, ramps and stairlifts, funded by Disabled Facilities Grants, can reduce falls and keep people out of care homes.

Life-changing for patients, with obvious cost benefits for the NHS and local authorities.

More detail on the stats: https://buff.ly/4fNuGhG

10GM Population Health Programme Report

10GM’s Population Health programme works with VCSE & statutory partners to strengthen the role and influence of the VCSE sector in GM’s population health system & actively contribute to a measurable improvement in the health of residents. Find out more about this work: https://buff.ly/404KnLN

Image shows the 10GM logo with the text "Proud to support Race Equality Week"

Race Equality Week is an annual UK-wide movement uniting hundreds of thousands of organisations and individuals to address the barriers to race equality in the workplace.

We're in; are you?

Find out more: www.raceequalitymatters.com/race-equalit...

#REW25 #EveryActionCounts

A promotional image for the Better Health Smoke-Free campaign. The background is light blue, with bold black text that reads: "Make 2025 the year you quit smoking." The words "quit smoking" are highlighted in a dark box for emphasis. Below, in smaller text, it says: "We can help you quit for good." On the right, a young woman with light blue hair, wearing a green jumper, is smiling. The NHS and Better Health Smoke Free logos are in the top corners.

For someone smoking 10 cigarettes a day, completely quitting from 1 January could save a day of life by 8 January, a week by 5 February, and a month by 5 August. By the end of the year, that’s 50 days of life regained.

www.nhs.uk/better-healt...

Great to see @davidjbuck.bsky.social reference our #populationhealth work in Greater Manchester in this blog - "The key learning from GM’s journey for others is the importance of a strong and shared vision, coherent and distributed leadership, and long-term unshakeable commitment over time." #proud

Local authority dashboard Explore data for your local authority and neighbourhood

What builds good health?

Regularly updated and free to access, our local authority dashboard offers insights into the state of health and #HealthInequalities across England.

Explore the data for your local area now 👇

https://buff.ly/3W5QTk6