The third edition of ‘Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity’, published by Oxford at the end of 2022, is now also available as a free digital download. This important book is a global look at alcohol misuse, and the group of ten international authors aim to use addiction science to influence social policy on alcohol by showing that the misuse of it is a major determinant of ill health.
Not only is FASD caused by fetal exposure to alcohol, but later in life, those affected by it often turn to alcohol to cope with the secondary challenges associated with FASD. Alcohol advertising and the lack of power in communities targeted by the global alcohol industry is also a big subject.
This book represents an excellent resource for practising clinicians, those involved in addiction science and drug policy, public health, health policy and epidemiology.
“The core of the book is a critical review of the cumulative scientific evidence in seven general areas of alcohol policy: pricing and taxation, regulating the physical availability of alcohol, modifying the environment in which drinking occurs, drinking-driving countermeasures, marketing restrictions, primary prevention programs in schools and other settings, and treatment and early intervention services. The final chapters discuss the current state of alcohol policy in different parts of the world and describe the need for a new approach to alcohol policy that is evidence-based, global, and coordinated.”
The authors of ‘Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity’ include scientists from the USA, Canada, Norway, Finland, Australia and Aotearoa NZ.
The two NZ contributors (both from Massey University) are Sally Casswell and Taisia Huckle.
Sally Casswell is Director of a WHO Collaborating Centre and Co-director of SHORE & Whariki Research Centre, Massey University, New Zealand. Her research interests are in social and public health policy in relation to alcohol and other commodities. She was selected by her peers to receive the Jellinek Memorial Award, the premier international award for alcohol research, for her contributions to 'the understanding of social and cultural drinking patterns and public attitudes' and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. She has published more than 200 articles in peer reviewed international journals, is a member of the World Health Organisation's Expert Advisory Panel on Alcohol and Drug Dependence and the Strategic and Advisory Group, NCDs and is Chair of the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance.
Taisia Huckle is a senior researcher whose research focuses on evidence-based alcohol and public health research to address alcohol-related harm. The major focus has been on original research and knowledge transfer in her areas of research expertise- alcohol consumption and harms, alcohol policy, and alcohol's harm to others. Dr Huckle has published numerous journal articles on alcohol use and has contributed to two World Health Organisation books. She is a Deputy Editor for Drug and Alcohol Review, an international peer reviewed journal, and regularly reviews manuscripts for high impact journals. She has been an invited speaker at national events, presented evidence in Alcohol Regulatory Licensing Authority hearings and regularly presents papers at national and international conferences. She currently has a Sir Charles Hercus Fellowship funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand.
There’s more information and a link to buy the hardcopy here.
You can download your free digital copy here.
