Alcohol Change UK

Who we are

Our vision is of a world free from serious alcohol harm - and our mission is to significantly reduce that harm in the UK.

Alcohol is a part of many of our lives. We use it for celebration, for comfort, to socialise, to wind down, to cope. We treat it differently to other drugs; it’s legal, socially acceptable, even encouraged.

Yet in the UK one person every hour dies as a result of alcohol. Alcohol harm – mental health problems, liver disease, one of seven forms of cancer, economic difficulties, and so much more – can affect any one of us, from any walk of life.

The harm doesn’t end with the individual; each of us who drinks too much is part of a family and a community who feel the effects too, whether through frequent use of emergency services, drink driving, violence or neglect.

We are Alcohol Change UK. We work for a society that is free from the harm caused by alcohol.

We are not anti-alcohol; we are for alcohol change. We are for a future in which people drink as a conscious choice, not a default; where the issues which lead to alcohol problems – like poverty, mental health issues, homelessness – are addressed; where those of us who drink too much, and our loved ones, have access to high-quality support whenever we need it, without shame or stigma.

The problem is complex, and so the solutions aren’t simple. But we’re ambitious. Driven by our belief that every person deserves to live a full life free from alcohol harm, we create evidence-driven change by working towards five key changes: improved knowledge, better policies and regulation, shifted cultural norms, improved drinking behaviours, and more and better support and treatment.

Our culture and values

Three values guide all our work:

Truthful - we seek and tell the truth

Compassionate - we care deeply about everyone seriously harmed by alcohol, whoever they are

Ambitious for Change - we are opimistic and determined

We focus entirely on reducing alcohol harm, working across the whole range of serious alcohol harms, from mental and physical to societal and economic. Driven by our vision of a world with no serious alcohol harm, we work to create five evidence-based changes.

Improved knowledge

The more we all know about alcohol harm, the better we can reduce it. We want alcohol-related policy and practice to be developed on the basis of robust research evidence; new ideas about alcohol harm reduction created, tested and shared; and the knowledge base enriched by the experiences of those affected by alcohol harm

Better policy and regulation

The right changes to laws and regulation can make a difference to millions of real lives. We want to see a policy environment that prioritises the reduction of alcohol harms in all their forms based on robust and reliable evidence. 

Shifted cultural norms

We get people thinking and talking openly about alcohol to create more informed and balanced drinking cultures across the UK, with alcohol playing a less central role. 

Improved drinking behaviours

We work to help more people gain the motivation, confidence and ability to control their drinking, with less need for specialist support.

More and better support and treatment

We work with organisations and practitioners on the treatment frontline to help build a vibrant and diverse treatment sector that is effective, properly funded, well commissioned and coordinated, and easy for people with drinking problems and their families to navigate.