To mark SHAAP’s 20th anniversary, Chair Dr Alastair MacGilchrist and founding member Dr Lesley Graham joined Jem Roberts on the Institute of Alcohol Studies’ Alcohol Alert podcast to reflect on two decades of alcohol policy reform in Scotland.
They discuss how SHAAP helped build the evidence base for minimum unit pricing, why the policy faced six years of legal challenges from the alcohol industry before coming into force, and how that prolonged battle ultimately strengthened the case for other countries to follow Scotland’s lead.
The conversation also examines an issue that is not always discussed openly in public health: what it takes to sustain momentum against a well-resourced opponent. It also considers why medical credibility can succeed where campaigning alone may not. The central lesson from the past twenty years is perhaps best captured by Dr MacGilchrist:
“Everything’s difficult, everything takes a long time, don’t lose heart.”
You can listen to the podcast episode here.