BME

Research and Alcohol

"Research and statistics have consistently shown that people from most minority ethnic groups have higher rates of abstention and lower rates of consumption than the majority white ethnic group. However, drinking varies greatly both between and within minority ethnic groups and across gender and socio-economic group, resulting in a very complex national picture of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm across ethnicity." [Black and Minority Ethnic Groups and Alcohol - a scoping and consultation study, Thom B, 2010]

• Black and Minority Ethnic Groups and Alcohol - a scoping and consultation study
  This scoping and consultation project explores the issues relating to drinking, related harms and service provision among Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups in England. In particular the study focuses...
• Ethnicity and alcohol: a review of the UK literature
  Literature review of evidence on drinking patterns among minority ethnic groups in the UK over the last 15 years and on service provision for this group. Full Report and Summary documents available

Treatment Pathways

Local partners should consider undertaking Equality Impact Assessments against proposed pathways and, as a minimum, aim to ensure that service provision is culturally appropriate for those for whom the pathway is designed. In relation to alcohol it will be particularly important to consider the following:

alcohol use is a taboo in some religious cultures, which may lead to reluctance to discuss, openly recognise or seek help for, alcohol problems; Psychotherapeutic interventions are key for dependent drinkers, however, prevailing attitudes in some cultures may make those in need reluctant to discuss personal issues with someone outwith their religion, family or gender group.

To mitigate these and other potential barriers it will be necessary to consider the appropriateness of services within pathways for particular groups in terms of:

• cultural appropriateness for the client group - staffing profile and cross-cultural competence of counsellors
• communication - languages spoken, availability of interpreters, signers, etc
• physical access to services - both in terms of building accessibility, and geographical proximity to concentrations of target populations.

[Local Routes: Guidance for developing alcohol treatment pathways , DH 2009]

Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA)

The 2010 Equality Act contains revised guidance on EqIA including a breakdown of costs and benefits.

"All new policies and services must be subject to an EqIA Part 1 which requires consideration of whether the new policy or service will have a negative or positive impact on equality." [Thom, B 2010]

• Equality Act 2010
  Information on updated legislation and process from the Government Office for Equalities
• Equality Act Impact Assessment
  Updated guidance in line with the Equalities Act 2010 including cost benefit analysis and sectoral guidance.
• Equality Impact Assessment - A step-by-step guide to integrating equality impact assessment into policymaking and review
• Equality impact assessment - summary tool and guidance for policy makers

Data

The North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO) publishes alcohol-related hospital admissions data based on HES.

The presentation below provides an overview of this data in 2010.

• Alcohol related hospital admissions by ethnic group
  Presentation from the Alcohol Improvement Programme BME National Workshop on the 6th July 2010.

BME Workshop Presentations July 2010

• New migrants: alcohol use and culture in a new Europe part 1
  Workshop from the Alcohol Improvement Programme BME National Workshop on the 6th July 2010.
• New migrants: alcohol use and culture in a new Europe part 2
  Workshop from the Alcohol Improvement Programme BME National Workshop on the 6th July 2010.
• Who's "Hard to Reach" - Travellers or alcohol services?
  Workshop from the Alcohol Improvement Programme BME National Workshop on the 6th July 2010.
• Newham after dark: engaging Eastern European communities to tackle problems in the night time economy
  Workshop from the Alcohol Improvement Programme BME National Workshop on the 6th July 2010.
• Developing an effective response to problem drinking in the Leicester Sikh community
  Workshop from the Alcohol Improvement Programme BME National Workshop on the 6th July 2010.
• Equality Impact Assessments (EqIAs)
  Presentation from the Alcohol Improvement Programme BME National Workshop on the 6th July 2010.

Other BME Resources

• Prevention of alcohol and other drug problems in culturally and linguistically diverse communities
  This paper identifies and evaluates primary prevention programs and initiatives aimed at preventing alcohol and other drug use harms in culturally and linguistically diverse communities, focusing mainly...