IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v16y2019i11p1880-d234993.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Local Alcohol Policy Implementation in Scotland: Understanding the Role of Accountability within Licensing

Author

Listed:
  • Alex Wright

    (Global Health Policy Unit, Social Policy, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9LD, UK)

Abstract

Scotland has been ambitious in its policy and legislative efforts to tackle alcohol-related harm, efforts which include the innovative feature of a ‘public health objective’ within local alcohol licensing. However, the persistence of alcohol-related harms and inequalities requires further examination of both the overarching Scottish alcohol strategy and its specific implementation. A qualitative case study was undertaken to explore how alcohol policy is implemented locally in Scotland, with data generated from (i) documentary analysis of 12 relevant policies, legislation, and guidance documents; and (ii) a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 54 alcohol policy implementers in three Scottish localities and nine national-level stakeholders. The data suggest there is a tension between the intentions of licensing legislation and the way it is enacted in practice, and that accountability emerges as an important factor for understanding why this occurs. In particular, there are a lack of accountability mechanisms acting upon Scottish Licensing Boards to ensure they contribute to the public health goals of the Scottish alcohol strategy. From a public health perspective, this has perpetuated a system in which Licensing Boards continue to act with autonomy from the rest of the alcohol policy implementation system, creating a challenge to the achievement of public health goals. Alcohol policy in Scotland is likely to fall short of intended goals as long as the tension between licensing legislation and enacted licensing practices remains.

Suggested Citation

  • Alex Wright, 2019. "Local Alcohol Policy Implementation in Scotland: Understanding the Role of Accountability within Licensing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-21, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:11:p:1880-:d:234993
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/11/1880/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/11/1880/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kelly, Niall & Garvey, John & Palcic, Dónal, 2016. "Health policy and the policymaking system: A case study of primary care in Ireland," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(8), pages 913-919.
    2. Dahlgren, Göran & Whitehead, Margaret, 1991. "Policies and strategies to promote social equity in health. Background document to WHO - Strategy paper for Europe," Arbetsrapport 2007:14, Institute for Futures Studies.
    3. Srinivasa Vittal Katikireddi & Shona Hilton & Chris Bonell & Lyndal Bond, 2014. "Understanding the Development of Minimum Unit Pricing of Alcohol in Scotland: A Qualitative Study of the Policy Process," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(3), pages 1-10, March.
    4. O'Toole Jr., L.J. & Slade, C.P. & Brewer, G.A. & Gase, L.N., 2011. "Barriers and facilitators to implementing primary stroke center policy in the United States: Results from 4 case study states," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 101(3), pages 561-566.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Charles D. H. Parry & Niamh Fitzgerald, 2020. "Special Issue: Alcohol Policy and Public Health—Contributing to the Global Debate on Accelerating Action on Alcohol," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-7, May.
    2. Jintana Jankhotkaew & Sally Casswell & Taisia Huckle & Surasak Chaiyasong & Payao Phonsuk, 2022. "Barriers and Facilitators to the Implementation of Effective Alcohol Control Policies: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-13, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Connolly, Sheelah & Brick, Aoife & O'Neill, Ciarán & O'Callaghan, Michael, 2022. "An analysis of the primary care systems of Ireland and Northern Ireland," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS137, June.
    2. Intima Alrimawi & Michael Craig Watson & Carol Hall & Ahmad Rajeh Saifan, 2019. "Preventing Unintentional Injuries to Children Under 5 in Their Homes: Palestinian Mothers’ Perspectives," SAGE Open, , vol. 9(1), pages 21582440188, January.
    3. Jayeun Kim & Kyuhyun Yoon, 2020. "Municipal Residence Level of Long-Term PM 10 Exposure Associated with Obesity among Young Adults in Seoul, Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-13, September.
    4. Mariusz Duplaga, 2020. "The Use of Fitness Influencers’ Websites by Young Adult Women: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-19, September.
    5. Andreea-Oana IACOBUTA & Livia BACIU & Alina-Mariuca IONESCU & Gabriel Claudiu MURSA, 2015. "Socioeconomic Inequalities In Self-Perceived Health In Romania," Journal of Public Administration, Finance and Law, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 0(Special i), pages 209-224, September.
    6. Exeter, Daniel John & Rodgers, Sarah & Sabel, Clive Eric, 2014. "“Whose data is it anyway?” The implications of putting small area-level health and social data online," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(1), pages 88-96.
    7. Stephen Birch, 1999. "The 39 steps: the mystery of health inequalities in the UK," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 8(4), pages 301-308, June.
    8. Séverine Deguen & Wahida Kihal-Talantikite, 2021. "Geographical Pattern of COVID-19-Related Outcomes over the Pandemic Period in France: A Nationwide Socio-Environmental Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-16, February.
    9. Josep Lloret & Rafael Abós-Herràndiz & Sílvia Alemany & Rosario Allué & Joan Bartra & Maria Basagaña & Elisa Berdalet & Mònica Campàs & Arnau Carreño & Montserrat Demestre & Jorge Diogène & Eva Fontde, 2020. "The Roses Ocean and Human Health Chair: A New Way to Engage the Public in Oceans and Human Health Challenges," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-19, July.
    10. Jobst Augustin & Valerie Andrees & David Walsh & Ralf Reintjes & Daniela Koller, 2023. "Spatial Aspects of Health—Developing a Conceptual Framework," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-15, January.
    11. Hawkins, Benjamin & Durrance-Bagale, Anna & Walls, Helen, 2021. "Co-regulation and alcohol industry political strategy: A case study of the Public Health England-Drinkaware Drink Free Days Campaign," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 285(C).
    12. Eleanor Bulford & Alison Fogarty & Rebecca Giallo & Stephanie Brown & Josef Szwarc & Elisha Riggs, 2022. "Risk and Protective Factors Experienced by Fathers of Refugee Background during the Early Years of Parenting: A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-13, June.
    13. Kearns, Noreen & Pursell, Lisa, 2011. "Time for a paradigm change? Tracing the institutionalisation of health impact assessment in the Republic of Ireland across health and environmental sectors," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(2), pages 91-96, February.
    14. Silvio Cristiano & Samuele Zilio, 2021. "Whose Health in Whose City? A Systems Thinking Approach to Support and Evaluate Plans, Policies, and Strategies for Lasting Urban Health," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-19, November.
    15. Nicolás Barbieri & Raquel Gallego & Ernesto Morales & Maica Rodríguez-Sanz & Laia Palència & M. Isabel Pasarín, 2018. "Measuring and Analysing Community Action for Health: An Indicator-Based Typology and Its Application to the Case of Barcelona," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 139(1), pages 25-45, August.
    16. Fiona O’May & Jan Gill & Heather Black & Cheryl Rees & Jonathan Chick & Barbara McPake, 2016. "Heavy Drinkers’ Perspectives on Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol in Scotland," SAGE Open, , vol. 6(3), pages 21582440166, July.
    17. Jennifer Boyd & Clare Bambra & Robin C. Purshouse & John Holmes, 2021. "Beyond Behaviour: How Health Inequality Theory Can Enhance Our Understanding of the ‘Alcohol-Harm Paradox’," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-12, June.
    18. Lucia Bosakova & Andrea Madarasova Geckova & Jitse P. van Dijk & Sijmen A. Reijneveld, 2020. "Appropriate Employment for Segregated Roma: Mechanisms in a Public–Private Partnership Project," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-18, May.
    19. Mauro Henrique Nogueira Guimarães de Abreu & Alex Junio Silva Cruz & Ana Cristina Borges-Oliveira & Renata de Castro Martins & Flávio de Freitas Mattos, 2021. "Perspectives on Social and Environmental Determinants of Oral Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-9, December.
    20. Gasper, D.R. & Jolly, R. & Koehler, G. & Kool, T.A. & Simane, M., 2020. "Adding human security and human resilience to help advance the SDGs agenda," ISS Working Papers - General Series 131247, International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (ISS), The Hague.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:11:p:1880-:d:234993. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.