What is alcohol policy for? With Dr Katherine SeveriWhat is alcohol policy for? With Dr Katherine Severi
The Alcohol 'Problem' Podcast
Dr James Morris talks with Dr Katherine Severi about how alcohol policies on price, availability and marketing shape harm across society. They also discuss new findings on drinking within parliament and reflect on barriers, evidence and cautious optimism for future change.
33:29•14 Sept 2026
Why Alcohol Policy Matters: Dr Katherine Severi on Power, Price and Harm
Episode Overview
- Structural policies on price, availability and marketing can have the biggest impact on reducing alcohol harm at a population level.
- Evidence from Scotland shows minimum unit pricing is linked to reductions in alcohol-specific deaths and hospital admissions.
- Alcohol industry interests can obstruct effective policies by promoting personal responsibility narratives and opposing measures that affect profits.
- Changing drinking patterns, including rapid home delivery and home consumption, highlight gaps in current regulations designed around pubs.
- The IAS parliamentary report suggests a strong drinking culture, free alcohol at events and limited awareness of support pathways can contribute to workplace harm.
“Oh, well, it's absolutely important to think about the environments within which we live, because our environments obviously shape our choices and our ability to make choices about our lives and our health.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety when the wider drinking culture feels stacked against them? This conversation between Dr James Morris and Dr Katherine Severi looks squarely at the bigger picture: alcohol policy. Rather than focusing on individual drinking stories, the chat zooms out to the systems and rules that shape how much alcohol harms people and communities.
Dr Katherine, Chief Executive at the Institute of Alcohol Studies, talks through how price, availability and marketing are key levers for reducing harm, and why measures like minimum unit pricing have shown such strong results in Scotland while England remains stuck on the sidelines. You’ll hear them unpack common objections – such as the idea that "it’s all about personal responsibility" – and why that argument ignores how environments and addiction affect decision-making.
Dr Katherine points out that alcohol is treated very differently from other risky products, using simple comparisons like paracetamol purchase limits and the way online shopping apps nudge people back towards drinking. The episode also breaks down a recent IAS report on alcohol use in parliament, where free drinks, workplace events and a strong drinking culture create risks for staff and MPs.
Findings such as 1 in 10 respondents reporting harm from someone else’s drinking, and most people not knowing how to raise concerns about a colleague, paint a striking picture of how alcohol can shape even the places where policy is made. Throughout, the tone stays practical and evidence-led, but with a clear sense of hope that change is possible when governments use solid data and the public mood shifts.
If you’re interested in how policies and politics influence alcohol harm, and why that matters for anyone affected by drinking – whether personally or through loved ones – this episode is likely to make you think twice about where real change needs to happen. What kind of alcohol environment would you like to see in your community?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.