Article

Measuring How Public Health Stakeholders Seek to Influence Alcohol Premises Licensing in England and Scotland: The Public Health Engagement In Alcohol Licensing (PHIAL) Measure

Details

Citation

Fitzgerald N, Mohan A, Maani N, Purves R, De Vocht F, Angus C, Henney M, Nicholls J, Nichols T, Crompton G, Mahon L, Mcquire C, Shortt N, Bauld L & Egan M (2023) Measuring How Public Health Stakeholders Seek to Influence Alcohol Premises Licensing in England and Scotland: The Public Health Engagement In Alcohol Licensing (PHIAL) Measure. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 84 (2), pp. 318-329. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.22-00020

Abstract
Objective: In the United Kingdom, some public health teams (PHTs) routinely engage with local alcohol premises licensing systems, through which licenses to sell alcohol are granted. We aimed to categorize PHT efforts and to develop and apply a measure of their efforts over time. Method: Preliminary categories of PHT activity were developed based on prior literature and were used to guide data collection with PHTs in 39 local government areas (27 in England; 12 in Scotland), sampled purposively. Relevant activity from April 2012 to March 2019 was identified through structured interviews (N = 62), documentation analysis, and follow-up checks, and a grading system was developed. The measure was refined based on expert consultation and used to grade relevant PHT activity for the 39 areas in 6-month periods. Results: The Public Health engagement In Alcohol Licensing (PHIAL) Measure includes 19 activities in six categories: (a) staffing; (b) reviewing license applications; (c) responding to license applications; (d) data usage; (e) influencing licensing stakeholders or policy; and (f) public involvement. PHIAL scores for each area demonstrate fluctuation in type and level of activity between and within areas over time. Participating PHTs in Scotland were more active on average, particularly on senior leadership, policy development, and working with the public. In England, activity to influence license applications before decision was more common, and a clear increase in activity is apparent from 2014 onward. Conclusions: The novel PHIAL Measure successfully assessed diverse and fluctuating PHT engagement in alcohol licensing systems over time and will have practice, policy, and research applications.

Keywords
Psychiatry and Mental health; Toxicology; Health (social science)

Journal
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs: Volume 84, Issue 2

Status	Published
Funders	NIHR National Institute for Health Research
Publication date	31/03/2023
Publication date online	31/05/2023
Date accepted by journal	23/08/2022
URL	http://hdl.handle.net/1893/35712
Publisher	Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc.
ISSN	1937-1888
eISSN	1938-4114