Understanding the Lived Experience of Alcohol and Tobacco Environments, 2022-2023

Alcohol and cigarette consumption are key vectors in driving the rise in health inequalities in recent decades. High availability is associated with increased alcohol and tobacco related harms. Our ESRC mixed methods study explored changes in alcohol and tobacco availability across Scotland, population health and the lived experience. The qualitative work package (archived here) aimed to understand the experiences of people living in different alcohol and tobacco environments (as measured by outlet density), explore relationships between outlet density and health behaviours and examine views on a range of potential alcohol and tobacco policy interventions. Data were collected via 11 online focus groups, and two supplementary interviews, (n=45 participants in total) from different neighbourhoods across Scotland. Our sampling frame was designed to include neighbourhoods which had experienced relatively large rises or falls in alcohol or tobacco density over time (identified via our quantitative data), affluent and deprived communities and more rural and urban areas. Alcohol and cigarette consumption are key vectors in driving the rise in health inequalities in recent decades. High availability is associated with increased alcohol and tobacco related harms. Our ESRC mixed methods study explored changes in alcohol and tobacco availability across Scotland, population health and the lived experience. The qualitative work package (archived here) aimed to understand the experiences of people living in different alcohol and tobacco environments (as measured by outlet density), explore relationships between outlet density and health behaviours and examine views on a range of potential alcohol and tobacco policy interventions. Data were collected via 11 online focus groups (n=45 participants in total) from different neighbourhoods across Scotland. Our sampling frame was designed to include neighbourhoods which had experienced relatively large rises or falls in alcohol or tobacco density over time (identified via our quantitative data), affluent and deprived communities and more rural and urban areas. Participants were asked about; the nature of alcohol and/or tobacco availability in their neighbourhood; how they understood availability; what consumption patterns they were aware of in terms of individuals, but also in terms of where availability may shape drinking and/or smoking behaviours; what harms they understood to stem from drinking and/or smoking availability; and about viability and acceptability of range of potential alcohol and tobacco interventions.