An extension of the Alcohol Harm Paradox: The Unrecognised Impact of Drinking on Ethnic Minority Communities
By Jessi Kullar and Dr Liam Barratt
Our relationship with alcohol has shifted over the past 20 years. Many things have improved, particularly the number of young people choosing to drink less and the significant increase in the uptake of low alcohol and alcohol-free products. However, some trends are moving in the wrong direction, including the recent rise in alcohol-specific deaths.
We know that certain groups experience more harm from alcohol than others. Later in 2024, Drinkaware will publish research exploring alcohol use among UK adults from an ethnic minority background and comparing these experiences with those of the white British population.
Here’s a sneak peek at what the research uncovered.
The Alcohol Harm Paradox
The ‘alcohol harm paradox’ is a well-established phenomenon. The ‘paradox’ being that people from deprived backgrounds tend to drink less than the wider population, yet they experience a disproportionately higher number of health harms associated with that consumption.
Why? It’s often tied to financial struggles and limited access to healthcare.
Generally speaking, according to data from the 2011 Census and the House of Commons Library, many minority ethnic groups often face higher levels of socioeconomic disadvantage due to systemic barriers and inequalities – meaning they may be more likely to experience the effects of the paradox.
It’s known that people from some minority ethnic groups are more likely to be affected by alcohol-related health conditions, such as alcoholic liver disease, even though they usually drink less than white British individuals.
An extension of the Alcohol Harm Paradox
However, Drinkaware’s research shows that the alcohol harm paradox extends far beyond health, with ethnic minority drinkers also being particularly more likely to experience other kinds of alcohol-related harms.
Drinkaware found that only 68% of people in ethnic minority communities drink alcohol, compared to 88% of white British adults. Not only do fewer people from ethnic minority groups drink, but when they do, they’re less likely to binge drink and are more likely to stick to the low-risk drinking guidelines.
Even though they drink less, ethnic minority drinkers report more negative consequences from drinking, like blacking out and feeling guilt or remorse after drinking. Plus, they’re more likely to face negative impacts from other people’s drinking— like feeling pressured into sex or being physically threatened.
Disparities in deprived areas
Drinkaware’s research also highlights that this harm worsens for those facing serious socioeconomic challenges.
You might think that people in the most deprived areas, regardless of their ethnicity, would experience similar levels of alcohol-related harm due to the tough conditions they all face. But that’s not what Drinkaware found.
Turns out, ethnic minority drinkers in deprived areas are more likely to show signs of alcohol dependency, like being over twice as likely to drink in the morning. They’re also more likely to report negative consequences from drinking compared to white British drinkers also living in the most deprived areas.
These findings shed light on a key issue: it’s not just about living in deprived areas. There are other factors at play which impact ethnic minority drinkers particularly hard, making them more susceptible to alcohol-related harms compared to their white British counterparts.
The stigma of seeking help
Given these increased risks, it's crucial for ethnic minority drinkers to seek support when needed.
However, stigma often stands in the way – for example, many worry about losing their status within their family or community if they seek help. In fact, Drinkaware found that only 58% of ethnic minority adults felt confident in knowing where to find support about alcohol, compared to 67% of white British adults – something which may be due to the stigmatization of help seeking in some ethnic minority communities.
Although stigma, as well as other factors associated with membership of an ethnic minority group, may act as a barrier to help seeking, Drinkaware also found that ethnic minority adults were actually more likely to have sought support for alcohol issues at some point (10% compared to 7% of white British adults).
This suggests that while stigma is a significant barrier, there's a strong desire for help within these communities.
Embracing anonymity: online support
The stigma around help seeking in many ethnic minority communities may also affect the support choices of ethnic minority drinkers, as Drinkaware found that they were more likely than white British drinkers to opt for anonymous support options, like apps or online communities – platforms which often offer complete anonymity, and so may be more appealing for those worried about being seen seeking help, and shamed for it, by those around them.
Reducing the stigma
So, how do we tackle this stigma?
Drinkaware is focusing on digital and anonymous support tools. Their Drinking Check tool, for instance, helps people understand the risks associated with their drinking and provides personalised, judgment-free advice without the need for face-to-face interaction. By making these tools accessible to all, Drinkaware hopes to make conversations about alcohol as normal as those about mental health have become over the last few years.
Drinkaware also wants to hear from you
They’re exploring perceptions of stigma around alcohol to collaborate with others and develop ways to tackle them.
If you have insights to share about alcohol use in ethnic minority communities, please complete Drinkaware’s alcohol attitudes survey, or reach out to Jessi Kullar or Liam Barratt.
About Drinkaware
For those who don’t know, Drinkaware is the UK’s leading alcohol charity. With a mission to use their expertise to give knowledge and support to governments, industry, communities and individuals to enable them to make informed decisions about alcohol and how to reduce the harm it can cause. To make this happen, Drinkaware gathers annual data on UK wide drinking habits, trends and the impact of alcohol consumption and harm through their annual Monitor reports, alongside producing research on specific groups.
Their research on alcohol use in ethnic minority communities is set to be published later in 2024, so stay tuned for more!
