Skip to main content
Kent Academic Repository

Advocating alcohol abstinence to pregnant women: Some observations about British policy

Lee, Ellie J., Lowe, Pam K. (2010) Advocating alcohol abstinence to pregnant women: Some observations about British policy. Health, Risk & Society, 12 (4). pp. 301-311. ISSN 1369-8575. (doi:10.1080/13698571003789690) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:25248)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13698571003789690

Abstract

In 2007, the English Department of Health (DH) issued advice stating 'pregnant woman' and 'those trying to conceive' should abstain from drinking alcohol. As others have noted, this advice was issued despite their being no new evidence about the deleterious effects of low levels of alcohol consumption. In this paper, we argue this development is significant for the social construction of 'risk', since in advocating abstinence without an evidence base for this advice, policy makers formalise a connection between uncertainty and danger. We suggest this development has important implications, most obviously for pregnant women, certainly impacting on the nature of the advice they will now receive and likely more generally on their experience of the transition to motherhood. We suggest it has wider implications for individuals' experience also, as policy makers appear to be advocating the same approach to risk to non-pregnant people. Further, it suggests a noteworthy formalisation of a new definition of risk, which should be debated far more extensively, as it matters for the future development of health policy.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1080/13698571003789690
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Women
R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research
Depositing User: Ellie Lee
Date Deposited: 09 Aug 2010 17:02 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:03 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/25248 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

  • Depositors only (login required):

Total unique views for this document in KAR since July 2020. For more details click on the image.