During 2025/26, Fife's Whole Population Approach to Alcohol group continued to work with partners across the Community and Wellbeing Partnership to prevent and reduce alcohol-related harms through a coordinated programme of awareness raising and public engagement. Bringing together a range of agencies and Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) funded services, the group focused on increasing understanding of alcohol harm, promoting low-risk drinking guidelines and ensuring people knew where to access support when needed.

Throughout the year, alcohol awareness activities were delivered through a combination of community-based engagement and digital campaigns. Working collaboratively, partners staffed awareness stalls in accessible public locations including Victoria Hospital, leisure centres and shopping centres, providing opportunities for conversations about alcohol use in a supportive and non-judgemental setting. These activities were aligned to national campaigns such as Dry January, Alcohol Awareness Week and Sober October, helping to amplify key prevention messages and reach a wider audience.

The strength of the partnership approach enabled consistent information and advice to be shared across communities and services. By working through the Community and Wellbeing Partnership, key messages were reinforced across a broader network of organisations, supporting a shared focus on prevention and early intervention.

A recurring theme from face-to-face engagement was that many people were unaware they were regularly drinking above the recommended weekly low-risk guidelines. Interactive tools, including scratchcards showing weekly drinking limits, helped people understand their alcohol consumption and prompted reflection on their drinking habits. These resources proved particularly effective, with many people taking them away to discuss with family members and friends.

The awareness stalls also created opportunities for wider conversations about alcohol harm. Many interactions involved people seeking advice or information on behalf of someone close to them, highlighting concerns about the drinking patterns of family members or friends. Large numbers of information leaflets were taken away, demonstrating interest in learning more about available advice, support and treatment services, even among those who were not actively seeking help for themselves.

Online activity complemented community engagement and extended the reach of prevention messages beyond physical locations. Targeted social media campaigns were delivered during Dry January, Alcohol Awareness Week and Sober October, with daily messaging shared throughout each campaign period. These campaigns encouraged reflection, generated online engagement and helped normalise conversations about alcohol while increasing awareness of low-risk drinking guidance and available support.

Across the year, eight community awareness stalls were delivered alongside three targeted digital campaigns. All available scratchcards and approximately 20 measuring cups used to demonstrate alcohol units were distributed, alongside a wide range of service information leaflets. The strong demand for these resources demonstrated the public's interest in practical information that could help people better understand their alcohol consumption and make informed choices.

This work supports the Plan for Fife priority of Tackling Poverty and Preventing Crisis and contributes to the ambition of reducing levels of preventable ill health and premature mortality across communities. By increasing awareness of alcohol harms, encouraging earlier conversations and connecting people with information and support, the programme helps people make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing while supporting prevention-focused approaches across Fife.

Looking ahead, partners plan to build on this work by increasing the range of resources available at community awareness stalls, including new alcohol awareness banners, additional scratchcards and visual tools to help demonstrate what alcohol units look like in everyday drinks. By continuing to combine community engagement with targeted digital campaigns, the Whole Population Approach to Alcohol group will help ensure that people across Fife have access to the information, support and conversations needed to make positive choices about alcohol and protect their long-term health and wellbeing.