Alcohol Focus Scotland

What Alcohol Focus Scotland does

Alcohol Focus Scotland is the national charity dedicated to preventing and reducing alcohol-related harm in Scotland, registered as a Scottish charity (SC009538) and structured as a Company Limited by Guarantee (SC094096). The organisation is headquartered at 166 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, and operates across four interconnected workstreams: restricting alcohol marketing (notably the Alcohol-Free Childhood coalition campaign with BMA Scotland, Children in Scotland, SFAD, and SHAAP), increasing the price of alcohol via Minimum Unit Pricing advocacy, mandating health warning labels on alcohol products, and shaping treatment, licensing, and availability policy. It also campaigns for an Alcohol Harm Prevention Levy and operates the Alcohol Action Network to embed lived and living experience in its advocacy.

The organisation runs no commercial products and operates a non-profit, donation- and grant-funded model through JustGiving and charitable funding streams; all resources, training materials, policy reports, and briefings are provided free of charge. Its underlying technology footprint is minimal — a content website, a YouTube channel, and seven active social media profiles (Facebook, X/Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, plus Substack) — used for awareness and advocacy rather than service delivery. Its go-to-market is community-led: direct engagement with young people, LGBTQI+ communities, people in recovery (~150 individuals), and licensing professionals, combined with policy advocacy targeting Scottish Government and Licensing Boards.

The customer base consists of Scottish residents and stakeholders rather than paying clients. Strategic differentiation rests on AFS's national-charity designation, its coalition ecosystem with BMA Scotland, SHAAP, SFAD, and Children in Scotland, its WHO collaboration on digital youth marketing research, and its evidence-based positioning that has yielded measurable Scottish alcohol sales declines in 2025. Headcount, financial scale, and revenue are not disclosed; the organisation appears to be a small team operating a disproportionately broad advocacy footprint relative to its size.

Name

Alcohol Focus Scotland

Legal name

Alcohol Focus Scotland

Website

https://alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alcohol Focus Scotland is Scotland's national charity dedicated to preventing and reducing alcohol-related harm through policy advocacy, public campaigns, and community engagement with the Scottish public, young people, LGBTQI+ communities, and licensing professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Advocacy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

Keywords

• Alcohol harm prevention
• Public health advocacy
• Alcohol policy reform
• Community health charity
• Alcohol education

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Funding: As a registered Scottish charity (SC009538), Alcohol Focus Scotland operates primarily through donations, grants, and charitable funding. The organization accepts donations through JustGiving platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Alcohol Focus Scotland is the national charity working to prevent and reduce alcohol-related harm in Scotland. It delivers evidence-based policy advocacy on restricting alcohol marketing, minimum unit pricing, mandatory health warning labels, and licensing regulation. The organization provides training programs for licensing professionals, free public education resources, community engagement initiatives including the Alcohol Action Network and Alcohol-Free Childhood Campaign, and produces policy reports, briefings, and practical guides.

Product overview

Alcohol Focus Scotland is a national charity organization, not a technology product company. The organization provides advocacy services, public health campaigns, policy research, training programs, and community engagement initiatives focused on reducing alcohol-related harm in Scotland. Their work includes campaigns on alcohol marketing restrictions, minimum unit pricing, mandatory health labeling, availability and licensing, treatment and care, and an Alcohol Harm Prevention Levy. They also operate an Alcohol Action Network for advocacy and provide various educational resources, briefings, and practical guides.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Licensing Board Members Training

Quantifiable outcome

• Decrease in Scottish alcohol sales in 2025
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BMA ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership coalition for Alcohol-Free Childhood campaign to end harmful impacts of alcohol marketing on children and young people in Scotland.
• Children in ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership coalition for Alcohol-Free Childhood campaign focused on protecting children and young people from alcohol marketing.
• Scottish Families affected by Alcohol and Drugs (SFAD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership coalition member working together on alcohol marketing restrictions and family support initiatives.
• Scottish Health Action on Alcohol (SHAAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership coalition focused on reducing alcohol harm through policy advocacy and public health initiatives.
• World Health OrganisationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 'Confronting Alcohol in Digital Youth Spaces' project involving nearly 70 young people across Scotland exploring digital alcohol marketing impact.
• Borders in RecoveryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to gather views on minimum unit pricing ahead of 2024 consultation on continuation of MUP.
• Kinder Stronger BetterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLGBTQI+ community group engaged in involvement sessions exploring impact of alcohol marketing.
• Glasgow Council on AlcoholminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for LGBTQI+ involvement sessions and community engagement activities.
• National CollaborativesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Draft Charter of Rights to integrate human rights principles into drug and alcohol policies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Institute of Alcohol Studies: UK-based alcohol policy research and advocacy organization. Comparable as a peer-review evidence producer that informs alcohol harm policy in Westminster and devolved nations, including Scotland.
• Alcohol Change UK: UK-wide charity focused on reducing alcohol harm through research, policy, and public engagement. Closest national-level peer to Alcohol Focus Scotland with overlapping campaigns on labelling, pricing, and marketing.
• Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs (SFAD): Scotland-based family-focused charity supporting those affected by alcohol and drugs. Active coalition partner of Alcohol Focus Scotland with overlapping mission and family-support lens.
• Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP): Scottish medical-focused advocacy body on alcohol harm, and an explicit coalition partner of Alcohol Focus Scotland. Operates in the same policy advocacy niche with overlapping campaign agenda.

Broad incumbents

• Drinkaware: UK-wide alcohol education charity funded largely by the alcohol industry. Operates in the same public-education niche but with a contrasting funding model and industry-aligned framing.
• Turning Point: UK social enterprise providing health and social care services including substance use support. Comparable as a larger established organization in the alcohol/drugs harm space with direct delivery alongside advocacy.
• We Are With You: UK-wide charity providing treatment and support for substance use. Broader scope than Alcohol Focus Scotland but overlapping public-health mission and target populations.

Others

• Public Health Scotland: Scottish national public-health body that produces the alcohol sales and consumption data AFS cites in its advocacy. Acts as a data and policy counterpart rather than a competitor.

Regional players

• Balance (North East): Regional alcohol harm prevention program covering North East England. Directly comparable regional alcohol office, illustrating the UK model of geographically bounded alcohol harm advocacy.

Emerging players

• Alcohol Health Alliance UK: Coalition of health organizations campaigning on alcohol harm across the UK. Overlapping membership and shared campaign agenda make it a coalition peer rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/alcoholfocus
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AlcoholFocusScot
• Facebookfacebook.com/AlcoholFocusScotland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alcohol-focus-scotland
• Instagraminstagram.com/alcoholfocusscotland
• TikToktiktok.com/@alcoholfocus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alcohol Focus Scotland