Dr John Foster joined the university in 2009, he teaches pre-registration nurses, health visitors, accident and emergency nurses and post-registration mental health nurses. He also supervises MPhil/PhD research projects. John is also a Reader with specialist expertise in mental health and addictions
Since 2016, John has been on the London Borough of Greenwich Alcohol Strategy Delivery Group (ASDG) and worked closely with local public health professionals to advise them on how best to target non-dependent drinkers. This has included designing materials for local business networks to help them promote the health and well-being of their workforce, advising on data collection and collating information to inform licensing controls. John is currently working with the Borough to consider how best to target older drinkers, who to date have been reluctant to approach services
As a result of his work with Greenwich and body of research aimed at understanding at-risk drinking, John has been working with a national alcohol charity Change Grow Live (CGL) -Stockton upon Tees to help them target drinkers who traditionally have not been approaching their services. John conducted a workshop in July with CGL and local senior public health professionals aimed at targeting at-risk drinkers to help them in their successful tender for services. The tender was successful and a new service following the tender has been in operation since early 2020 despite the Covid pandemic. The service is called “Healthy Habits” which is targeted at high risk but non-dependent alcohol users.
In line with this, John was invited to speak on BBC Radio Kent about Dry January. During the broadcast, John spoke about the benefits of partaking in Dry January. He explained that participants are likely to feel “less sluggish”, that their sleep pattern should improve and that they would get a general idea of what it is like not to drink.
John went on to say that people who carry out Dry January will realise how much alcohol features in their lives and how many activities involve alcohol. He also explained that people can use Dry January to evaluate their drinking and to then make small, realistic changes in the long term.
John finished the interview by reminding us that non and low alcohol drinks are now widely available and are proving to be popular, especially with the younger generation.
