Doctors' Notes: Alcohol
What's Up Docs?
BBC
4.4 • 659 Ratings
🗓️ 13 January 2026
⏱️ 24 minutes
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Summary
Chris and Xand continue their conversation about alcohol with Dr May van Schalkwyk, Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, who focuses on how commercial actors influence ideas, knowledge, science and policymaking.
The twins want to know why some people might struggle to get through Dry January, whether we have a drinking culture in the UK and how it may have been shaped by industry. They also examine attitudes towards alcohol in other cultures, whether attitudes towards alcohol are changing, whether low- or no-alcohol alternatives are a positive move, and how we can improve our culture around alcohol.
If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk or Whatsapp on 08000 665 123.
Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Guest:Dr May van Schalkwyk Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis and Emily Bird Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar Editor: Jo Rowntree Researcher: Mili Ostojic Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable Social Media: Leon Gower Digital Lead: Richard Berry Composer: Phoebe McFarlane Sound Design: Melvin Rickarby
At the BBC: Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | Hello, I'm Greg Jenner, and good news, |
| 0:09.5 | Your Dead to Me, is back for a new series. |
| 0:11.6 | Here we go. |
| 0:12.1 | Yes, we'll explore Emperor Nero's notorious reign with Professor Mary Beard and Patton Oswald. |
| 0:16.9 | I would not want my daughter having the remote control, not alone an empire. |
| 0:21.0 | We'll dissect the decadent life of Philippe Duke-Dolion with Tom Allen. |
| 0:24.8 | I've often tried to pretend I'm an aristocrat and being very quickly knocked down. |
| 0:29.1 | And there'll be so much more with comedians like Olga Koch, Mike Mosniak and Rihelina. |
| 0:33.0 | I'm excited. |
| 0:33.7 | You're dead to me. |
| 0:34.5 | The comedy podcast that takes history seriously. |
| 0:37.0 | Listen first on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:41.1 | Welcome to Doctor's Notes. |
| 0:42.4 | I'm Dr. Chris Van Tulligan. |
| 0:43.5 | As ever, I'm here with my identical twin brother, Dr. Zand. |
| 0:47.1 | Yes, that's me, Dr. Zandt. |
| 0:49.2 | We've just finished recording an interview with Dr. May van Skalkvake. |
| 0:53.6 | May's a research fellow at the University of |
| 0:55.2 | Edinburgh. Her research focuses on how commercial actors influence ideas, knowledge, science and policy |
| 1:01.5 | making. We've just been talking about alcohol, all the effects it has on our bodies, including |
| 1:09.3 | the short and the long-term harms. |
... |
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