www.alkoholpolitik.ch

TOP NEWS

Alcohol Researchers Should Reject Drinkwise Funding, 5/7/09
Scientists, universities and community organisations should refuse to take funding from Drinkwise, an organisation established and controlled by the alcohol industry, … (Source: Medical News Today, 5/5/09)

EU: 2nd progr. of Community action in Public Health, 22.4.09
Call 2009: New funding opportunities in health. The European Commission has published the Work Plan for 2009 for the implementation of second programme of Community action in the field of health. The publication of the Work Plan was followed by the calls for proposals. … (Source: EU Call, 4/21/09)

Canada: Half of Alcohol Consumed in Excess, 4/18/09
Excessive drinking accounts for at least half of all alcoholic drinks consumed in Canada, according to a new study from the University of Victoria’s Center for Addictions Research. … (Source: Join Together, 4/16/09) Comment: Previous studies showed very similar figures for USA and Switzerland.

New Guide For Regulating Alcohol Advertising, 8.4.09
Marin Institute Publishes Critical Tool for Advocates and Policymakers to Protect Youth. The country’s first guide to restricting out-of-home (OOH) alcohol advertising will help policymakers draft effective state and local laws to minimize youth exposure to ubiquitous alcohol advertising in the 21st Century. …
Click here to download a copy from the Marin Institute website to learn how to protect your community from exposure to egregious alcohol advertising.

US Federal Government Seeks Public Comment, 5/13/09
Federal Government Seeks Public Comment on Issues Related to the Implementation of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.
The Federal Register announcement can be accessed at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-9629.pdf

GLOBAL

Alcohol related harm, 5/8/09
WRITTEN QUESTIONS by Marian Harkin (ALDE) to the EU Commission
1. Why does the EU continue to allow alcohol products to be exempted from inclusion within the list of the general ingredients exemption from the labelling law required for food products?
2. Will the Commission consider placing warning messages on all alcohol products? … (Source: Eurocare Newsletter March-April 2009) (Including the answer of the Commissioner) (Including an answer)

Crisis in European vine nurseries, 5/8/09
WRITTEN QUESTION by Sergio Berlato (UEN) to the EU Commission:
The European Union is world leader in the market for vine nursery products, … and has plunged the entire sector into crisis. .…
Given that the European vine nursery sector is of key importance in economic, social and employment terms in some particularly disadvantaged areas that are lagging behind in development terms, would the Commission not agree that measures providing for:
1. aid of not less than EUR 15 000 per hectare for grubbing up at least 3 000 hectares of root-stock,
2. aid for high-quality nursery initiatives (graft nurseries),
3. special soft loans for the vine nursery sector,
4. aid for cessation of nursery activities, … (Source: Eurocare Newsletter March-April 2009) (Including the answer of the Commissioner)

Enforcement of age limits in Spain is ineffective, 5/8/09
According to a recent study carried out by the Spanish Consumers’ association, alcohol is easily accessible to underage drinkers in Spain. ,,, (Source: Eurocare Newsletter March-April 2009)

Irish Government seeks cooperation from the Northern Ireland, 5/8/09
In the face of the problem of cheap alcohol, the Irish Government has opted for an all-Ireland approach and is seeking a joint North – South initiative to tackle below-cost selling of alcohol in shops and supermarkets. … (Source: Eurocare Newsletter March-April 2009)

Andrew McNeill is leaving Eurocare’s Board of Directors, 5/8/09
Eurocare regrets to announce that Andrew McNeill, Director of the Institute of Alcohol Studies and Vice Secretary, will be leaving the Board of Directors. …
Aneurin Owen will replace Andrew on the Board of Directors of Eurocare. … (Source: Eurocare Newsletter March-April 2009) Our best wishes to Andrew!

EUROCARE Newsletter – March-April 2009, 5/8/09
Eurocare Newsletter March-April 2009

Immunity for Underage Drinkers Who Seek Emergency Help, 5/8/09
The New Jersey Senate is considering legislation that would shield minors from prosecution if they call the police for help when friends need medical attention because they drank too much alcohol. This should save lives.
(Source: Join Together, 5/6/09)

Lawmakers Propose Beer Tax Hike in Wisc., USA, 5/7/09
Wisconsin’s beer tax hasn’t increased in 40 years, but a new legislative proposal would raise the tax from 0.6 cents per bottle to 3 cents. … (Source: Join Together, 5/4/09)

Illinois (USA) Coalition ‘Sticker Shocks’ Community, 5/7/09
It’s not often that teenagers, parents, prevention specialists, liquor retailers, and law-enforcement officials come together over the issue of underage drinking, but more than 2,000 community volunteers in Illinois … (Source: Join Together, 5/1/09) (with some good comments)

CASA and Join Together now united (USA), 5/2/09
David L. Rosenbloom, President and CEO of CASA writes: “Today marks an important transition in the life of CASA as we adapt our 17-year leadership structure and welcome Join Together into our organization. …
CASA, 5/1/09

ACTIVE starts CONTENT MATTERS campaign, 4/22/09
ACTIVE launches CONTENT MATTERS campaign to shed light on the truth about alcohol.
… we all witness every day the glamorous side of alcohol. In the face of this picture, a fake picture, ACTIVE – sobriety, friendship and peace launches today its campaign “Content Matters”.
(Source: Active, campaign homepage, 4/21/09)

CSPI: NCAA Can Survive Without Beer Ads, 4/9/09
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is again urging National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) President Myles Brand to end beer advertisements on college sports broadcasts, citing new research suggesting that the NCAA would survive financially if beer ads were eliminated. (Source: Join Together, 4/8/09)

Urgent Summit Needed On Alcohol Advertising, Australia, 4/6/09
The Australian Medical Association says the government must call an urgent summit on alcohol advertising. (Source: Medical News Today, 4/5/09)

EU Ban On Alcohol Advertising Needed To Protect Children, 4/4/09
A cross border initiative to ban alcohol advertising that appeals to children and adolescents is needed to protect young people from the harmful effects of alcohol, according to leading public health doctor, Peter Anderson. … (Source: Medical News Today, 4/3/09)

High-Alcohol ‘Extreme Beers’ Worry U.K. Health Officials, 4/4/09
A new breed of “extreme beers” — full-bodied bitters with up to 12 percent alcohol and names like Punk IPA and Speed Ball — are raising concerns with U.K. health officials already grappling with huge societal drinking problems. (Source: Join Together, 4/1/09)

EU Youth Health Initiative, 4/1/09
The European Commission encourages young people to become active partners in promoting their health! … This initiative will gather all youth-related initiatives in health and related policy areas across the Commission under one banner.
(Source: Health-EU, 4/1/09)

RESEARCH

Preschool Age Children Of Parents With Drinking Problems, 5/13/09
Study Aims To Help Preschool Age Children Of Parents With Drinking Problems.
Children who grow up with a parent with a drinking problem have been shown to suffer from depression, anxiety, acting out, and academic and social difficulties.
Some of these problems begin as early as age 2 however, the few prevention programs that exist for children of alcoholic parents are typically aimed at students in middle school or older. (Source: Medical News Today, 5/12/09

Drinkers Not Only Zone Out, 5/7/09
- But Also Are Unaware That They Do So.
A new study out of the University of Pittsburgh suggests that a moderate dose of alcohol increases a person’s mind wandering, while at the same time reducing the likelihood of noticing that one’s mind has wandered. … (Source: Medical News Today, 5/6/09)

US Economist Calls ‘Zero Tolerance’ Laws Ineffective, 5/7/09
Mandating drunk-driving charges against young drivers with any detectable amount of alcohol in their bodies has had no effect on the number of alcohol-related crashes or fatalities in the states where they have been implemented, … (Source: Join Together, 5/5/09)

Many U.S. Kids Have Addicted Parents, 5/7/09
About 12 percent of children in the U.S. lived with at least one parent who was dependent on or abused alcohol or an illicit drug last year, … (Source: Join Together, 5/5/09) Comment: Most of these kids suffer and nobody knows. Alcohol addiction should be reduced.

The Brain’s White Matter and Adolescent Binge Drinking, 4/28/09
… A study of adolescent binge drinkers has found that even relatively infrequent exposure to large doses of alcohol during youth may compromise white matter fiber coherence. (Source: Medical News Today, 4/24/09)

Media Ignores Health Consequences, 4/24/09
Media Ignores Health Consequences Of Drinking And Driving Among Young Celebrities. (Source: Medical News Today, 4/23/09)

USA: 732 Lives Per Year Saved By Underage Drinking Laws, 4/10/09
State laws that prohibit people under the age of 21 from purchasing or possessing alcohol, and from driving with any alcohol in their system save 732 lives a year in the United States, according to a study just released that has examined 23 years of research on the subject. … (Source: Medical News Today, 4/8/09

The affordability of alcoholic beverages in the EU, 4/3/09
In 2008 DG SANCO commissioned RAND Europe to conduct a study on “The affordability of alcoholic beverages in the European Union – Understanding the link between alcohol affordability, consumption and harms”. … Report pdf (1.9 MB)