www.alkoholpolitik.ch

Dear Legislator,
I support AB 1694 — The Alcohol-Related Services Program It’s time for Big Alcohol to pay its fair share of California’s annual $38.4 billion in alcohol-related trauma care, hospitalization, treatment, prevention and criminal justice costs. (Source: Marin Institute, 2/20/10)

The Royal College of Nursing today (17th December) welcomed the launch of new guidance for parents, children and young people on alcohol consumption, published by the Chief Medical Officer. Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the RCN, said: “Both in A&E departments and in classrooms nurses see the devastating effects alcohol is having on young people everyday – it is damaging not just their health but also their education, development and general wellbeing. (Source: Medical News Today, 12/17/09) // guardian.co.uk, 12/17/09

HELP US MEET OUR GOAL – FOR FREE THE BOWLTM
Marin Institute created the Free The BowlTM contest last year to raise awareness around SPORTS and ADVERTISING by Big Alcohol companies. Anheuser-Busch InBev spends over $14 million a year creating the hottest beer ads to launch on Super Bowl Sunday. This event boasts over 100 million television viewers and is a CASH COW for the alcohol industry. The PROBLEM with SPORTS and BIG ALCOHOL ADS is that our children love watching professional sports as much as parents do! On Super Bowl Sunday, 20 million youth under the age of 21 will be sitting with their families watching these pervasive and excessive ads. … (Source: Marin Institute, 12/16/09)

Our Holiday Gift Wish: Help us get Super Bowl Beer Ads Off The Air! Give the people on your holiday list
a Free The Bowl donation in their name.
During Super Bowl 2008, the most watched commercial, with 103.2 million viewers, was the Bud Light Lime ad.
18 million youth under 21 are exposed to beer ads on Super Bowl Sunday. Anheuser-Busch InBev spent over $14 million on ad time for Super Bowl 2009 beer ads. On Super Bowl Sunday 2007, there was a 25% increase in total alcohol beverage cooler sales and a 13% increase in beer sales. Every year alcohol sales are the highest in the two-week period before the Super Bowl. Marin Institute Donation

Host of the 36th Symposium is the Swiss Institute on Alcohol and other Drugproblems in Lausanne. May 31 – June 4, 2010. Website of the Symposium: http://www.kbs2010.ch (Source: Infoset Newsletter December 2009)

Council invites Member States and Commission to keep alcohol high on the agenda. The Council of the EU adopted today its Conclusions on Alcohol and Health. Today’s Council conclusions on Alcohol and Health
The Council reiterates that harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption is the third most significant risk factor for ill health in the EU and that many Community policies have a potential positive or negative impact on health and well-being.
The Council also notes that the level of alcohol-related harm is still high in the Member States, that 15 % of the EU population drinks at harmful levels and that the impact of harmful use of alcohol is greater in young people.
It also remarks that these issues are of Community relevance because of the cross-border element and highlights the negative effect on both economic and social development and public health.
The Council conclusions also mention that alcohol marketing increases the likelihood of young people to start drinking, that alcohol has became more affordable between 1996 and 2004 and that alcohol pricing policies can reduce alcohol consumption and related harm.
It also points at the relationship between alcohol consumption and communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
The Council invites the Member States to:
* implement the good practices included in the EU Alcohol
* foster a multi-sectoral approach
* make use of effective measures
* consider the role of alcohol pricing policies
* address the well-being of the aging population

The Council invites both the Commission and the Member States to:
* Keep alcohol policy high on the agenda
* strengthen the identification and dissemination of effective policies
* recognize the reduction of health inequalities as a priority
* engage the alcohol industry to enforce regulatory measures
* consider how to improve EU regulations on alcohol marketing
* implementation of brief interventions
* raise awareness of the impact of harmful consumption

The Council invites the Commission to:
* Continue to provide strong support to the Member States
* Ensure that alcohol is taken into account in other EU policy areas
* Consider further steps to reduce exposure to alcohol marketing
* Report to the council in 2012 at the latest on the progress and outcome of the Commission work , and;
* Define the priorities for the next phase of the Commission’s work on alcohol after the end of the current strategy in 2012. (Source: Eurocare Newsletter 12/1/09member st) Comment: At least the EU-Council sees clearly.

The city of Paris has launched an awareness raising campaign targeting young people that aims at warning them about the dangers of binge drinking. The campaign is based on a shortfilm contest: Binge drinking: Drinking too much is a nightmare. The six winners will receive an award of 250 to 1 500 euros and their video will be broadcasted on the home page of MSN France. (Source: Eurocare Newsletter 12/1/09) For more information visit: www.thebinge-lefilm.com

SAN RAFAEL, CA – Marin Institute has launched its second annual, nationwide anti-alcohol-advertising contest, FREE the BOWL™. This year’s theme is to “Free the Bowl from Big Al,” (a.k.a Big Alcohol), as youth contestants will identify where they see the negative influences of Big Al in their lives. (Source: Marin Institute, 12/1/09) Free the Bowl

Doctors’ Leaders Urge Politicians To ‘Put Party Politics Aside’ And Support The Alcohol Bill In Scotland
BMA Scotland welcomed the introduction of the Alcohol (Scotland) Bill, and called on politicians to put party politics aside and support the measures outlined in the legislation. The BMA also expressed disappointment at the Labour Party’s decision not to support minimum pricing, saying that it was “premature” and a “blot on their excellent public health track record”. (Source: Medical News Today, 11/29/09)

Twelve European health and safety umbrella organisations call for stricter EU-coordinated alcohol policies. In a joint policy statement released today, the twelve organisations urge the EU Council of Ministers of Health:
- to ensure minimum pricing policies, sales restrictions and discount bans in all Member States;
- to introduce a EU- labelling system for alcohol products informing consumers of the specific risks related to alcohol consumption; and
- to adopt the principle of zero tolerance to alcohol consumption before driving or at work and to reduce BAC- levels to 0,2 maximum throughout Europe. (Source: Google Alkohol Alert, 11/27/09) pr.euractiv.com, 11/25/09