www.alkoholpolitik.ch

ommunication, Education and Public Awareness
The Silken Hotel, Brussels, Thursday 30th September 2010; KEY SPEAKER: Mr. Michael Huebel, Head of Unit – Health Determinants, DG SANCO, European Commission
Event Details – Website – Register to Attend
EU citizens experience the highest rate of alcohol consumption in the world (11 litres of pure alcohol per adult each year), and on top of the already serious public health concerns over binge-drinking, statistics on alcohol-related violence make sobering reading.
This timely International Symposium will examine the latest initiatives at both EU and National level, discuss the range of alcohol-focused projects supported by the World Health Organisation and consider recommendations for future actions to reduce the harmful effects of alcohol misuse.

Economic Analysis Shows Zero Job Impact While Raising Millions for City.
In an enthusiastic display of solidarity, 200 people rallied on the steps of San Francisco City Hall yesterday in support of a groundbreaking “Charge for Harm” alcohol-related fee ordinance. (Source: Marin Institute, 8/05/10

According to a Lancet Comment, “alcohol remains conspicuously absent from the larger field of research and programming in HIV and substance use. … Patterns of hazardous alcohol consumption prevail in countries with the most severe HIV epidemics, notably eastern and southern Africa.” In addition, “hazardous drinking patterns also dominate in the concentrated epidemics of eastern Europe and Asia, where alcohol use by injecting drug users and other marginalised groups might be an additional barrier to effective efforts to prevent HIV infection.” The comment notes that both men and women are harmed by excessive alcohol use and calls for more research “focused on reducing alcohol-related sexual-risk behaviour, [which] might offer valuable lessons for the wider field of HIV and substance-use research” (Fritz et. al, 8/7). (Source: Medical News Today, 8/09/10) our Online-Comment: “Conspicuously” is the correct wording in this connection. Alcohol is
“tabu” regarding HIV, poverty, developing aid and sexual-risk behaviour. Public health authorities and politicians are afraid they would have to fight for less alcohol consumption.

San Francisco Day of Action, SF City Hall Rally. Join labor, youth, firefighters, treatment, prevention, and health-care providers on Wednesday, August 4 at 10:00 a.m. on the Polk Street steps of San Francisco City Hall for a press conference and rally in support of the City’s proposed Charge for Harm ordinance. This local precedent-setting measure seeks to recover an estimated $17.7 million in annual alcohol-related costs from a fee that would be assessed to alcohol wholesalers and others. (Source: Marin Institute, 7/29/10)

Alert by Marin Institute: Don’t Let Big Alcohol Take Advantage of New Dietary Recommendations. New Guidelines on Alcohol consumption Threaten Public Health & Safety
TAKE ACTION:
Join Marin Institute in submitting your comments to the federal government on the Alcohol Section of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS — THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010
- We are especially concerned that despite the Report’s caveats, the industry will use the new recommendations to promote alcohol consumption and increased consumption.
- We ask that the Committee revise the Report and subsequent Guidelines to send a much more cautionary, evidence-based message regarding alcohol consumption to the public.
-We specifically ask that the new Guidelines maintain the formulation of 2/1 per-day consumption of alcohol for men and women, respectively.
To read the entire alcohol section of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Report:
http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2010/DGAC/Report/D-7-Alcohol.pdf
To read Marin Institute’s complete comments:
https://www.marininstitute.org/site/images/stories/pdfs/dietary_guidelines_letter.pdf

..as Marin Institute hosts a San Francisco benefit screening on June 24th at the Fort Mason Cowell Theater (6:00 – 9:00 pm). The movie was written and directed by Peter Bratt, starring Benjamin Bratt.
Buy Tickets Online LinkTickets $50
La Mission was filmed in San Francisco’s Mission District and portrays a proud man’s struggle to accept a changing society, living in a neighborhood battling to end its own cycle of violence and intolerance.
Marin Institute will honor brothers Peter and Benjamin Bratt with our first ever Barky Award for “Inspirational Media Leadership.” Senator Mark Leno will moderate a question and answer session with Peter and the stars after the film. We invite you to become a sponsor of this event or advertise in the program book.
La Mission features Benjamin Bratt as Che, a reformed inmate and recovering alcoholic. Marin Institute supports La Mission because the movie raises awareness of how alcohol and violence touches the lives of everyone. La Mission sends the right message. Help Marin Institute continue its fight against the Big Alcohol companies.
See complete La Mission event information at http://www.marininstitute.org/site/about-us/events.html

21 – 22 June 2010 in Brussels
The purpose of the conference is to promote and disseminate knowledge about current thinking on alcohol and alcohol policy matters; to build capacity and to promote networking and coalition building between and within the European countries. The main aim of the conference is to stimulate action in alcohol policy.
The conference is organized by Eurocare (European Alcohol Policy Alliance) under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium and it is co-financed by the European Commission and co-sponsored by the WHO (World Health Organization).
The conference location, in the heart of the European Union, will provide a unique opportunity to involve a wider audience and engage in dialogue with policy makers at the European level. (Source: Eurocare, Programme)

On Tuesday, April 6, 2010, the California Assembly Health Committee will vote one more time on AB 1694 (Beall, San Jose), a bill to collect a reasonable 5 cents per drink fee from Big Alcohol, to fund California’s Alcohol-Related Services Program.
Passage of AB 1694 will provide $700+ million annually to the State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs. This new revenue will help ease the state’s deficit. The funds will also preserve existing treatment, prevention and recovery programs and create many new jobs in these areas to assure all California residents have access to critical alcohol-related harm mitigation services.
Californians need this because alcohol-related harm costs all of us $38.4 billion annually. Yet Big Alcohol pays virtually nothing to offset this harm.
Please let the new Chair of the Assembly Health Committee and five other key members know TODAY that they need to vote YES on AB 1694. It’s a vote that 85% percent of their constituents support.
Click the link below to log in and send your message:
http://action.marininstitute.org/link/target/mi/FffqB5RB.aspx

Request for Applications – Please spread the word!
Mentor is pleased to announce the Mentor International Prevention Awards 2010, to be presented by Her Majesty the Queen of Sweden on 14th October 2010 in Washington, DC.
The Awards celebrate promise and achievement in drug abuse prevention globally. Awards are open to all non-government organizations working in the field of drug abuse prevention.
Cash prizes totalling €50,000 will be awarded in three categories: Achievement, Innovation and Youth ‘Big Idea’; recognizing evaluated, promising and youth-led drug prevention initiatives.
Please apply now – closing date 31st May 2010 – click here to apply…

More than a quarter of youth aged 12-20 (27.6 percent) drank alcohol in the past month, according to a survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The study shows that the underage drinking rates were as high as 40 percent in some states such as North Dakota and Vermont.
In a major effort to combat the epidemic of underage drinking, SAMHSA and the Ad Council today launched a new series of national public service advertisements to encourage parents to talk to their children about drinking alcohol at an early age. The campaign and study are being released in conjunction with Alcohol Awareness Month (April) and as part of the Surgeon General’s “Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking.” The PSAs are being distributed to media outlets throughout the country and will also be available on line at the campaign’s online fulfillment here. (Source: Medical News Today, 3/26/10)