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Ministers from all three governing parties said there are many issues needing more urgent attention than regulating alcohol without clear research showing its consumption is a serious national problem.
Some members of Zimbabwe’s Cabinet are distancing themselves from reports that the government is drafting a tough national alcohol policy that will regulate the sale of beer and other intoxicating beverages with sales forbidden after noon on Sundays. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/15/11) voanews, 08/8/11 Comment: Now we can see that many politicians in Western World are on the same level as in Zimbabwe.

A nationwide study confirms that binge drinking has reached epidemic proportions in China and argues that efforts to tackle the problem must address the country’s unique drinking culture.
In this study, published online today in the journal Addiction, binge drinking was defined as consuming 50g or more pure alcohol in one day for men (about five 330ml tins of beer), and 40g or more for women. The study found that of the almost 50,000 people surveyed across China, 55.6% of men and 15% of women were current drinkers, having had at least one drink in the previous twelve months. Among current drinkers, men averaged a daily intake of 47.8 grams of pure alcohol, with a median of 5.6 binges per year. Women fared a bit better, with an average daily intake of 19.1g and a median of 2.4 binges per year. 26% of male drinkers and 8% of female drinkers were classed as ‘frequent drinkers’, drinking 5-7 days per week. …(Source: Medical News Today, 07/18/11)

Welcome to Global Actions, your briefing on our efforts around the world as part of Global Actions on Harmful Drinking. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/07/11) Comment: Active social marketing by the alcohol industry.

Online with many important articles:
* Alcohol and Cancer in the spotlight
* Alcohol and cancer – the forgotten link
* New WHO report: deaths from noncommunicable diseases on the rise, with developing world hit hardest
* Countries endorse a resolution on noncommunicable diseases at the World Health Assembly
* Is the cardio-protective action of alcohol a myth?
* Teaching responsible drinking ‘doesn’t work’ ….

Over the years, use of alcohol, excessive and prolonged, has been associated with various health hazards.
With increasing clinical experience and research in the area, the association has become stronger and progressively more alarming. The evidence from different treatment settings viz. the outpatient department, inpatient setup, emergency department, and the consultation liaison services has linked the use of alcohol with a wide array of hazards to the physical and the psychological health of the users. The impact on psychological health extends beyond the users of alcohol to involve caregivers and other family members of users.
Alcohol consumption is the leading risk factor for disease burden in low-mortality developing countries and the third largest risk factor in developed countries. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/30/11)

Number 1 / 2011 (Alcohol Reports, 06/13/11)
Alcohol policy is becoming a truly global issue (PDF)
The rise of the total abstinence model. Recommendations regarding alcohol use during pregnancy in Finland and Denmark (PDF)
The effects of missing data when surveying alcohol habits (PDF)
Alcohol-related mishaps on weekends in Reykjavík (PDF)
A window to alcohol problems and politics in Africa. Kettil Bruun Society Meeting in Uganda (PDF)

Number 2 / 2011 (Alcohol Reports, 06/13/11)
In control and out of control. The discourse on intoxication among young Finnish women in the 1980s and 2000s (PDF)
Risky drinking of alcohol in Sweden: A randomized population survey comparing web- and paper-based self-reports (PDF)
The Drinking Habit Survey revival (PDF)

Evidence from China.
Economic literature in developed countries suggests that demand for alcoholic beverages is sensitive to price, with an estimated price elasticity ranging from −0.38 for beer and −0.7 for liquor. However, few studies have been conducted in developing countries. …
The central implication of this study is, while alcohol tax increases can raise government revenue, it alone is not an effective policy to reduce alcohol related problems in China. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/11/11)

Mumbai has voted to raise the age limit for buying spirits from 21 to 25 and beer 18 to 21, sparking concern from the drinks industry and fury among young people.
Politicians agreed to change the minimum age as part of moves to discourage under-age consumption and problem drinking.
The measures – which include fines for illegal drinking, a ban on serving alcohol at public functions and ceremonies and more “dry days” when the sale of alcohol is banned – will apply in Mumbai and across the state of Maharashtra.
But Indian spirit-makers and the hotel and restaurant industry reacted strongly against the decision, saying it would adversely affect business.
“Thirty per cent of white spirits is consumed by people under 25,” said Deepak Roy, vice-chairman and chief executive of Allied Blenders and Distillers (ABD), which makes the Indian whisky Officer’s Choice. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/07/11) telegraph.co.uk, 06/02/11

Since the term was coined about 40 years ago, fetal alcohol syndrome has slowly become recognized as a public health issue. Alicestine October reports from South Africa’s Western Cape province, which has the highest reported rate in the world.
“When I was pregnant with my son I drank a lot – mostly on weekends,” says Marion Williams, a 45-year-old mother who lost two of her five children in childbirth.
Williams lives in one of South Africa’s famous wine-growing areas in the Western Cape. She started drinking as a teenager and was taken out of school, she suspects, to work to buy wine for her parents. … (Source: Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2011;89:398–399. doi:10.2471/BLT.11.020611)

Confronting family poverty needs evidence-based alcohol policies.
In his message on the International Day of Families 2011 the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says: “On this International Day of Families, let us resolve to support families as they nurture the young, care for the old and foster strong communities”.
The UN has a long history of efforts to protect families, especially women and children. This year’s theme is very important as it allows development organizations and governments to direct the spotlight on a hidden but key issue – the impact of alcohol abuse on families. Effective action here will radically improve the conditions and future prospects of children, women and families in general. … (Source: IOGT International, 5/16/11)