www.alkoholpolitik.ch

moving towards a shared governance for health and well-being – Taking account of health – means more – effective government – More effective government – means improved health
The Adelaide Statement on Health in All Policies is to engage leaders and policy-makers at all levels of
government—local, regional, national and international. It emphasizes that government objectives are best
achieved when all sectors include health and well-being as a key component of policy development. This is
because the causes of health and well-being lie outside the health sector and are socially and economically
formed. Although many sectors already contribute to better health, significant gaps still exist. Health in All Policies, International Meeting, Adelaide 13-15 April 2010

Items: News from Eurocare; News from Eurocare members; News from the EU; News from the WHO; News from the Member States; Alcohol Industry News; New research; Upcoming Events; Past Events; Questions from MEPs to the Commission on Alcohol. Eurocare Newsletter

Geneva, 20 June 2010. At its sixty-third World Health Assembly, the 193 Member States of the World Health Organization have adopted, in a consensus vote, the eagerly awaited Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol.
In the two-hour long debate at the Assembly, all member states acknowledged the harmful use of alcohol as a major public health issue. In the many member state interventions, delegates pointed to the global aspects of the problem and requested that alcohol problems receive a higher priority at the WHO and that more resources be allocated to address those problems and to implement the new global strategy.
The important concerns identified in the debate included the increasing culture of binge drinking among young people worldwide, and the expanding influence of the alcohol marketing and advertising. Delegates welcomed the varied evidence-based measures included in the strategy and their potential for successfully addressing alcohol problems.
The resolution was adopted with one amendment proposed by Thailand on behalf of the SEARO countries asking for adequate financial and human resources for implementation (inserted in par. 4 (1)).
The WHO estimates that in 2004, 2.5 million people worldwide died of alcohol-related causes (mainly heart and liver disease, road accidents, suicides and various cancers), representing 3.8 % of all deaths and 4,6% of the global burden of disease.
The harmful use of alcohol has a serious effect on public health and is considered to be one of the main risk factors for poor health globally, the strategy document says.
The resolution calls on the member states of the WHO to take public policy measures to reduce the harmful consumption of alcohol. It highlights the effectiveness of focusing on policies regarding pricing, availability and marketing of alcohol.
However the recommendations in the Strategy are not binding, they are meant to serve as guidance to WHO’s Member States.
Mariann Skar, Secretary General of Eurocare stated “We warmly welcome the decision by the WHA to adopt a global strategy on alcohol. This is a key starting point in addressing the global threat to public health and social wellbeing represented by the harmful use of alcohol” and she added “Europe has a strong position and responsibility, being the world’s leader on alcohol consumption and an important exporter of alcoholic beverages”. She regretted that “we are exporting our drinking practices and norms to countries that lack the capability and capacity to meet the additional public health burden that results from them”.
The Global Alcohol Policy Alliance (GAPA) has as well welcomed the decision by the World Health Assembly, it’s chairman, Derek Rutherford said: “Concerted action to reduce global alcohol problems is long overdue. Today’s decision by the World Health Assembly is an important first step to address them. The strategy goes a long way in recognizing the transnational aspects of the alcohol issue. GAPA appreciates the wide range of supportive statements by WHO member states from both developed and developing countries in the discussion.” (Source: Eurocare, 5/23/10)

On the 20th of May, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution that endorsed a Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol. The strategy highlights the effectiveness of focusing on evidence-based policies regarding pricing, availability and marketing of alcoholic beverages.
When addressing alcohol marketing, the strategy describes the need to limit the volume of alcohol marketing in order to decrease alcohol-related harm. Additionally, alcohol advertising appealing to youth is a serious issue mentioned. International marketing techniques and advertising and sponsorship of alcohol in various new media is mentioned as a significant concern in some countries. The strategy addresses, in particular, the potential harmful effects to young people in lower and middle-inclime countries with a current low prevalence of alcohol consumption or high abstinence rates. (Source: eucam.info, 5/21/10)

WHO seeks bans on alcohol discounts in anti-abuse. The World Health Organisation on Thursday said it made a “breakthrough” against alcohol abuse. – The World Health Organisation is calling for discounts on drinks to be banned and for advertising targeting young people to be scrapped as part of a strategy to cut alcohol abuse approved on Thursday.
The strategy drawn up by the UN health agency and approved by its 193-member states at an annual meeting of health ministers also pushes for an end to flat rates for unlimited drinking and for sponsorship to be regulated.
With some 320,000 young people aged 15 to 29 years dying from alcohol-related causes in 2004, the strategy took aim at the marketing of beverages which contributes to getting young people hooked.
“The transmission of alcohol marketing messages across national borders and jurisdictions on channels such as satellite television and the Internet, and sponsorship of sports and cultural events is emerging as a serious concern in some countries,” it said. (Source: Harvard World Health News, 5/20/10) news.yahoo.com, 5/20/10 our Online-Comment: I am very glad about this WHO-Resolution on an alcohol-strategy. I hope that all countries which have signed it will introduce now effictive measures to follow the advice of this resolution. And I congratulate and thank all those scientists and public health professionals who have done such an extreemly good job. This milestone in public health history should be the beginning of a more worthy life for millions of people now and in the future.

6th Meeting, Tuesday 18 May 2010, 11h00 – 17h00, Belliard 232, 4 rue Breydel, B-1049 Brussels. Draft Agenda

Brussels, 21 April 2010. Eurocare welcomes the Eurobarometer Special Report on attitudes towards alcohol, released today by the European Commission and finds it a very useful instrument to measure the success of the EU Alcohol Strategy that was adopted in October 2006.
The report shows there has been little variation in the prevalence of alcohol consumption since the question was last asked in autumn 2006 (75%) and that there is still ample cause for concern.
Eurocare is particularly worried about frequent binge drinking being so widespread across the EU, especially among young people:
* Three out of four respondents said they consume alcoholic drinks up to three times a week
* Young people aged 15-24 years are more likely than older age groups to have five or more drinks at a time.
(Source: Eurocare, 4/21/10) 1.- Special Eurobarometer 331 “EU citizens’ attitudes towards alcohol”
http://ec.europa.eu/health/eurobarometers/index_en.htm
2.- European Commission Press release

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/455&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

First Progress Report on the implementation of the EU Alcohol Strategy, 2009

http://ec.europa.eu/health/archive/ph_determinants/life_style/alcohol/documents/alcohol_progress.pdf

Further info on EU alcohol policy and action http://ec.europa.eu/health/alcohol/policy/index_en.htm

The New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) welcomed the release of the Law Commission’s paper ‘Alcohol in Our Lives: Curbing the Harm,’ which should help our country tackle the many problems caused by excessive alcohol consumption. (Source: Medical News Today, 4/27/10)

Sixth plenary meeting, Brussels, 11 March 2010. EU-news, 4/9/10
* Agenda pdf – 74 KB [74 KB] Translations.
* Summary report pdf – 95 KB [95 KB] Translations.
Presentations
The Campaign for Smarter Drinking pdf – 2 MB [2 MB] Translations.
Extension of the remits of SR to digital marketing communications pdf – 342 KB [342 KB] Translations.
EASA

New presentation added, 4/8/10