www.alkoholpolitik.ch » Global

THE GLOBE – Issue 1, 2012

htm — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:15:53 +0000

Alcohol and Youth in Africa, Asia and Europe
Also in this issue:

Alcohol Policy Youth Network / Nigerian Alcohol Prevention Youth Initiative / The IFMSA and the European Alcohol and Health Forum / Jyothirgamaya: Spreading the light of awareness by Ms Deepa Nair / “Alcohol-free Boat Races: the role of youth networks and social campaigns to change social attitudes on alcohol” / Alcohol and the young brain: girls at especial risk? / Teenage alcohol consumption associated with computer use / Alcohol and Unsafe Sex / Cigarette and alcohol use at historic low among US teens / Transatlantic Cooperation to combat underage drinking

DK: First fine ever for targeting alcohol marketing at minors

htm — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:57:01 +0000

Lately a ruling in Denmark – the first of its kind – provides that alcohol has no place in advertising targeted minors. The ruling is a victory for the Consumer Ombudsman, as well as for Alcohol and Society (former Danish Alcohol Policy Network) being the fruit of several complaints throughout the years.
Two years ago in 2008 the Danish Consumer Ombudsman clamped down on youth travel agencies with the law addition of 2006 as his legal basis. He thereby introduced a complete ban on alcohol in marketing targeted minors (below 18). December 2011 the law was put to the test and stood its ground. The court has sentenced the youth travel agency, Dansk Ungdomsferie Aps a 55.000 fine (7.000 Euros) for targeting minors and encouraging alcohol consumption. …
(Source: Eurocare Newsletter, 01/25/12)

USA: Boston Transit Authority Bans Alcohol Ads Starting July 1

htm — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:39:54 +0000

Boston mass transit will ban alcohol ads starting July 1. The ban will include subway cars, trains and buses, Boston.com reports.

Joe Pesaturo, spokesperson for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), said the transit line’s advertising contractor has said it expects ad revenue to drop by about $1.5 million in the first full year of the alcohol ad ban.

New York City and Chicago are the only other cities with major public transit systems that allow alcohol ads, according to Michael Scippa, spokesman for the watchdog organization Alcohol Justice. …
(Source: Join Together, 01/25/12)

USA: Big Alcohol Dominates Alcohol Regulator Meeting

htm — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:44:22 +0000

New Article Documents Alcohol Industry’s Vested Interests in State Regulation
In a peer-reviewed article in the February 2012 issue of Addiction, Sarah Mart, director of research at Alcohol Justice, has documented the alcohol industry’s excessive involvement in the annual National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (NCSLA) that took place in June 2010. More than two-thirds (72%) of the 187 meeting attendees, and 65% of the panelists, were from the alcohol industry. The rest represented state alcohol control systems and federal government agencies. Mart was the only participant representing public health policy. “Big Alcohol panelists sent regulators a warning message: Be industry-friendly. Don’t rock the boat of commerce with public health concerns, or your job may be on the line,” reported Mart. “The Federal officials that were present also spoke about supporting the industry, instead of protecting public safety.” Click here for the press release, and email info@alcoholjustice.org to request the full article.
(Source: Newsletter Alcohol Justice, 01/25/12)

FIFA is forcing Brazilian government to change law

htm — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:54:36 +0000

Press Release IOGT-International, 01/21/12
Fifa, football’s world governing body, keeps insisting that alcohol must be sold at all venues hosting matches in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Fifa even speaks of a right to sell beer. But alcohol is currently banned from Brazilian stadiums as part of measures to reduce violence in football and to improve public health in general. The country’s health minister has urged Congress to maintain the ban in the new “World Cup law”.

But Fifa is not willing to accept these arguments and Secretary-General Jerome Valcke says: “Alcoholic drinks are part of the Fifa World Cup, so we’re going to have them. Excuse me if I sound a bit arrogant but that’s something we won’t negotiate.”

“No, we do not excuse your arrogance,” says Mr. Sven-Olov Carlsson, President of IOGT International, “and we cannot accept that Fifa is willing to jeopardize the fun of the game, the safety of children and families and the positive social development in Brazilian society.”
“We suggest Fifa to take a good, hard look at its own Corporate Social Responsibility because words should be followed by deeds,” urges Mr. Carlsson.

Fifa writes on its webpage: “Ensuring that the game of football reflects the highest values of society is essential to Fifa. Through its regulations and actions on and off the pitch, Fifa fights negative influences on the game and ensures that the fundamental values are respected.”

A WHO study carried out in (among others) Brazil, showed that about 46% of violence-related cases included alcohol use. The study also demonstrated that violence related injuries increase with alcohol use. Global evidence shows that alcohol marketing, like sports sponsorship, causes earlier onset of alcohol use among youth and heavier alcohol use for those already consuming. All over the world, alcohol is an obstacle for development and human dignity. It is the socially the most harmful drug.

“That’s why IOGT International strongly supports the Brazilian Health Minister and calls on the Brazilian Parliament to keep football stadiums free from alcohol,” says Mr. Carlsson and continues:
“Football is about creativity and freedom. Alcohol is not. So, why does Fifa force them together and knowingly accept that people will suffer? For the profit? We demand from Fifa to take its own words seriously and put people before profit. Let’s set football free.”

TOP NEWS: Red wine-heart research slammed with fraud charges

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Dipak K. Das, the University of Connecticut researcher who studied the link between aging and a substance found in red wine has committed more than 100 acts of data fabrication and falsification, the university said on January 11, 2012, throwing much of his work into doubt. Das, who directed the university’s Cardiovascular Research Center, studied resveratrol, touted by a number of scientists and companies as a way to slow aging or remain healthy as people get older. Among his findings, according to a work promoted by the University of Connecticut in 2007, was that ‘the pulp of grapes is as heart-healthy as the skin, even though the antioxidant properties differ.’

“We have a responsibility to correct the scientific record and inform peer researchers across the country,” Philip Austin, the university’s interim vice president for health affairs, said in a statement.

The university said an anonymous tip led to an investigation that began in 2008. A 60,000-page report — the summary of which is available at http://bit.ly/xkyS4A — resulted, outlining 145 counts of fabrication and falsification of data. Other members of Das’ laboratory may have been involved, and are being investigated, the report continues. …
(Source: Alcohol Reports, 01/18/12) reuters.com, 01/12/12
Comment: Is this the turning point? Will the medias act?

University of Connecticut News, 01/11/12: Scientific Journals Notified Following Research Misconduct Investigation

UK: Nazi-themed drinking game ‘sparked brawl on LSE union skiing trip’

htm — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:32:30 +0000

London School of Economics launches inquiry into allegations Jewish student’s nose was broken during incident in Val d’Isère
The London School of Economics is investigating allegations that a Nazi-themed drinking game led to a brawl in which a Jewish student’s nose was broken.
The inquiry relates to a skiing trip to Val d’Isère organised by the students’ union last month and attended by 150 students from the university’s athletics union.
According to a statement released by the LSE’s Jewish society, the assault took place after a Jewish student objected to the drinking game. The violence was not serious enough for French police to be involved, a students’ union source said.
The LSE said: “These are disturbing allegations relating to events which took place on a foreign trip organised by the students’ union. Both the SU and LSE are investigating these events and are prepared to take disciplinary action if the allegations are shown to be true.
(Source: newsletter Active, 01/19/12) guardian.co.uk, 01/16/12

ICAP Announces Release of Guiding Principles for Responsible Beverage Alcohol Marketing

htm — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:01:59 +0000

The International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP; www.icap.org) is pleased to announce the release of Guiding Principles for Responsible Beverage Alcohol Marketing associated with the Self-Regulation initiative of Global Actions on Harmful Drinking (www.global-actions.org).

“For the first time, we now have common global standards for alcohol marketing. This represents a major step in the long-standing commitment by the leading alcohol producers to effective self-regulation,” said World Federation of Advertisers Managing Director Stephan Loerke. “WFA looks forward to working with them to implement these standards at a local level.” …
(Source: Alcohol Reports, 01/14/12)
Comment: ICAP is the main institution of the global alcohol industry. This will be a new attempt to make alcohol advertising socially acceptable. The wolf needs new sheep’s clothing.

USA: Study Provides Clues About What Drives People to Abuse Alcohol

htm — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:37:31 +0000

A new study provides clues about the brain mechanisms that drive people to abuse alcohol. The study found a link between how good people feel after they drink, and the amount of endorphins—proteins with opiate-like effects—released in their brain.

Similar findings have been seen in animal studies, but this is the first time they have been observed in humans, according to a news release by the University of California, San Francisco, where the research was conducted. “This is something that we’ve speculated about for 30 years, based on animal studies, but haven’t observed in humans until now,” said lead author Jennifer Mitchell, PhD. “It provides the first direct evidence of how alcohol makes people feel good.”

Researchers studied 15 volunteers; 13 were heavy social drinkers and 12 were not. Women were considered heavy social drinkers if they consumed 10 to 16 drinks a week, while men in that category had 14 to 20 drinks weekly, CNN reports. Women who were not heavy social drinkers had fewer than five drinks a week, while the men had fewer than seven drinks. …
(Source: Join Together, 01/13/12)
Medical News Today, 01/13/12

38 Million American Adults are Binge Drinkers, CDC Says

htm — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:37:52 +0000

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say 38 million American adults are binge drinkers, and most of them are ages 18 to 34. In a new report, the CDC says that while binge drinking is more common among young adults, those age 65 and older who binge drink do so more often—an average of five to six times a month. …

Binge drinking is responsible for more than half of the 80,000 alcohol-related deaths each year in the United States, and accounts for about three-fourths of the more than $200 billion in costs from alcohol abuse, according to the CDC.

“Binge drinking causes a wide range of health, social and economic problems and this report confirms the problem is really widespread,” CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. said in a news release. “We need to work together to implement proven measures to reduce binge drinking at national, state and community levels.”

The CDC found binge drinking is more common among people with household incomes of $75,000 or more. However, binge drinkers with household incomes of less than $25,000 have the largest number of drinks per sitting—an average of eight to nine drinks.
(Source: Join Together, 01/11/12)
Comment: In one of the online comments is pointed out that this result shows that not only the alcoholics are the problem who cause the alcohol related harm to society. That is what the alcohol industry wants to make us believe.
From Full report (pdf):
Implications for Public Health Practice: More widespread implementation of Community Guide–recommended interventions (e.g., measures controlling access to alcohol and increasing prices) could reduce the frequency, intensity, and ultimately the prevalence of binge drinking, as well as the health and social costs related to it.