www.alkoholpolitik.ch

18 November 2009 marked the start of the EU-SPR. A Meeting in Rome founded the Society. See Website

Apolo Anton Ohno, the most decorated U.S. Winter Olympian in history and star of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, (eight-record breaking Olympic medals in short-track speed skating) has partnered with The Century Council and its Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix program. Today in Greenwood Village, Ohno, in conjunction with the newly formed Apolo Anton Ohno Foundation, began a five-city tour to schools throughout the U.S. encouraging kids to say “YES” to a healthy lifestyle and “NO” to underage drinking. The Apolo Anton Ohno Foundation, established by the eight-time Olympic medalist, will focus on providing youth of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds with the opportunity to play sports, be active and learn about the benefits of making responsible and positive choices. (Source: Medical News Today, 3/8/10)

‘Side Stepping Alcohol Misuse’, an alcohol awareness project run by London Active Communities and Premier Rugby, is due to kick off across the country this month after receiving £100,000 funding from the charity, Drinkaware. The ground-breaking new youth inclusion project will see specially trained community staff from Premiership Rugby Clubs and local youth workers deliver sports-based alcohol education to young people aged 13 to 19. The programme will target hard to reach and disadvantaged communities in 12 areas, including Newcastle, Leeds and London. (Source: Medical News Today, 3/5/10)

A measure that would have raised the alcohol tax in West Virginia and used the revenues to pay for addiction treatment and prevention programs has been killed. The Charleston Gazette reported Feb. 24 that the bill died in a legislative committee. However, lawmakers separately approved a pair of bills that would put a $300-million cap on Medicaid spending and dedicate any excess to paying for addiction services. Some estimates put the reserve amount at $60 million. The bill had called for raising the beer tax from 2 cents per bottle to 7 cents. (Source: Join Together, 3/1/10)

A new 6 million pound NHS campaign to reveal alcohol’s hidden effects warns people of the unseen damage caused by regularly drinking more than the advised limits and highlights drinkers’ affected organs while they sup their drink in the pub or at home. The campaign was launched recently by Public Health Minister, Gillian Merron. It forms part of a government-wide strategy to tackle the harmful effects of alcohol and is backed by major health charities. (Source: Medical News Today, 3/1/10) Online-Comment: I have been wondering for some time already why people in the U.K. get the advise to drink double the amount of alcohol as advised in other countries on the continent. Is it the climate or the good relations between alcohol industry and government?

A growing number of colleges are alerting parents whenever their children under age 21 are involved in alcohol-related incidents at school. Previously, schools like Virginia Tech would only inform parents if the student’s alcohol use resulted in arrest or a hospital visit. …Colleges also have realized that parents can be very effective in changing student drinking behavior. “Students are more concerned about their parents being notified than they are of the legal consequences,” said Edward Spencer, vice president for student affairs at Virginia Tech. (Source: Join Together, 2/26/10)

Black Adults’ Alcohol Use And Binge Drinking Levels Are Below The National Average.
The current alcohol use rate for blacks aged 18 and older is significantly lower than the national adult average (44.3 percent versus 55.2 percent) according to a new study based on a national survey. The study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also reveals that black adults have a lower rate of current binge drinking than the national adult average (21.7 percent versus 24.5 percent). Young black adults (aged 18 -25) are markedly less likely to be currently engaged in binge drinking than young adults in the general population (25.3 percent versus 41.6 percent). … (Source: Medical News Today, 2/26/10)

Youths who call for help when underage drinkers get sick from drinking will get leniency — but not a free pass — from the courts under legislation approved by a Utah Senate panel. (Source: Join Together, 2/24/10)

Public service advertising campaigns that use guilt or shame to warn against alcohol abuse can actually have the reverse effect, spurring increased drinking among target audiences, according to new research from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. (Source: Medical News Today, 2/25/10)

The Latvian parliament plans to vote on a proposal which would limit trade with alcohol in the near future. The daily Latvijas Avīze welcomes the initiative: “In Latvia more than 10 litres of pure alcohol are consumed per capita and per year, there are countless alcoholics and statistics show that the number of minors being brought into hospitals with alcohol poisoning is on the rise. … (Quelle: Google Alkohol Alert, 25.2.10) eurotopics.net, 24.2.10