www.alkoholpolitik.ch

The latest annual statistics on alcohol for England 2012 have been released by the ONS, confirming a continuing rise in alcohol-related and primary alcohol attributable hospital conditions. Alcohol-related admissions rose 11% on the previous year with primary diagnosis conditions up 2.1%. Ns_logo

This comes despite falls since 2004 in the proportion of adults reporting drinking alcohol. Continuing admissions – many being long term conditions – are thought to be linked to decades of rising consumption prior to 2004. Additionally indications that amongst some groups, those who are drinking are drinking more.

Some key facts from the report include:

A 2.1% increase in primary diagnosis alcohol conditions (198,900 for 2010/11) since the previous year and a 40% increase since 2003 (142,000).
A 11% increase on alcohol-related admissions (based on attributable fractions) totalling 1,168,300 for 2010/11.This is more than twice as many as in 2002/03 (510,700). …
(Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 06/5/12)

Results from the project Alcohol Marketing Monitoring in Europe (AMMIE) stress the need to implement a ban on sport sponsorship of alcohol brands in Europe. The project clearly shows that popular sports like football are heavily sponsored by alcohol brands, which is also the case with the UEFA Championship in Poland and Ukraine starting the coming weekend. – The AMMIE project shows how sport is being sponsored intensively by alcohol producers and that a ban is clearly needed, says Wim van Dalen, coordinator of AMMIE and Director of STAP – Dutch Institute for Alcohol Policy.

More sponsoring, more drinking
Recent studies shows that sport events sponsored by the alcohol industry are associated with higher levels of alcohol consumption among the sport spectators compared to spectators at sporting events where the event is not sponsored by the alcohol industry. This is especially worrying when the UEFA Championship starts the coming weekend with Carlsberg as one of the main sponsors.

Many sport clubs sponsored by the drinks industry
The AMMIE project has made the first attempt to examine alcohol-branded sport sponsorship of the top clubs of the five most frequently performed sports teams in Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Until now there has been no data available that gives insight in the number of sport clubs that are sponsored by alcohol brands. AMMIE shows how this is widespread and should be paid more attention to. In AMMIE, national statistics were used to select the five most frequently performed sports teams in each country. Of these sports, the ten teams that play in the highest division are rated as top clubs. Of these 50 top clubs, the club websites have been scanned thoroughly for the presence of alcohol-branded sponsors. Following is data from each AMMIE country more detailed described.

Young people exposed
Although the sport events with the famous clubs are not exclusively viewed by youth, nonetheless children and adolescents represent a significant proportion of the general viewing public. In this regard, the message to youth is clear: sport and alcohol consumption is positive and fun and famous players support the very brands advertised. Alcohol consumption is therefore connected to the healthy image of sport activities, although it is, in reality, a causal factor in more than 60 different diseases and illnesses (WHO, 2007). …

Alcohol sponsor shapes the image of the club
AMMIE provide insight into the way sponsorships shape their contributions to popular sports and their clubs in the five countries studied. Not only does the presence of an alcohol brand sponsoring a sport club stand out, but also the role of this sponsor in shaping the image of the club. When alcohol producers sponsor a sport club, not only can their logo be found on their website, the stadium or sporting hall can be named after the alcohol brand and the alcoholic beverages of this brand can be sold on the website and/or within the sporting club (canteen/bar). In this way the alcohol brand attempts to associate itself with the sport, the sport club, its sportive success, the loyalty of its fans and its positive image in society.

For more information contact:
The Dutch Institute for Alcohol Policy (STAP)
PO box 9769
3506 GT Utrecht
The Netherlands
Tel: 0031 30 6565041/ 0031 6 53295544

Young people in Switzerland are consuming twice as much alcohol as was previously believed, with many young adults drinking large amounts at the weekend.
These were the results of a research project supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and presented on Wednesday. Psychologist Emmanuel Kuntsche and his team from the addiction centre Sucht Schweiz in Lausanne conducted a mobile phone survey of 183 western Swiss (86 men and 97 women) aged between 19 and 26. For five weeks the participants had to give hourly updates from Thursday to Saturday on their consumption of alcohol, from early evening to midnight as well as the following morning. At the beginning of the survey they were also questioned on their consumption during the previous 30 days. …
(Source: Google Alcohol News, 05/28/12) bazonline.ch, 05/23/12

In Focus
Alcohol harms you, others and the society – why does Europe need an alcohol strategy? 27 June 2012, European Parliament, Brussels
Finland takes important steps to restrict alcohol marketing
News from Eurocare
Alcohol Focus Scotland: Minimum pricing
NordAN: Conference reminder
EHYT: Cannabis Connotations of an Alcohol Ad cause a stir in Finland
Eurocare Italy: Partnership between Diageo and Italian Automobile Club
DHS: Focus on alcohol and cancer
News from the European Union Institutions
Report from the Chair of the European Alcohol and Health Forum
Presentations from the High Level Conference on EU Health Programmes
Question from MEP: Alcohol consumption in Europe
Question from MEP: Benefits of red wine
Question from MEP: Foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
Question from MEP: Wine imports: possible tax increase and imposition of quotas
News from across Europe
Scottish minimum price at 50p per unit
Ireland – Minister to end alcohol sponsorship of sports
Germany – Public Transit Pub: Will Alcohol Bans Stop Party Trains?
News from the World Health Organization
World Health Statistics
New research and reports
ALICE RAP Policy Brief on alcohol: ‘Alcohol – the neglected addiction’
Study on the affordability of alcoholic beverages in the EU
Research shows high level of serving alcohol to inebriated customers
Call for Papers Special Issue on International Perspectives on Alcohol Control Policies in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Upcoming Events ….
(Source: Eurocare, 25/05/2012)

The European Centre for Monitoring Alcohol Monitoring (EUCAM) has delivered a luke warm response to the Responsible Marketing Pact. The pact was trumpeted to be the first time that common standards would be implemented throughout the EU. The standards would protect young people from undue exposure to alcohol and prohibit marketing being directed at minors. The alcohol industry had claimed that self-regulation is working, and should be expanded.

However AMMIE (Alcohol Marketing Monitoring in Europe) at the EUCAM conference in March, warned against mere „window dressing“ and called for an outright ban on advertising. Their research showed that on average each minor in the 5 countries they researched (Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Bulgaria and Denmark) were exposed to 44 alcohol commercials in 2 months. They noted numerous violations of the 30% rule, whereby advertising should only be allowed where under 30% of the population are minors. In practice, they insist, there is nowhere in Europe where there is a population group consisting of more than 30% minors, meaning that alcohol advertising can go unchecked. …
(Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 05/22/12) EUCAM Newsletter May 2012

Alcoholic drinks will be banned at any event organized by the Russian delegation in which athletes or delegation officials participate, Kommersant reported, citing information from the minutes of a meeting led by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, the official in charge of the team’s trip to London.
Kozak representative Ilya Dzhus confirmed the information to Kommersant. „Olympic values are not commensurate with using alcohol,“ he said.

The ban applies to the Russian Olympic Committee, the Sochi 2014 organizing committee, the All-Russian Association of Summer Olympic Sports and the company Bosco di Ciliegi, the official outfitter of the Olympic team.

But a federal official in the meeting with Kozak suggested that organizers can make alcoholic beverages available at parties for their corporate clients and sponsors, as long as athletes or members of the official delegation do not participate. …
(Source: Alcohol Reports, News, 05/21/12) The Moscow Times, 22 May 2012

The Iranian Ministry of Health says the consumption of alcoholic beverages has reached alarming levels in the southern areas of Tehran.
Shargh Newspaper reported on Tuesday that senior ministry official Bagher Larijani said: “According to reports from physicians and hospitals in the southern Tehran area, the spread of alcohol consumption is very concerning.”
He added: “Action regarding consumption of alcohol has become more pressing that ailments such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.”

The ministry also announced that it has only limited data regarding alcohol addiction, however, their research indicates there are two million addicts in the population, including alcohol addicts.

Previously, the head of the Task Force against Smuggling announced that alcohol smuggling was a $730-million-a-year business, and only a quarter of that is discovered and confiscated by the government.
Source: Google Alcohol News, 05/17/12) Radio Zamaneh/fluechtlingshilfeiranev2010.wordpress.com, 05/17/12

In 2010, the UK Government’s Responsibility Deal Alcohol Network (RDAN) was set up with representatives of the alcohol industry and health organisations. Acknowledging that RDAN does not advance public health objectives, the health groups withdrew from RDAN in 2011. This editorial argues that social responsibility deals as in RDAN and the European Alcohol Health Forum will be significantly undermined unless Corporate Social Responsibility is consistent in all activities across the whole sector. … (Editorial in „Addiction“ by DR ADRIAN BONNER &
PROFESSOR SIR IAN GILMORE)
Source: Alcohol Reports, 05/15/12) onlinelibrary.wiley.com, 05/15/12

The 10 communities that will receive funding for work to tackle binge and underage drinking have been announced by Communities and Local Government. The fund was opened for bids earlier this year by Baroness Newlove, the government’s Champion for Active, Safer Communities.
The CLG press release states:

Over the next two years these innovative grassroots projects, backed by local authorities, police and retailers, are expected to deliver real results to end the fallout of problem drinking. Other communities will hopefully be inspired to follow their lead. The projects will address separate issues that are the greatest challenges in their neighbourhoods, with measures of their success that will include:

– a reduction in the number of anti-social behaviour incidents related to alcohol consumption
– fewer A&E admissions to local hospitals or fewer ambulance call outs as a result of drinking
– the consumption of alcohol by young people reducing to safe levels; and
– a reduction in purchasing of alcohol made on behalf of under 18s („proxy purchasing“).
(Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 05/16/12)

Alcohol Justice, the U.S.-based industry watchdog, released a new report today showing convenience store giant 7-Eleven cuts prices on supersized, youth-attractive alcopops so they are cheaper than non-alcoholic energy drinks. While on average, alcopops were the same price per standard alcoholic drink as beer, supersized alcopops in 16- to 24-ounce cans were cheaper per standard drink than similarly sized beer. Some supersized alcopops, such as Four Loko and Mike’s Harder Lemonade, entice youth with more alcohol for the price than even similar sized malt liquor.

“Alcopops are just too good of a deal for kids to pass up,” said Holley Shafer, research analyst at Alcohol Justice and co-author of the new report, “Alcopops Cheaper than Energy Drinks: 7-Eleven Gambles with Children’s Lives.” Alcohol Justice surveyed all 7-Eleven stores in northern California’s Marin County, an area plagued with excessive youth alcohol consumption. “The availability of cheap single-serving supersized alcopops like Four Loko at 7-Eleven stores makes them even more compelling to youth than comparable non-alcoholic energy drinks,” added Shafer, “because young people already seeking the energy drink buzz are a vulnerable market for energy drinks‘ alcoholic cousins, alcopops.”
Source: Alcohol Justice, 05/16/12)