www.alkoholpolitik.ch

Viele Österreicher haben Erfahrungen mit illegalen Suchtgiften gemacht, dann aber damit aufgehört. Ganz anders schaut es bei Tabak und Alkohol aus. Todesfälle mit Drogen-Bezug gibt es noch öfter: Allein in Wien hat die Polizei im Vorjahr 230 bearbeitet.
Der Konsum von illegalen Suchtgiften ist in Österreich zum überwiegenden Teil ein „Lebensabschnittsproblem“. Konsumenten von Cannabis und Co. lassen zu einem weithöheren Maße wieder von den Drogen ab als Konsumenten von Alkohol oder Nikotin von diesen Substanzen (siehe Grafik) . Das ist eine der Hauptaussage des „Berichts zur Drogensituation 2010“. (Quelle: Google Alkohol News, 29.10.10) kurier.at, 28.10.10

„In August, the Government ruled out lowering the blood-alcohol limit from 80mg per 100ml of blood to 50mg, despite unambiguous advice from its officials that such a move would significantly reduce the number of people killed by drunk drivers. The Transport Ministry says that reducing the level could save 33 lives, prevent up to 680 injuries and save up to $238 million every year. The ‚could‘ is the important word here, of course: the figures are based not on research conducted in this country, but extrapolated from an aggregation of more than 300 international studies and from the experience of other developed countries that have cut the limit… Yet, in line with the Key administration’s policy of never making a move without scenting the air, the Government has gutlessly decided it will wait for New Zealand-specific research before making a call. That will take two years: before the research can even begin. (Source: Harvard World Health News, 10/28/10) The New Zealand Herald, October 24, 2010 Comment: It is unbelievable that there are still some few countries, that keep to the old limit. Those governments should be accused for murder.

Hospital figures show 32% increase in four years with 8,799 under-18s given specialist help last year. Growing numbers of children are ending up in hospital because they have drunk so much, with more girls needing treatment than boys, according to new NHS figures. Under-18s have an increasingly damaging relationship with tens of thousands every year being attended to by ambulance crews, treated in A&E or admitted overnight, according to a report from the charity Alcohol Concern.The number of underage drinkers admitted to hospital in England rose by 32% between 2003 and 2007, from around 11,000 in 2003 to more than 14,000 in 2007, NHS hospital records show. A total of 92,220 children and young people under 18 were admitted to hospital between 2002 and 2009 – or 36 under-18s a day. … (Source: Harvard World Health News, 10/28/10) guardian.co.uk, 10/23/10

Eurocare (European Alcohol Policy Alliance) has issued today an open letter of support for the Thai government for its plans to introduce alcohol health warnings labels on packages of alcoholic beverages.
In January this year Thailand has notified the WTO (Committee on Technical Barrier to Trade) about plans to introduce rotating pictorial warnings on alcoholic beverages contained in different types of containers. The proposal includes:
* picture printed in 4 colours and 6 types of which one of them is required to be rotated at 1,000 package intervals.
* 6 types of health warning messages
* they should cover at least 30% of package
* prohibition of suggesting on labels that alcohol can improve better health
In the open letter Eurocare expressed its support for the initiative of placing health warning labels on alcoholic beverages and congratulated the Thai government for its courage and willingness to take this step to tackle alcohol related harm.
The significance of the economic costs of ill health has been acknowledged not only by public health community but also economic agencies such as the World Economic Forum in its publication “Global Risks 2010”. Chronic diseases were placed as one of the top most severe risks facing the world. They scored very high on likelihood and severity indicators . Alcohol is the 3rd main contributory factor globally to chronic diseases (it ranks 2nd in middle income countries and 1st in high income countries) . … (Source: Eurocare, 10/28/10)

Data is provided by the WHO Global Information System on Alcohol and Health (GISAH). The indicator on total alcohol consumption is defined as the recorded amount of alcohol consumed per adult (15+ years) over a calendar year in a country, in litres of pure alcohol. The indicator only takes into account the consumption which is recorded from production, import, export, and sales data often via taxation. Population data is based on midyear resident population (15+ years) of the UN World Population Prospects, medium variant. In order to convert into litres of pure alcohol, the alcohol content of beer, wine, and spirits is considered to be 5%, 12% and 40% respectively. Specific conversion factors are used for other, less common types of alcoholic beverages. (Source: EUROPEAN COMMISSION HEALTH AND CONSUMERS DIRECTORATE-GENERAL10/29/10)

Die drei Vereine »Kunst gegen Sucht«, »NACOA Deutschland« und »Such(t)- und Wendepunkt« rufen gemeinsam zur zweiten Aktionswoche für Kinder aus Suchtfamilien vom 13.2. bis 19.2.2011 auf. Ziel der Aktionswoche ist es, die Aufmerksamkeit in Öffentlichkeit und Medien auf die von familiären Suchtproblemen betroffenen Kinder zu lenken. Zu diesem Zweck wird ab Dezember 2010 eine zentrale Website (www.coa-aktionswoche.de) eingerichtet.
Alle Projekte und Initiativen, die Angebote für betroffene Kinder haben, sind aufgerufen, während der Aktionswoche mit Veranstaltungen auf sich aufmerksam zu machen und auf die lokale Presse zuzugehen, um sie zur Berichterstattung zu ermuntern. Aber auch Einzelpersonen sind eingeladen, sich mit Briefaktionen oder dem Verteilen von Informationsmaterialien an der Aktionswoche zu beteiligen. Jede/r, dem/der das Thema Kinder aus Suchtfamilien wichtig ist, kann mitmachen. Ideen dazu werden auf der Website www.coa-aktionswoche.de vorgestellt.
Die Aktionswoche läuft parallel zur Children of Alcoholics Week in den USA und in Großbritannien. Sie steht in Deutschland unter der Schirmherrschaft der Schauspielerin Katrin Sass.
Antworten:
http://opennetworx.org/?locale=de#start

Bei Alkohol-Testkäufen in Braunschweig ist vielfach Alkohol an Minderjährige verkauft worden. In 83 Geschäften, Supermärkten und Tankstellen haben der Zentrale Ordnungsdienst der Stadtverwaltung und die Polizei in den vergangenen Tagen kontrolliert, heißt es heute in einer Mitteilung der Stadt. Die jugendlichen Testkäufer erhielten in 31 der Betriebe problemlos Alkohol, das sind 37%. Eine Verbesserung der Quote im Vergleich zu früheren Testkäufen sei nicht festzustellen. (Quelle: Google Alkohol News, 28.10.10) newsclick.de, 27.10.10

Fast ein Viertel aller Darmkrebserkrankungen ließen sich vermeiden, wenn die Menschen die Ratschläge für einen gesunden Lebensstil befolgen würden – und zwar hinsichtlich Bewegung, Bauchumfang, Nikotin- und Alkoholkonsum sowie Ernährung. Dieses Fazit ziehen dänische Forscher aus der Auswertung der Daten von mehr als 55.000 Erwachsenen. Sogar kleine Änderungen in der Lebensweise hätten einen entscheidenden Einfluss auf das Risiko für Darmkrebs (Kolorektales Karzinom), schreiben die Forscher im Fachmagazin „British Medical Journal“ (doi: 10.1136/bmj.c5504). (Quelle: netdoktor.de, 27.10.10)

Today, in reaction to calls from their Thai partners and friends, young Europeans send an urgent call to the European Commission, the Member States of the EU and the broader public: alcohol is no ordinary commodity!
Andrea Lavesson, president of Active – sobriety, friendship and peace, explains the background: “We have received calls for support from our Thai friends in protecting the health and social safety of young people in Thailand, where right now the European Commission is conducting negotiations with the Thai government about mutual Free Trade Agreement. The problem is, and that bothers many young people in Thailand, that the European Commission puts pressure on the Thais to include alcohol into the Free Trade Agreement even though the Thai government is against it for the simple reason – to protect public health.”

In fact, the negotiations have been put on halt for the Thai government to consult with civil society and assess the health and social impacts if alcohol be included as trade commodity in the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). While civil society protests against an inclusion, the business sector of importers, hotels, tourism enterprises, restaurants and alcohol industry mount heavy campaigns to get alcohol from Europe into the country.

Alcohol costs the Europeans 125 Billion tax payers € per year, an amount that is more than four times higher than what alcohol production, retail and consumption contribute to the economy. A disproportionate amount of the medical, psychological and social costs has to be shouldered by young Europeans under 25. Despite these facts and the apparent economical imbalance, the European Commission labels alcohol as an important agro-food export commodity.

“This alarms both Thai and European youth – and together we say: alcohol is not like oat. It’s surely no ordinary commodity,” says Andrea Lavesson, “even the WHO global alcohol strategy reflects that truth by stating that Public health should be given proper deference in relation to competing interests. We demand that the European Commission protects the integrity of that document that all EU Member States have ratified this year.”

“In Europe we make the experience every day that the alcohol industry makes its way to the decision makers”, tells Andrea Lavesson, “therefore it is important to understand that the alcohol industry’s business methods in developing countries are – and I’m not exaggerating – highly immoral. Alcohol industry violates their own codes of conduct wherever possible and target young people. Beer girls are, among other methods, used to promote alcohol drinks and increase sales.”
Andrea Lavesson sends a clear message to the European Commission and Member States: “Such an industry should not be invited to the table of diplomatic negotiations! If not the European Commission, who is to safe guard the interests of young people and to be a role model in public health protection?”

Kind regards and we, wish you a great day!
press release. For immediate release 28th October 2010

Increasing numbers of Iraqi military and police personnel are using drugs and alcohol while on duty, raising questions about their ability to maintain order once American troops leave in 2011, the New York Times reported Oct. 24. According to the Times‘ sources, in high-risk areas of the country, as many as 50 percent of soldiers and police, including their commanders, use drugs and alcohol to cope with fear, stress, and boredom. (Source: Join Together, 10/26/10)