www.alkoholpolitik.ch

The Kruger National Park is considering a ban on liquor for day visitors, Beeld newspaper reported on Saturday.
SANParks chief executive David Mabunda said the international tourist attraction recently received 130 complaints of drunken driving, animal abuse, disturbing the peace and even skinny dipping in a space of just two weeks.
„There is a lack of respect for the park. People ignore rules and regulations and alcohol abuse is a big problem,“ said Mabunda. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/20/11) news24.com, 01/15/11

Am südlichen Stadtrand von Juba steht der einzige Industriebetrieb des neuen Staates. SAB-Miller sei darauf spezialisiert, in aufstrebenden Märkten zu investieren. Aus dem Norden droht keine Konkurrenz, die Scharia verbietet den Konsum von Alkohol. Der Betrieb beschäftigt 280 einheimische und 11 ausländische Mitarbeiter. Die ausländischen seien vor allem mit der Ausbildung der einheimischen beschäftigt. An einem normalen Tag werden 150 000 Halbliterflaschen produziert, im Jahr maximal 180 000 hl. Eine Erweiterung soll die Kapazität um 50% erhöhen. Hopfen und Malz werden aus der EU importiert. Die Zusammenarbeit mit den Behörden wird gelobt. Die Brauerei sei während der zweijährigen Anlaufzeit von Steuern befreit gewesen, zahle aber eine Alkoholsteuer, die sie selber angeregt hätte. (Quelle: Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 20.1.11) (nicht online) Kommentar: Wir haben am 30.11.10 eine Meldung über diese weltweit zweitgrösste Brauerei gebracht, die aufzeigte, wie sie es versteht, mit geringsten Steuern die Gewinne nach Europa zu schleusen. Nun hat sie ein neues Gebiet gefunden, wo sie die Ärmsten in den Teufelskreis des Alkohols hineinziehen kann. Ein soziales Auffangnetz oder eine Alkoholpolitik kennen die ja nicht. Unsere Entwicklungshilfe entsorgt als Bierdividenden.

To reduce drunk driving, Nebraska’s Liquor Control Commission is considering a ban on drinking games sponsored by suppliers or bars, the Associated Press reported Jan. 10.
The commission has focused on drinking games like beer pong because they „encourage overintoxication, which has a societal risk, a societal harm,“ according to Hobert Rupe, who directs the commission.
„The problem with a lot of these games is if you’re drinking a lot of alcohol rapidly, in a short amount of time, you’re not going to realize you’re at that state until it’s too late,“ he said. Under the proposed regulations, a bar that violated the ban could lose its liquor license. (Source: Join Together, 01/19/11)

Nearly 3,000 substance abuse prevention and treatment specialists will convene Feb. 7-10 near Wash., D.C., for Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America’s (CADCA) annual National Leadership Forum. Headlining the conference are Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy and Howard Koh MD, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary of Health for the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, who will both provide keynote addresses during the National Leadership Plenary on Feb. 8. (Source: Join Together, 01/19/11)

The government plans to introduce charges for treating alcohol-related illnesses.
A union representing doctors in Sri Lanka has protested against government plans to stop free healthcare for those addicted to alcohol.
The health ministry is planning to stop free health care to „alcohol-addicts“ from next month.
The union says the new measure jeopardises doctor-patient relations because medics are required to provide a health report for each patient.
The poor that will be twice punished by the measure, the union says.
Dr Nishantha Dasanayake, president of the All Ceylon Government Medical Officers‘ Association, said that the union is happy that Sri Lanka’s Medical Council has expressed objections to the government’s initiative. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/19/11) bbc.co.uk, 01/17/11

Impact on alcohol-related mortality of a rapid rise in the density of private liquor outlets in British Columbia: a local area multi-level analysis.
To study relationships between rates of alcohol-related deaths and the density of liquor outlets and the proportion of liquor stores owned privately in British Columbia (BC) during a period of rapid increase in private stores.
Multi-level regression analyses assessed the relationship between population rates of private liquor stores and alcohol-related mortality after adjusting for potential confounding. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 01/18/11)

Wer nach einem Unfall ein Schlückchen „Nerven-Balsam“ in Form von Alkohol nimmt, verliert womöglich seinen Versicherungsschutz.
Auch wenn nach einem Unfall der Schock meist tief sitzt, sollte auf einen Schluck Alkohol zur Beruhigung verzichtet werden. Genehmigt sich der Autofahrer dennoch ein Gläschen, verliert er womöglich seinen Versicherungsschutz. Das entschied das Kammergericht Berlin, wie die Deutsche Anwaltshotline jetzt mitteilt. (Quelle: Google Alkohol News, 18.1.11) focus.de, 18.1.11

I read with great interest earlier, this BBC News article about the Coalition Government’s plans to bring in a minimum price for alcohol in England and Wales.
In the Coalition Agreement, it was stated that: „We will ban the sale of alcohol below cost price“. Ministers are now fleshing out their proposals to make this a reality.
It will work by banning shops and bars from selling drinks for less than the tax paid on them. It is hoped that this will send a signal that the Government is clamping down on the sale of extortionately cheap alcohol. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/19/11) johnmarkcole.blogspot.com, 01/18/11 our Online Comment: It is fine to have an ideology. Then you don’t need thinking.
There is a lot of talking about personal freedom. What about my freedom when the alcohol industry forces me to pay a life long the huge alcohol related social costs? The World Health Organization has mentioned that we all are Passive Drinkers. We all suffer from the harm of alcohol consumption. Taxes are ridiculous low.
Everybody is free to consume according to its income. Drinking alcohol is not a human right. It is better to fight for jobs with an income which enables everybody to live a decent life, instead of giving cheap alcohol to keep the poor calm and down.
What about my personal freedom, when the media do not give the necessary information I need to discuss this matter and ask for the right measures to be taken by the government, because they are alcohol lobbyists? Did you know that in May 2010 the World Health Organization accepted with all 193 votes of the member states a resolution on a global alcohol strategy? In it the alcohol related harm on society and the evidence based measures for harm reduction are listed. Governments only had to implement those proposals, but instead they try everything which wouldn’t harm the alcohol industry. The industry keeps the profit, society pays the social costs in money and in life, etc.

…a summary review of the evidence base.
‚Below cost‘ ban announced as duty + VAT re-opens pricing debate.
The Government has announced the ‚below cost ban‘ will be defined as the rate of duty + VAT, despite concerns from critics that few drinks are sold below this level. A Home Office press release said „This is an important first step in delivering the government’s commitment to ban the sale of alcohol ‚below cost‘ price.“
However some media reports described the measures as ‚minimum pricing‘, a different approach based on cost per unit. See here for the differences between a below cost ban and minimum pricing. The ban on sales below a duty + VAT rate has been calculated as preventing retailers from selling… (Source: Alcohol Policy UK110119 / Home Office, January 2011

Jetzt ist es raus. Männer sterben nicht früher, weil sie mutiger sind und sich in „harten“ Jobs verschleißen. Und Frauen verdanken ihre längere Lebenserwartung nicht etwa dem häufigeren Arztbesuch.
Wesentlicher Grund für den früheren Tod der Männer ist ihre Zuwendung zu Tabak und Alkohol. Das ergeben jedenfalls die Berechnungen von Gerry McCartney und Mitarbeitern von der Social and Public Health Sciences Unit in Glasgow.
Danach sind europaweit zwischen 50 und 60 Prozent des Geschlechterunterschieds in der Lebenserwartung auf das Rauchen zurückzuführen. Noch einmal 10 bis 20 Prozent fordert der Alkohol. Interessant sind die Unterschiede zwischen den einzelnen Ländern. (Quelle: Deutsches Ärzteblatt, 18.1.11)