(Source: ADD Bulletin 3-2006)  Strategies to Address Alcohol Problems

Tell Target: Binge Drinking is No Game!
Target, the national department store chain, is selling binge drinking games on its website. "The last man/woman standing wins!" says the instructions for Drinko, where the object of the game is to make your opponents drink as many shots as possible.  (Learn more about the drinking games). These games clearly promote high-risk drinking. - IMPORTANT: Please customize the sample letter with your own words. Individualized letters have much more impact.    (Join Together, 21.12.06)

(Quelle: Marin Institute Alcohol News, - 19.12.06)

Executives at Anheuser-Busch have decided to pursue another direction in their marketing of the Busch brand and will not renew their relationship with NASCAR when the sponsorship expires, after 25 seasons, at the end of 2007. Busch's Budweiser will continue to be the "official beer of NASCAR," writes The Charlotte (South Carolina) Observer. The beer will also continue to sponsor driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR's pole awards, and the annual Budweiser Shootout at Daytona. Join Together, 12/19/06
(Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News, - 12/19/06)  MediaBuyerPlanner, 12/19/06

Having seen increases in binge drinking among youths in the months after it slashed alcohol taxes by more than 40 percent, the government of Finland is now reporting that alcohol has become the leading killer of the nation's adults. More than 2,000 people ages 15 to 64 in Finland died from alcohol poisoning or alcohol-related illnesses in 2005. Close to another 1,000 Finns died from alcohol-related accidents or violent incidents.
(Source: Join Together, 12/15/06)     Toronto Star,12/09/06

Gov. Announces Efforts to Combat Drunk Driving.
About $2.25 million in state and federal funds will finance several new initiatives aimed at combating drunk driving in New Mexico, Gov. Bill Richardson has announced. The new efforts include four full-time DWI law enforcement officers in Santa Fe County, increased DWI checkpoints and saturation patrols in several counties, and a "Drunkbusters" unit to respond to citizen calls.  (Source: Join Together, 12/14/06)     New Mexico Business Weekly, 12/12/06

Bacardi risks ASA Censure with 'low-calorie' Work
Bacardi's latest poster campaign, which highlights the low-calorie content of Bacardi & Diet Cola, is set to court controversy with the Advertising Standards Authority and alcohol charities. The poster, which reads "Bacardi & Diet Cola. 0 sugar. 0 carbs. 52 calories", could fall foul of a grey area in Ofcom regulations on alcohol advertising, which states that while alcohol ads can contain factual statements about product contents, including comparisons, they must not make health, fitness or weight-control claims.
(Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News, -12/12/06)    Brand Republic, 12/12/06

Diese Ausgabe ist heute noch nicht im Internet einsehbar.

Going for STOP: US-Congress Passes First Major Underage-Drinking Law. Bush is expected to sign the bill into law.
A bill that's being called an important first step towards addressing the national problem of underage drinking was approved by both the U.S. Senate and House this week, and heads to President Bush's desk for approval. The Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP) Underage Drinking Act, which was initially approved on a 373-23 vote in the House of Representatives on Nov. 14, passed the Senate by unanimous consent on Dec. 6 and won final approval in a slightly amended form in the House on Dec. 7. (Source: Join Together, 12/08/06)

The Case For Lowering Legal BAC Levels Even More
All 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico now make it a crime to drive with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 percent or more. And, a new review of research from around the world makes a case for lowering the limit even more.
The review was done by James Fell and Robert Voas from the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, a nonprofit group in Calverton, Md. Fell and Voas report that when the United States lowered the legal BAC limit from .10 to the current .08, alcohol-related crashes and injuries dropped by an average of 7 to 8 percent. In countries where the limit was lowered to .05 BAC, additional reductions took place.
Comment: Switzerland is a good example. The new 0.05% limit has brought a decline of 22% less fatalities on the roads in the first year. In the first 6 months of the second year the decline went on. But it is necessary to say that additional measures are needed, e.g. more controls and controls without suspicion.  (Source: Joint Together, 11/22/06)

A New Strategy to Discourage Driving Drunk
"The threat of arrest and punishment, for decades the primary tactic against drunken drivers, is no longer working in the struggle to reduce the death toll, officials say, and they are proposing turning to technology -- alcohol detection devices in every vehicle"
In the first phase of the plan, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, backed by others, will announce here on Monday a campaign to change drunken driving laws in 49 states to require that even first offenders install a device that tests drivers and shuts down the car if it detects alcohol. Many states already require the devices, known as ignition interlocks, for people who have been convicted several times. Last year New Mexico became the first to make ignition interlocks mandatory after a first offense. With that tactic and others, the state saw an 11.3 percent drop in alcohol-related fatalities last year. (Source: Harvard World Health News, 22.11.06)
The New York Times, Nov. 20, 2006       Chicago Tribune, 11/20/06

Action Alert: Why is James Bond 'Licensed to Sell' Booze to our Kids?
Everyone knows that James Bond likes his martinis, but why is he pitching vodka and beer to kids in his new PG-13 movie “Casino Royale” ? Both Smirnoff Vodka and Heineken appear in the film and in a massive worldwide co-promotional campaign. Heineken and Smirnoff are using the film and the dashing Bond image to promote alcohol to millions of kids and teens who will see the movie. (Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News, -11/20/06)

House Passes Underage-Drinking Prevention Bill
A bill that's being called the first national legislation to focus exclusively on underage-drinking prevention,  The Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking (STOP) Act, H.R. 864, was passed 373-23 on Nov. 1. by the U.S. House of Representatives, and now heads to the Senate for consideration. "Our nation must no longer be complacent about underage drinking and its alarming consequences," said Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.), the lead sponsor of the legislation. "We must bring this national public-health crisis out of the shadow and into the bright light of a national priority."
(Source: Join Together, 11/17/06)

Russian Gov't Considers Takeover of Alcohol Industry
Reacting to a wave of alcohol poisonings, the Russian government is considering reestablishing its former monopoly over alcohol production and sales, which was operating till the 1980th and brought most of the states income.
(Source: Join Together, 11/15/06)      TIMESONLINE, 11/13/06

Johnnie Walker Classic at risk. Golf event 'will go overseas' if logo, brand not shown.Riche Monde (Bangkok), distributor of Johnnie Walker scotch whisky, has urged the government to decide within two weeks whether it can use the logo and brand to promote the upcoming Johnnie Walker Classic golf event in Phuket in March 07. If not the alcohol company is ready to move the event to either South Korea or South Africa. The Johnnie Walker Classic has been thrown into jeopardy by government legislation banning alcohol advertising and sponsorship, which will take effect on December 3.
(Quelle: Marin Institute Alcohol News, -13.11.06)     The Nation, 10.11.06

Alcopop Problem Feeds Underage Drinking.  In Substance Abuse Prevention Partnerships, community groups sponsored by the South County Collaborative, South County (California, USA) residents have been involved for the last year in "environmental strategies" to increase the success of substance abuse prevention. These environmental strategies are well described in the article.
(Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News, -11/13/06)   GILROY DISPATCH, 11/10/06

Uncap Beer Tax? The 2007 Oregon (USA) Legislature will be under Democratic control for the first time in 18 years, potentially opening the door for a state beer tax increase. Oregon's beer tax, among the lowest in the nation, has not been adjusted since 1976.

(Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News, -11/13/06)  The Register-Guard, 11/12/06

SAN RAFAEL, CA—, USA: Activity is picking up in Bay Area communities and among county supervisors fighting to protect children from the alcohol industry's harmful advertising in a series of events this week. Community groups and local youth have spurred both the San Francisco and Contra Costa County Boards of Supervisors to take action on BART's recent decision to allow alcohol ads in stations and trains. Advocates will also file suit in Alameda County to keep sweet, fruity "alcopops" out of kids' hands.   A lawsuit will be filed in San Francisco Superior Court on Wednesday, asking the Board of Equalization to correctly tax alcopops. (Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News, -11/13/06)

No 'Frequent Drinkers' Clubs in N.C.
North Carolina's Alcohol Beverage Control Commission won't allow alcohol retailers to offer discounts to frequent buyers or issue coupons for alcohol purchases. North Carolina First Lady Mary Easley, national co-chair of the group Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol-Free, criticized the proposal, calling it irresponsible and dangerous. Alcohol retailers previously failed to get the plan through the state legislature. (Source: Join Together, 11/13/06)   Associated Press, 11/10/06

When is the cost of convenience too high? The voters of Massachusetts, USA are being asked to decide whether to expand the number of alcohol outlets in the state where wine can be purchased. Adults who like a glass of wine with dinner may be tempted by the convenience of 'one-stop shopping' at their favorite supermarket or corner store. Passage of Question 1 on the ballot will allow for an additional 2,879 places where adults can buy alcohol in Massachusetts, 23 of them will be in New Bedford.
(Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News, -11/6/06)     Southcoast Today, 11/1/06

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is seeking public comment about alcohol advertising practices as it compiles a list of questions for the beer, wine, and liquor industries. (Quelle: Join Together, 11/3/06)      Chronicle of Higher Education, 10/25/06

(Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News, -10/31/06)

Beer PAC aims to put Congress under influence.
When Congress returns Nov. 13, one bill likely to get a vote is a small measure to curb underage drinking. But the bill before the House is much different from the version lawmakers introduced last year. Gone are sections that urged the NCAA to ban alcohol ads during sportscasts and that called alcohol "the most heavily used drug by children." Added is a sentence that could help beer distributors fend off challenges to state regulations that require them — and only them — to transport beer to retailers. The changes are mainly due to the influence of PAC (political action committee) of The National Beer Wholesalers Association, the third biggest lobby funding lawmakers: $2.38 Mio. per 2005/6.    USA TODAY, 10/29/06            Join Together, 31.10.06

NAADAC Unveils Candidate Ratings
Want to know how your current lawmakers voted on addiction-related issues? NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Counselors, has just released ratings on all members of the U.S. Senate and House based on their roll-call votes on addiction-related issues.
(Source: Join Together, 10/30/06)  Ratings     NAADAC

Jay-Z teams up with Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch has hired Jay-Z as its new co-brand director for Budweiser Select, banking on his celebrity and entrepreneurial expertise to help lift its beer brand.
(Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News, - 10/23/06)       Boston Globe, 19.10.06

The Oregon Partnership played a key role in getting Macy's department stores to remove a series of beer-related T-shirts from back-to-school advertising aimed at teens. Federated Department Stores, which owns Macy's and Bloomingdales, pulled the "Beer Pong," "Beer: It's What's for Breakfast," and "I'm Working on My Six-Pack" shirts from its ads and youth departments in stores after a series of TV reports in Portland, Ore., featured interviews with outraged parents. (Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News - 10/16/06;   Join Together, 10/17/06)      New York Times, 10/16/06 (Registr. necessary)

This op-ed originally appeared on Sept. 14, 2006 in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. We're Letting Down Our Kids Over Tobacco and Alcohol. Commentary By Daniel K. Duncan.
"Is anyone paying attention to the news? Not the headlines about politics and war; I'm talking about some news stories that have to do with the well-being of our kids. .... Another news story concerned itself with Big Tobacco's twin brother: Big Alcohol. A study out of Columbia University stated that 17.5 percent -- $22.5 billion -- of alcohol industry revenue is attributable to underage drinking."...
(Full text: Join Together, 10/12/06)

Italian Government Proposes Raising Drinking Age to 18.
The new government of Italy has proposed raising the nation's legal drinking age from 16 to 18, big news in a country where moderate alcohol consumption even from early ages has long been seen as socially acceptable. The proposal is included in the budget.
(Source: Join Together, 10/11/06)   MSNBC/Financial Times, 10/06/06

Beer promotion encouraged binge drinking. A drinks promotion for Beck’s Vier encouraged irresponsible drinking, it was ruled today. A World Cup Football shirt promotion would have led directly to immoderate or irresponsible consumption of alcohol, a complaints board found. Diageo Ireland complained that the campaign, run by Inbev Ireland during the summer World Cup, encouraged the purchase of four pints of Becks Vier on one drinking occasion. (Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News - 10/09/06) 
BreakingNews.ie, 10.09.06

Weezer's Famous Rock Star Harvard Grad Sues Beer Giant. Weezer filed a lawsuit  against beer giant Miller Brewing Company for using the band's widely recognizable name without permission in a series of "grossly misleading and deceptive" print advertisements published in several publications, including Rolling Stone, in late 2004. Young And Rubicam, Miller's advertising agency, has also been named as a defendant. (Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News - 9.10.06)  ChartAttack, 10/04/06

New Campaign by the British Governmet Urges Young People To Know Their Limits When They Have A Drink, UK
The new £4 million alcohol ad campaign will illustrate a series of different scenarios where young people, thinking they are 'superheroes' while drunk, take risks with their health and safety, and coming to serious harm.
Source: Medical News Today, 14.10.06
Comment: The alcohol industry warmly welcomes this campaign which will have no success if there are no structural alcohol control measures.

EU-DG SANCO issued a Report of the ad hoc Round Table on Advertising and Self-Regulation. The Round Table was set up in October 2005 in response to a request by advertisers for guidance and support at the current stage of their endeavours. The report reflects the debate and contributions from the participants in the Advertising Round Tables of 3 one-day sessions in October 2005, January 2006 and May 2006. It seeks to draw together the issues identified during these debates between some Commission colleagues, some interested NGOs and representatives of the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA). The goal of this series of discussions was the clearer definition of a Best practice model for self-regulation. This report will also provide a useful input to ongoing reflection across the EU around self-regulation. This is not so much a debate about self-regulation against hard law, but rather a debate about how law and self-regulation can and should interact in modern Europe.
EU-Report engl. available in several languages.    Background paper

FORUT, a norwegian Development agency has issued its first ADD Bulletin, an electronic newsletter focusing on alcohol and drug problems in developing countries and as a development issue. The Bulletin will be distributed 7-8 times a year, bringing selected news from politics and science, examples of projects, activities and relevant material and links to relevant web sites. In this issue:
New legislation in Sri Lanka
World Bank report on youth raise alcohol and drugs as development issue
WHO regions in Asia with resolutions on alcohol
A call for action: Influencing the GATS negotiations
BBC radio documentary on alcohol in developing societies: BBC World Service.
Order here: add.bulletin@forut.no 

Conn. Law Targets House Parties.  
Homeowners who allow youths under age 21 to possess alcohol on their property face jail time and /or fines up to $500 under a new Connecticut law, which wil go into effect this week. Surveys found that more than 60 percent of teens said they had consumed alcohol at house parties, while 75 percent of high-school students said they got alcohol at home, with parental permission or not. (Quelle: Join Together,3.10.06)                          WTNH-TV, 1.10.06

Busch Funds Social-Norms Research Center. Anheuser-Busch has donated $2.5 million to the University of Virginia to create a National Social Norms Institute, which will focus on communicating "normative" behavior models about alcohol use. The school has been using the social-norms model of prevention since 1998, and says the approach has cut the numbers of students with alcohol-related injuries, drunk driving, and unprotected sex.
(Source: Join Together, 9/25/06)      The Daily Progress, 9/22/06

S.F. Transit Agency Drops Ban on Alcohol Ads. Trains and buses in San Francisco may soon be festooned with ads for beer, wine and liquor now that the board of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) agency has voted to end a ban on accepting alcohol advertising. The board voted to allow up to 17 percent of ads on BART vehicles and stations to hawk alcohol. The move is expected to bring in an additional $400,000 in ad revenues for BART.
Source: Join Together, 21.9.06                                  Inside Bay Area, 18.9.06

Health In All Policies: Commissioner Kyprianou addresses Finnish EU Presidency Conference. The current Finnish Presidency of the EU held a conference on “Health in all Policies” in Kuopio (Finland) on 20-21 September 2006, where Markos Kyprianou, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection was a keynote speaker. The conference was the culmination of a project entitled ‘Europe for health and wealth’, which was co-financed under the Commission’s 2005 Public Health Programme, with a contribution of €350 000. The aim of this project was to ensure the recognition of health determinants in a range of policies. As such, the conference provided political momentum to the importance of Health Impact Assessments, and to the acknowledgment of health as a driver of economic growth. Health impact assessment is an approach to policy-making that determines how a proposal will affect people’s health. Public Health: EU-Events    Health in other policies                  Gesundheit in anderen Politikfeldern

NASCAR Sponsorships Set off Liquor Industry Spat. The France-based spirits maker Pernod Ricard resigned its membership of the Century Council, an industry-funded responsible-drinking organization in a dispute over the group's support of liquor sponsorships in NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) auto racing. Although its departure won't be effective until November. That could give them time to work out some kind of compromise, as there is involved a lot of money. (Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News, - 9/18/06)                         Market Watch, 9/14/06

We inform about an alert of the Alcohol Policies Project, Center for Science in the Public Interest, USA. It is regarding food allergen labeling on alcoholic beverages.
 

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Few Researchers Punished for Ethics Violations.
Just two of 44 federal scientists found to have violated ethics rules in their dealings with drug or biotech companies have been subject to criminal investigation, while the others were either allowed to quietly retire or kept their jobs. Information from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) showed that most of the researchers who unethically took industry money got away with little more than a reprimand. An NIH spokesperson said the agency wanted to pursue charges against 8 other researchers, but was rebuffed by the investigative staff at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Two researchers, an Alzheimer's expert, and a cancer scientist, have been accused of "serious misconduct." Since the scandal about payments to government researchers broke in 2004, NIH has implemented a policy barring federal scientists from taking money from private firms. But Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said that, "In spite of the public changes that have been made at NIH, there really does not appear to be a cultural change where the institution and the members of the institution condemn the kind of behavior that apparently Dr. Sunderland has exhibited. It's really, really disappointing."(Quelle: Join Together, 13.9.06)    Associated Press, 12.9.06              Siehe auch: Stanford doctors not allowed to accept gifts             

Federal Court Says Va. Alcohol Laws Constitutional
In a case centering on the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a pair of unusual Virginia laws regarding alcohol sales and possession. The federal court said a state law barring sales of out-of-state wines in state-run liquor stores was constitutional, as is a law that limits how much alcohol Virginia residents can bring into the state for personal use. (Quelle: Join Together, 12.9.06)   dailypress.com, 11.9.06

Regents University, Minnesota, USA Change Alcohol Ad Policy. The board adopted policy changes Thursday afternoon, including an alcohol marketing and advertising ban from campus and University publications, which do not include the Daily, as well as a policy emphasizing the University's commitment to alcohol education and counseling. Under the new policy, University trademarks, trade names, service marks, logos, slogans, mascots and other official identifiers or symbols also are banned from use in alcohol advertising, promotion, marketing, distribution and sales. (Quelle: Marin Institute Alcohol News, - 11.9.06)      The Minnesota Daily, 8.9.06

Bingeing and Boredom.Western states like Wyoming, Montana and North and South Dakota have binge-drinking levels far higher than the national average, and local experts say that boredom plays a huge role in the problem. South-central Wyoming, for example, has the highest binge-drinking rate in the U.S., according to federal researchers; in Albany and Carbon counties, 30 percent of residents age 12 and older are binge drinkers. (Source: Joint Together, 9/05/06/3      New York Times, 9/02/06

High-Alcohol Beer, Wine Banned in Some Seattle Neighborhoods.
Sales of "fortified" beer and wine will be banned in certain Seattle neighborhoods as part of a plan to cut homelessness and chronic alcoholism.The ban applies to 29 specific brands. The local liquor-control board said the rules applied to sales in stores in downtown Seattle and the Belltown, Lower Queen Anne, Capitol Hill, Central Area, University District, and International District neighborhoods. City officials said they will monitor the ban closely to ensure that sales don't simply shift to other areas of the city.  (Source: Joint Together, 9/05/06/2)  Seattle Post Intelligencer, 8/31/06

CDC Report Slams Alcohol Ads Targeting Youth.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a report saying that the alcohol industry has failed to live up to promises not to advertise to youth. The alcohol industry ran about half of its radio ads during youth-oriented programs in 2004, the report said, violating a 2003 vow not to run ads on shows with an audiences comprised of 30 percent or more of underage listeners. OF 67,404 alcohol ads aired in 104 markets -- touting the 25 alcohol brands that spent the most money on ads -- 32,800 (49 percent) aired on youth-oriented radio programs.
(Source: Joint Together, 9/05/06)  The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)       Associated Press, 8/31/06.

Cigarette Companies Increasing Nicotine Levels, Health Officials Say.
Tobacco companies have increased the nicotine levels in cigarettes in USA by 10 percent over the past 6 years, according to the Massachusetts Department of Health. Massachusetts is one of three U.S. states to require tobacco firms to disclose the nicotine content of their products, and has been tracking nicotine levels since 1998. Nicotine levels in Kool cigarettes -- popular with African-American smokers -- rose 20 percent. (source: Join Together, 31.8.06)         Boston Herald.com, 8/29/06
Massachusetts Department of Health
Comment: The reason why are the same as with alcoholic beverages, when the alcohol content is risen. What did Shakespeare say already? Something like "... but they are honorable men."

Guilty Plea for Peter Coors in DWI Case
A judge sentenced beer magnate Peter Coors to 24 hours of community service and suspended a $200 fine after Coors pled guilty to driving while impaired, the Associated Press reported Aug. 25. Coors' driver's license also was suspended for three months.
(Source: Join Together, 8/28/06)  CNN.com, 8/28/06

Police Use Alcohol-Sensing Flashlights in DWI Stops.
Police throughout Illinois have been issued the flashlights as part of a statewide drunk-driving enforcement campaign. The flashlights cost $750 each; an indicator light turns green in the presence of a slight amount of alcohol in the air, and red for a stronger reading. The results can't be used in court, but can lead officers to conduct a more thorough test for alcohol use. 
(Source: Join Together, 8/22/06)         St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 8/22/06

World's Largest Youth Alcohol Conference Charts Course To Prevent No. 1 Teen Risk.
Many still believe that underage drinking is an inevitable rite-of-passage for teenagers. But 1,500 law enforcers, community advocates, health officials and teens from across the country gathered this week (Aug. 24-26) to promote successes in preventing this public health threat that kills 6.5 times more kids than all illegal drugs combined and costs the nation $62 billion a year. (Quelle: Medical News Today, 8/22/06)  
Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation

08/31/2006

Our Submission

WHO: Stakeholders on Health Problems Related to Alcohol Consumption Sought for Survey
WHO asks for the stakeholders' views on health problems related to alcohol consumption and their opinions on what kinds of interventions are needed at national, regional and global levels to reduce such problems. The purpose of this survey is to provide the WHO secretariat with more information about how some of the main stakeholders perceive the magnitude of alcohol related problems, and what in their opinions are the best ways to deal with these problems.
(Source: Join Together, 8/18/06)   WHO-Web-Form   Deadline: 9/15/06

Americans Drinking More Alcohol
Americans are drinking alcohol more often, and beer is back on top as the beverage of choice, according to a new Gallup Poll, conducted July 6-9 among a national sample of 1,007 people aged 18 and older. It showed 64% of Americans say they drink alcoholic beverages at an average 0f 63% since 1939. However, the most recent poll shows the frequency of drinking has risen over the last 10 years. The 2006 poll showed 71% of American drinkers said they had an alcoholic drink in the last week, which is significantly higher than the 54% who said the same in 1996. Also on the rise is the number of drinks Americans are drinking. The poll shows those who drink alcohol report drinking an average of 4.5 drinks per week, compared with 2.8 in 1996.
 (Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News, -8/7/06)    CBS News, 8/1/06

Sour Mix for Liquor Industry
The State Liquor Authority's job, through its Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, is to regulate and oversee New York's considerable alcohol industry. But a critical audit released Tuesday by Comptroller Alan Hevesi's office raises doubts as to what the SLA has been up to. Auditors found a systematic pattern in the years 2003-2005 of the authority turning a blind eye to monitoring liquor wholesalers and their pricing and distribution practices, or enforcing rules, regulations and laws against them.
(Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News, -8/7/06)     timesunion.com, 8/4/06

Beer Lobby Pours Money into political coffers
Newly released campaign finance data show the Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois spent more than $335,000 in the first half of this year. That's significantly more than the well-heeled lobbying organization has spent in any other six-month period in at least the past 10 years, according to a Post-Dispatch analysis of the records.
Most of that money went directly to state legislators as they were considering a proposal by beer distributors to crack down on a small but growing competitive threat: direct shipping of wine from winemakers to customers connected via the Internet.
(Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News, -8/7/06)  STLtoday.com, 8/1/06

Google Offers Web Ads to Nonprofits: Google AdWords provides free online advertising to nonprofit groups, the Internet search portal has announced. AdWords awards are arranged through the Google Grants program and support nonprofit community-based groups involved in science and technology, education, global public health, the environment, youth advocacy, and the arts. In-kind ads are intended to help groups inform and engage their constituents, raise awareness and drive traffic to their websites. Application deadline is open. AdWords grants are good for at least three months of advertising. Only 501(c)3 nonprofits may apply. See the Google Grants website. (Source: Joint Together, 8/4/06

Patron Ad Mixes Sex and Tequila
The scene opens on a bedroom floor, with the camera panning over a wild scatter of rapidly shed clothing, a one-third-empty bottle of Patron Tequila and a bed where a naked couple lay tangled in purple silk sheets. Curiously, the code of the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. prohibits this in ads. (Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News, -7/31/06)      Advertising Age, 8/3/06

“As the world’s number-one Deluxe Scotch whisky, JOHNNIE WALKER® recognizes its role in educating consumers about drinking responsibly,” said Chris Parsons, Vice President of Scotch, Diageo North America. “This campaign was borne from our commitment to continuously strive to be at the forefront of industry efforts to promote responsible decisions about drinking.
Comment: Pure hypocrisy.
 

Adding Multimedia World's First Fruit and Cream-Based Premium Malt Beverage Hits the Market; Hard CreamerTM Brand Establishes New ''Malternative'' Category - Captures Essence and Taste of Freshly Blended Tropical Cocktails. B2 Beverage Company today announced the launch of its "first in category" non-carbonated tropical fruit and cream flavored premium malt beverage line called Hard Creamer^TM, along with its sub-brand Kalima^TM Hawaiian Hard Creamer. The new products will initially roll out in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota. National distribution is expected within a year. (Source: Marine Institute Alcohol News, -24.7.06)           Pressemitteilung Business Wire, 7/24/06

Researchers in New Zealand urge Government to raise drinking age.
Otago University medical researchers are urging the Government to raise the drinking age after finding significantly more teenagers are involved in alcohol-related smashes, injury accidents and poisonings than before the age was lowered. A public hearing on the Sale of Liquor (Youth Alcohol Harm Reduction) Bill, which proposes raising the drinking age from 18 to 20, was held in Christchurch yesterday.
(Source: World Health News, 13.7.06)      stuff, 20.7.06

(Source: Join Together, 6.7.06)      PNN online, 30.6.06

A sports network without beer advertising? It's coming next year when the Big Ten Conference launches a 24-hour network dedicated to the athletic events of its 11 member schools. Channel, to be majority-owned by the conference and operated in partnership with Fox Cable Networks, won't accept alcohol ads. The Big Ten network launches in August 2007 and will carry live football and basketball games as well as other sports, and classic versions of memorable games.
(Quelle: Marin Institute Alcohol News, -26.6.06) Media Daily News, 22.6.2006, Gratisregistrierung)

Citing the "almost incalculable" toll that alcohol and other drug addiction takes on society, a Join Together policy panel called on states to take a leadership role in addressing the need for more drug treatment and prevention by improving how services are organized, delivered, paid for, and measured. The "Blueprint for the States" policy panel, led by former Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, noted in its "Blueprint for the States: Policies to Improve the Ways States Organize and Deliver Alcohol and Drug Prevention and Treatment" report that states bear many of the costs of alcohol and other drug addiction, spending an estimated 13 percent of their budgets on addiction-related problems. The report stressed that "state governments hold the keys to their own recovery from the financial and human waste caused by excessive alcohol and illicit-drug use.    (Source: Join Together, 6/26/06)   "Blueprint for the States: Policies to Improve the Ways States Organize and Deliver Alcohol and Drug Prevention and Treatment" report

26-06-2006 - On this World Drugs Day, the EU Commission launches a Consultation of Civil Society on its Green paper in the Drugs Field.

The Association nationale de prévention en alcoologie et addictologie won a courtcase against the société Brasseries Kronembourg, the Société France Rail Publicité and the Société Prisma Presse. They hat used illegal illustrations on their beer advertising. The loi Evin only allows objective informations. (président J. Bichard du Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris, 23.6.06)   (Source: A.N.P.A.A., Press release, 6/23/06)

Line Drawn Connecting Violence and Local Liquor Stores
Alcohol sales at local liquor stores tend to increase violence in their neighborhoods regardless of location, while bars tend to make violent neighborhoods worse, according to a study from the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) in California, USA. (Source: Join Together, 6/16/06,

Clear Channel, the country's largest operator of radio stations, is discussing the idea of one-second radio spots with marketers and media buyers. Called "Blinks," the new format is being promoted as something that could be used between music tracks.
(Quelle: Advertising Age)

Outdoor Adventure and Brand Marketing in Alaska -- The Perfect Summer Experience for College Students. Six West Coast College Students Selected to Work as Summer Brand Specialists at Alaskan Brewing Company. During last year's recruitment period for the inaugural Six Pack program, the company experienced record sales with increases in excess of 23% across eight western U.S. states. (Quelle: Marin Insitute Alcohol News, -6/12/06) Primezone News Releases, June 8, 2006

Coors Brewing Co. has unveiled its Lideres advertising campaign, which showcases key Hispanic leaders in print ads that will run in Hispanic publications in Dallas/Ft. Worth, New York, Los Angeles and San Diego starting this month. A local leader will be recognized in the ads: Raul Yzaguirre, sponsored by Arizona State University's Center for Leadership and Civil Rights. (Source: Marin Insitute Alcohol News, -6/14/06)    The Business Journal, Phoenix, 6/8/06

06/13/2006

HSCNews International, issue 29 (May 2006). This month’s issue profiles the health campaigning movement in 2006, looks at campaigners’ visions of healthcare in 2020, and returns to the subject of pharmaceutical funding.

Brazil city slashes crime by closing its bars early
A bold and controversial law that shuts down bars and restaurants after 11 p.m. has turned Diadema, (400'000 inh., near Sao Paulo) one of Brazil's most violent cities, into an urban model, officials say. The law has cut homicides by 47% and has slashed other crimes by as much as 80%, traffic accidents by 30%, assaults against women by 55% and alcohol-related hospital admissions by 80%, after forcing nearly all of the city's 4,800 bars and restaurants in 2002 to stop selling alcohol between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. At least 120 towns and cities have now restricted the hours in which alcohol can be served, and the federal government now offers additional funds for law enforcement to localities that implement such measures.  (San Francisco Chronicle, 5/10/06)

Many Native American Deaths Linked to Alcohol
Five of the top 10 causes of death among Native Americans are related to alcohol abuse and dependence, according to researchers from the University of Colorado at Denver. HealthDay News reported March 27 that researcher Jay Shore and colleagues studied data collected from tribes in the Southwest and Northern Plains and found that both culturally distinct populations suffered disproportionately large numbers of deaths from accidents, suicides, homicides, and cirrhosis. "These causes of deaths occur at rates at least three to four times the national average," said Shore, head of the school's American Indian and Alaska Native Programs.

Campaign Touting Virtues of Beer Gets Limited Support
Leading U.S. brewer Anheuser-Busch was hoping that its "Here's to Beer" ads would be embraced by its industry rivals, but so far none have joined the campaign, which touts the social attributes of beer and its advantages over wine and liquor. The Associated Press reported May 6 that Anheuser-Busch sent an emissary to other firms seeking support for the campaign, but no other brewers have chipped in, saying the ads primarily benefit Busch, the nation's largest brewer.

European Commission launches new Health Portal
The European Commission launched yesterday the  “Health-EU Portal” - a gateway to simple and sound information on 47 health-related topics. It is aimed at citizens, patients, healthcare professionals and scientists alike. Web surfers now have access to over 5,700 links to reliable health sources. The Portal will be available in all 20 official EU languages by the end of June 2006. Section "My Lifestyle: Alcohol"

05/11/2006

• Nearly 6,000 people added their names to the Get Serious petition. Governors and state legislators in every state have received petition letters from constituents supporting action against underage drinking.
• Hundreds of you turned out for underage drinking town hall meetings across the country. 
• Over 100 petition signers participated in a nationwide conference call to develop town hall meeting action strategies.
• The U.S. Surgeon General received letters from hundreds of you, helping to shape the first-ever national Call to Action to stop underage drinking.

Detailed analysis by Join Together, 5/9/06

America's community hospitals treated nearly 210,000 patients for alcohol abuse disorders in 2003 at a cost of about $2 billion, according to HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
(Source: Medical News Today, 5/3/06)

Watchdogs Stop Coors' Co-Promotion with "Scary Movie 4"
A coalition aligned against the alcohol industry's youth-targeted marketing efforts has stopped Coors Brewing Company from using "Scary Movie 4" as a vehicle for reaching millions of teens. But after Marin Institute, Youth Leadership Institute and California Friday Night Live Partnership launched the "Scary Beer Ads Campaign" against Coors' youth-targeted marketing in "Scary Movie 3," the company backed off its plans for the next film. The film grossed  more than $67 million through April 27, including a $40 million opening weekend that set an Easter weekend record.
Source: Marin Institute, Advertising Age, 5/1/06             Pressemitteilung, 5/2/06   
Scary Beer Ads Campaign Headquarters

The "Drogenkonferenz" of Canton of Zug, Switzerland (which consists of 3 (of 7) ministers and 4 (of 11) representatives of the municipality) has approved the Alcohol Action Plan 2006 - 2011 of the Canton of Zug. This Alcohol Action Plan is in line with the EAAP (National Alcohol Action Plan) and has targets in the fields of information, early intervention and law restrictions.  An evaluation is planned for 2011 and an adapted alcohol action plan for 2012 - ?.

Unfortunately, the Alcohol Action Plan 2006 - 2011 of the Canton of Zug is only available in German. Questions on the establishing of this plan as well as about the details of the planned activities may be addressed to: Gesundheitsamt Zug

Join Together has a new alert with a cartoon: Put kids' lives ahead of alcohol industry profits. Send it to friends. 
(Quelle: Join Together, 4/18/06)

Anheuser-Busch Cos., brewer of Budweiser, Michelob and Busch beers, reached agreements with News Corp.'s Fox network and CBS Corp. to remain the only alcohol advertiser during telecasts of the National Football League's Super Bowl in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011. As part of its agreement with Fox, Anheuser-Busch also will be the exclusive alcohol advertiser on Fox's telecast of the college football Bowl Championship Series through 2010. (Source: Marin Institute, 4/4-10/06)  
Chicago Tribune, April 4, 2006

(Quelle: Marin Institute, 4/4-10/06)   ClickZ News, April 10, 2006

Alcohol industry watchdog groups are accusing Anheuser-Busch of marketing beer to underage drinkers after the brewer announced a partnership to advertise on a major cellphone service. The campaign will allow the No. 1 brewer to market Bud Light and Budweiser Select to 21- to 35-year-olds. The deal calls for A-B to broadcast 18 ads per hour across MobiTV's 30 channels. (Source: Marin Institute, 4/6/06) Join Together, 4/12/06

What Is Pharmacology's Place In Finding Alternatives To Alcohol?
Journal of Psychopharmacology is proud to be publishing this leading research on the place of pharmacology in finding alternatives for alcohol. The following papers appear in the May 2006 issue:
* Alcohol alternatives - a goal for psychopharmacology, by David J Nutt, Ian Ragan,
* Harm reduction - lessons learned from tobacco control, by Marcus R Munaf
* For alcohol alternatives, the science is not the hardest part, by Robin Room, 
* The regulatory challenges in engineering a safer tipple, by Wayne Hall
(Source: Medical News Today, 8.4.06)      BAP Britisch Assoc. for Psychopharmacology 

Over the past six years, the World Health Organization has undertaken a new assessment of the global burden of disease for 2000-2. The World Health Organization has also invested in improving the conceptual, methodological, and empirical basis of burden of disease assessments and the assessment of the disease and injury burden from major risk factors. During 1999-2004, the authors of this volume and many collaborators from around the world worked intensively to assemble an updated, comprehensive assessment of the global burden of disease and its causes.

The Global Burden of Disease and Risk Factors is the definitive, scientific account of these efforts and of the health conditions of the world's population at the beginning of the 21st century. This book includes a full account of methods, the complete results of recent work, and an assessment of trends for total mortality and for major causes of death among children under five. In addition, two chapters cover sensitivity and uncertainty analyses in relation to a broad range of potentially important parameters.

"The beer ad code has loopholes that are big enough to drive a team of Clydesdales through," said Laurie Leiber, director for media advocacy at the Marin Institute. The Beer Institute's code was made weaker, not stronger, by changes in January. One loophole, she said, allows for the portrayal of illegal activity in ads as long as it "is a basic element or feature of a parody or spoof and is readily identifiable as such. They're writing guidelines to allow themselves to do what they've been doing all along." (Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News, 29.3.06) 

National Forests To Allow Corporate Ads: Local Restrictions on Liquor and Tobacco Advertising Will be Preempted. The focus of the plan is to encourage corporate donations to support “special events, such as races, competitions [and] festivals” on national forest lands. The proposal substantially liberalizes “sponsor recognition” rules so that, for the first time, a corporation could –

• Display banners, signs and other advertisements on forest trails, along roadways and inside concessions. The only limit on ads would be the discretion of a designated “authorized officer;”
• Override state or local restrictions on advertising alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, gambling or other services and devices; and
• Advertise without any limitation inside lodges and marinas, on ski gondolas and within ski areas operated by concessionaires.

U of I venture mixes messages on drinking
University of Iowa students Ian Jacobson and Kane Johnson started a company that sends students cell phone text messages with exclusive drink specials, food deals and admission discounts at Iowa City bars. The university helps pay for their endeavor through a new entrepreneurship program. That's the same university that is trying to fight its reputation as a party school and to combat underage drinking.
(Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News - 32106 - 32706) Des Moines Register, 3/23/06

'Alcopops' Pose Health Threat During Spring Break'
Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, March 21, 2006
Marketing of new alcoholic beverages to girls increases the health risks they face during Spring Break, when many high school and college students travel to exotic locales for extreme partying, according to a national expert on alcohol problems.
(Quelle: Marin Institute Alcohol News 21.-27.3.06)     PIRE, 21.3.06

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is enforcing the state's law against public intoxication in a novel venue: bars. (Source: Join Together, 03/24/06)    MSNBC/Reuters, 03/23/06

(Source: World Health News, 03/24/06)

The Sacramento Bee, 03/23/06 (evtl. free registration)

(Source: Join Together, 03/22/06)   Albany Business Review, March 21, 2006

Gastroenterologists Disappointed In Level Of Rise In Alcohol Duty, UK
Statement From The British Society of Gastroenterology Following The Chancellor's Budget Announcement:
“The British Society of Gastroenterology is disappointed and concerned that the level of increase in the duty on alcohol is not higher. It should have been increased at a level far higher than inflation to limit drinking. “Our members see the effects of increased alcohol consumption in increased rates of liver disease and death from liver failure. “Price is a key determinant of the amount people drink. The evidence is overwhelming and shows that the cheaper alcohol is, the more people drink.
Medical News Today, 3/23/06

(Source: Join Together, 03/16/06)           To the survey

(Quelle: World Health News, Harvard School of Public Health, 03/16/06)

Putting aside controversy surrounding the Moderation Management (MM) program, a Massachusetts addiction treatment center has initiated a moderate-drinking program as an alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

More than 1,000 town hall meetings, organized by local leaders with the assistance of the Interagency Coordinating Committee for the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD), will be held in USA nationwide in late March. The meetings provide an important opportunity for communities "to come together to learn more about underage drinking and its impact, and to discuss how their community can best prevent underage alcohol use."  (Source: Join Together, 03/09/06)
First: Find a Meeting in Your Community  / Second: Planning to Attend? Tell Join Together  /  Mobilize Your Town Meeting for Action  / Fourth: Sign the Get Serious Petition 

The country's first interactive website to help students cut down on alcohol has launched at Leeds. If successful, it could be rolled out across the UK and beyond. 
The e-UNICAL project will use tailored online feedback based on reported alcohol consumption to help students make informed decisions about their drinking. 
(Source: Medical News today, 4.3.06

The National Consumers League says that alcohol bottles should contain nutritional information similar to that on food products and medications. The U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau accepted public comments on ingredient labels for alcoholic beverages. "You will see very shortly a temporary rule will be going out requiring the disclosure of allergens on alcoholic beverages," said agency head John Manfreda.  /       The National Consumers League /        CBS, 2/26/06 

ICAP Blue Book - Practical Guides for Alcohol Policy and Prevention Approaches

In Brazil, Partial Prohibition
"The long arm of the law has been preaching -- and enforcing -- prohibition in Diadema for four years now. Under a bold and controversial bill passed in 2002 to combat the alcohol-fueled bloodshed that made this industrial city one of the most violent in Brazil, authorities banned the serving of liquor after 11 p.m. in almost all the city's 4,800 bars and restaurants...The law, and the subsequent reduction in violence, has been such a success that municipalities across Brazil are adopting similar measures."

Booze Is Blighting Our Nation, Says George Best's Surgeon
Britain is facing an alarming increase in alcohol-related problems, warns Professor Roger Williams, Director of the UCL Institute of Hepatology and physician to George Best, who is launching a study into the possibilities of using new antibodies in the treatment for liver failure, that a hike in alcohol prices, health labelling on bottles and other measures are urgently needed to stop Britain from ‘tippling to the point of toppling'.    Medical News today, 15.2.06 

ALCOHOL INDUSTRY GIANT ENTERS ‘ALCOPOPS’ FRAY. Senate hearing slated for Valentine’s Day on sweet, low-cost alcohol drinks that target teen girls.  The world’s largest alcoholic beverage company,  has jumped into the alcopops fight, facing off against a coalition of community groups representing teens, parents and public health professionals trying to stop the marketing of the sweet, soda-like alcoholic drinks to youth. London-based Diageo, along with several other alcopops producers, filed a counter-argument against a lawsuit that asks the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to classify alcopops as distilled spirits because they contain hard liquor. Currently, these products are sold and marketed as beer, including at more than 15,000 convenience stores and minimarts where teens often congregate.
(Source: Marin Institute, 13.2.06)  Coalition on Alcopops and Youth, 9.2.06 

http://www.jointogether.org/news/funding/

The Bush administration's proposed FY2007 drug budget calls for more funding for anti-drug ads and drug courts, but elimination of state-administered school-based prevention programs and federal support for enforcement of underage-drinking laws. 
(Quelle: Join Together, 2/10/06)

(Source: JTO Direct - Daily Edition - 2/2/06)

Airlines have been phasing out free alcoholic drinks on international flights, due in part to concerns about so-called 'air rage' incidents among intoxicated passengers, and to reduce cost.
(Source: Join Together, 01/19/06)     TheState.com, South Carolina, 01/18/06

South Dakota could soon become the first U.S. state to require drunk-driving suspects to submit to blood-alcohol testing. A key state Senate committee has approved a measure that would repeal a state law allowing first- and second-time DWI suspects to refuse to take a blood test. The measure has passed the state House in the past but always failed in the Senate. (Quelle: Join Together,1/19/06)    
AberdeenNews.com, American News, 1/18/06
Comment: This is just unbelievable for us Europeans. That goes without saying here.

Meir Stampfer, a prominent Harvard University epidemiologist who touted the health benefits of beer to medical journalists at Anheuser-Busch sponsored events in New York and Chicago has decided not to do any further lectures, after The Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 9, 2006 about it.
(Source: Join Together, 1/13/06)

Enforcing tougher new rules on alcohol advertising, the U.K. Advertising Standards Board has ordered that an ad for Young's Bitter be withdrawn because it links alcohol use and sexual success. (Source: JoinTogether, 1/11/06)       BBC NEWS, UK, 1/11/06

In Florida, USA, judges are using ankle bracelets that monitor alcohol use at all hours of the day and night, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Dec. 28. The bracelets work by sampling perspiration for signs of alcohol use; testing results are communicated via the Internet. The bracelets, called SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor), have been used in Florida DWI and domestic-violence cases. They are made by Colorado-based Alcohol Monitoring Systems Inc. and cost $100 each to set up and $12 a day to operate. (Source: JoinTogether.org, 1/11/06)

Facing rising alcohol consumption, alcoholism and youth violence, China has banned the sale of alcohol (alcohol content of 0.5 percent or higher) to anyone under age 18. The ban went into effect Jan. 1, 2006.
(Source: Join Together, 1/9/06)         ScienceDaily/UPI, 1/6/06 

State officials in Alaska, USA were unable to publish an annual risk-assessment survey because of poor participation, and experts laid the blame on a state law that requires parents to sign permission forms before students can be asked about their behaviors, but less than 60% of the forms were returned.
(Source: Join Together, 01/09/06)         The Anchorage Daily News, 12/26/05

A New Hampshire law designed to crack down on underage drinking in private homes has resulted in many arrests of young people but few prosecutions of adult hosts, the Manchester Union-Leader reported Dec. 30. An analysis of 44 house-party cases filed since the law took effect in April 2004 found that most of those charged were in their teens or 20s, and that three-quarters were underage drinkers. Just four arrestees were over age 30. (Source: Join Together, 1/5/06)

Anyone convicted of a prior drunk-driving offense could be charged with DWI if they have a blood-alcohol level of .05 percent or more, under a proposal by state Sen. Jim Waring, Arizona, USA. Waring also plans to introduce legislation that would bar people with a prior conviction involving a BAC of .15 percent or higher from driving with any detectable amount of alcohol in their system. 
(Source: Join Together, 1/6/06)       The Arizona Daily Star online, 1/3/06

Convicted first-time drunk-driving offenders can now be found cleaning up roadsides in Tennessee, USA wearing orange vests emblazoned with the phrase "I am a drunk driver." Supporters say the new state law will help "shame" DWI offenders into better decision making in the future. 
Join Together, 1/3/2006         CNN.com, 12/31/05