English

German

Dat

Beer for the poor – a new poverty reduction strategy from Diageo! According to a recent news item in The Guardian, the world’s biggest multinational drinks company Diageo has suggested that the solution to problem drinking in some of the poorest parts of Africa is to flood troublesome districts with ultra-low-cost beer. The idea is to offer affordable alternatives to the high-strength and often toxic home-made alcohol that is commonly consumed in such areas. This strategy has been tested in some areas in Kenya, and now Diageo is working to convince other African governments to follow the same line. Diageo has also met with WHO officials to introduce their strategy. (Quelle: ADD Bulletin 8/2007)  The Guardian unlimited, 21.12.07
Comment: That would be out of the frying pan into the fire. A wonderful occasion to spread out the own beer. An alternative would be to use high alcohol taxes to reduce poverty directly. (Without helping corruption.) Let's hope the WHO stands to its policy!

Alcohol Ravages South Africa’s Children. Some 25.000 children are born in South Africa every year with the Foetal Alcohol Syndrom (FAS). This has brought South Africa to the top of the world statistics of this condition. The press agency AFP has in an article described the FAS problem in the poverty-stricken town De Aar in South Africa. Read the article here.  (Quelle: ADD Bulletin 8/2007)

New report from the WHO Expert Committee on Problems Related to Alcohol Consumption
“The Committee recommends that WHO continue its practice of no collaboration with the various sectors of the alcohol industry. Any interaction should be confined to discussion of the contribution the alcohol industry can make to the reduction of alcohol-related harm only in the context of their roles as producers, distributors and marketers of alcohol, and not in terms of alcohol policy development or health promotion.” This one of the many interesting recommendations in the newly published report from the WHO Expert Committee on Problems Related to Alcohol Consumption. (Quelle: ADD Bulletin 8/2007) The report of the Expert Committee can be downloaded here.

'Air Rage' Blamed on Alcohol, Tobacco. A British study concludes that a 62 percent increase in "air-rage" incidents among airline passengers can largely be traced to misbehavior among drinkers and smokers. (Source: Join Together, 12/07/07)  

NH Holds First-Ever Presidential Town Hall Addressing Addiction, Recovery.  Hundreds of New Hampshire residents came together on December 2, 2007, to press Presidential campaigns to advance and support policies that effectively address the many alcohol and drug problems facing the state and the nation. (Source: Join Together, 12/07/07)  

• Ask questions
• Hear expanded explanations
• Discuss how your organization can use the research information
  Source: Join Together, 12/06/07)            www.niaaa.nih.gov

August Busch IV: "Stop Genocide? We'd Rather Watch Synchronized Swimming": As a major sponsor of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, the king of beer Anheuser-Busch could play a role in stopping the genocide in Darfur. China is being called "the single most important supporter, economically and diplomatically, of the regime in Sudan," where hundreds of thousands of people have been killed or displaced. And as 2008 draws near, the Olympics represents an important opportunity to put pressure on the Chinese government. But August Busch has refused to speak out against a crisis that even the Bush administration calls genocide. (Quelle: Marin Institute News, December 2007)             STLtoday, 27.11.07 Darfur advocates press A-B to drop Olympics            Beverage daily.com, 3.12.07 Anheuser-Busch looks to China

Nordstrom Agrees to Stop Selling Sandals After Complaint About Secret Flask
Officials at retail giant Nordstrom have agreed to stop selling sandals with a built-in flask after receiving complaints from the Oregon Partnership, a community-based prevention and treatment organization. (Source: Join Together, 11/16/07)          Nordstrom           Oregon Partnership

Call for price of drink to double to cut bingeing: A new coalition of medical experts will demand tough action this week on the sale of alcohol, including a 10 per cent rise in taxation and a ban on advertising drink products on TV before 9pm.  (Quelle: Harvard World Health News, 11/14/07)
The Observer, 11/11/07

House and Senate Agree on Addiction Budget. A US-House-Senate conference committee has approved a FY2008 budget plan that calls for spending $1.779 billion on the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant and increasing the budgets of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). President Bush is expected to veto the measure, however. (Source: Join Together, 11/09/07)

Chinese-Made Toys Containing 'Date Rape' Drug are Pulled: "Millions of Chinese-made children's toys have been pulled from shelves in North America and Australia after scientists found it contained a chemical that converts into a powerful 'date rape' drug when ingested."  (Source: Harvard World Health News, 11/7/07)    YAHOO NEWS, 11/8/07

Alcohol Tax Increase Proposed in Alaska: Lawwmakers in Fairbanks, Alaska are proposing to double the tax on alcoholic drinks, beer, wine, and liquor, raising it from 5 to 10 percent. The tax is intended to fill a gap in the city's budget; more importantly, Mayor Steve Thompson, who proposed the measure, is making the connection between taxes and alcohol-related costs. (Source: Marin Institute News 11/01/07)       Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, 10/18/07

From the Eurocare Newsletter October 2007:
·    The Parliament’s report on the EU Alcohol Strategy calls for further action
·         First meeting of the Alcohol and Health Forum
·         European Parliament prepares its report on the Community Strategy on health and safety at work
·         Eurostat report: comparative price levels of alcoholic beverages in 37 European countries
·         Parliament endorses reduced excise duty on rum from French overseas departments
·         Council agrees on Programme of Community Action in the field of Health 2008-2013
·         Gastein 10^th event

Anheuser-Busch is the largest buyer of rice in USA,  purchasing between six and ten percent of the entire annual U.S. rice harvest. The company uses rice in the beer manufacturing process, they say, for flavor. Recently, Greenpeace International conducted a series of independent laboratory tests at an Arkansas-based Anheuser-Busch rice mill that showed the presence of an experimental genetically-engineered (GE) strain of rice. Back in 2006, this same strain was the source of a major contamination of at least 30 percent of the rice stocks in the United States. The contamination had a massive negative economic impact on the U.S. rice industry as many countries subsequently stopped or significantly restricted the import of U.S. rice. 
Send a letter to Anheuser-Busch demanding that the company commit to barring all GE ingredients from their products.   (Source: Marin Institute News, Oct. 07) Greenpeace International, October 8, 2007

Radio Alcohol Ads Reach Too Many Youth, Watchdog Says: The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) says that while alcohol companies are spending less on radio ads, more ads for beer, wine and liquor are being broadcast during "youth-oriented" programs, the Associated Press reported Sept. 18. A new CAMY report estimated that 36 percent of alcohol radio ads are placed on shows where per-capita youth audiences are higher than adult audiences. (Source: Join Together, 9/19/07)

An Easthampton, Mass., USA man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after allegedly buying alcohol for his daughter and her friends, one of whom died after drinking, the Boston Globe reported Sept. 14. Timothy E. Parent, 46, pled not guilty to the manslaughter charge and two counts of procuring alcohol for a minor. Police say Parent bought a 1.75-liter bottle of vodka for his 15-year-old daughter, who drank it with friend Alexis E. Garcia, also 15. Garcia was later found dead in her bathtub; authorities ruled that she died from drowning and alcohol poisoning, with a blood-alcohol content of between .28 percent and .33 percent. (Source: Join Together, 09/17/07)

South Africa's universities say alcohol abuse among students has reached alarming proportions. They are employing drastic measures such as expelling students found guilty of disorderly behaviour or slapping them with stiff fines in an attempt to curb the scourge.  Student alcoholics are also being made to undergo counselling -- or face expulsion. (Source: Harvard World Health News, 9/6/07)    Sunday Times, 9/2/07

A persistent hardcore of pre-teen binge drinkers - almost one in 10 of all 11- to 13-year-olds - are consuming more alcohol than ever before, according to new government figures in the U.K. They have doubled their weekly intake over five years - to more than 10 units a week, the equivalent of a bottle and a half of wine or five pints of beer, according to an NHS report which surveyed more than 8,000 secondary school pupils. (Source: Harvard World Health News, 9/6/07)
Guardian Unlimited, 9/1/07

A federally funded, state-administered screening and assistance program to fight alcohol and drug problems is now being piloted at 20 clinics around Wisconsin. The program, called the Wisconsin Initiative to Promote Healthy Lifestyles (WIPHL), is being coordinated by the Department of Family Medicine at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. The program is simple and effective in early detection of at-risk or harmful substance abuse, numerous studies show.
(Source: Join Together, 9/5/07)

Mandatory BAC Tests Approved by Maine's Top Court
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court voted 4-2 to approve a state statute requiring drivers involved in fatal motor-vehicle crashes to submit to blood tests for alcohol and other drugs.
(Source: Join Together, 8/17/07)    Associated Press, 8/15/07  

Anti-drunk driving technology could become a major factor in reducing the 13,000 deaths and half-million injuries caused by drunk driving crashes each year - but only if courts start widely using these proven devices. Researchers from around the world, along with law enforcement and criminal justice officials, did showcase the new and emerging technologies that can reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities at a two-day conference on June 19 and 20 in Albuquerque. Sponsored by MADD, the International DUI Technology Symposium did highlight the latest innovations, including alcohol-detecting sensors, anklet devices that test alcohol levels in skin and ignition interlock programs for repeat DUI offenders. The theme for the symposium is "A Nation without Drunk Driving."
(Source: Join Together, 6/16/07)  Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE)
 Calverton, MD 2

Call for 21 Drinking Age in U.K.  A leading police official is calling for the drinking age in Great Britain to be raised to 21 and for a ban on public alcohol consumption. "Alcohol is too cheap and too readily available and is too strong. Young people cannot handle it," said Peter Fahey, chief constable of the Cheshire police. The current legal drinking age in the U.K. is 18, although even that is loosely enforced in many instances. (Source: Join Together, 8/15/07)    BBC, 8/15/07 
The Independent, 17.8.07

Lowering Drinking Age to 18 Gets Consideration.
Several states, including Florida, Wisconsin, Vermont and Missouri, have studied the idea of lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, as some experts are suggesting. The National Youth Rights Association has launched a petition drive to lower the drinking age, and some Missouri advocates are organizing a ballot initiative. John McCardell, former president of Middlebury College in Vermont, has become the most visible advocate for the change.
However, 77 percent of Americans recently surveyed by Gallup said they opposed lowering the drinking age. (Source: Join Together, 8/15/07)    MSNBC, 8/14/07
Comment: In Europe, Public Health Professionals in several countries would be very glad to be able to raise the drinking age against the strong power of the alcohol industry. Especially in the United Kingdom with an extreem high binge drinking rate. New Zealand had lowered the limit some years ago and wants to reverse that decision again.

Chinese Drink Nearly $60 Billion Worth of Alcohol. Chinese drinkers consume 20 percent of the world's alcohol products, drinking $59.5 billion worth of alcoholic beverages in 2006.
(Source: Join Together, 8/10/07)       Bloomberg, 8/09/07 

Teens to rally against Alcopops outside lawmakers' offices, August 13, 2007 in Sacramento, USA.   Young people and coalition members delivering thousands of postcards to the California State Board of Equalization supporting a measure to re-classify the drinks as distilled spirits instead of beer. Pressrelease, Marin Institute, 8/11/07

Drinking, Smoking Share Blame for Rising U.K. Cancer Rates
Rates of a variety of cancers have increased dramatically in recent years in the U.K., and health officials blame bad lifestyle choices for the trend. The BBC reported Aug. 9 that Cancer Research UK said that mouth cancer rates have risen by about 25 percent in the past decade, largely due to smoking and drinking. (Source: Join Together, 8/9/07)

Last week, Marin Institute released its groundbreaking report, The Cost of Alcopops to Youth and California at an event in downtown San Francisco. The auditorium was filled with experts and policymakers, as well as a number of youth advocates. The event was covered by several local news media. The report and event were both part of a larger effort on the part of Marin Institute and many other groups to encourage the California Board of Equalization (BOE) to tax Alcopops correctly (as Spirits not as beer)

India under attack from the drinks industry. There has been a series of news releases the last weeks showing that India is probably no 1 on the priority list of the multinational drinks industry in their rally to capture new markets and new consumers. See three examples below.
1. Carlsberg to compete with Kingfisher and SABMiller. The Danish and multinational beer giant Carlsberg is ready to launch its first beer in in India. Carlsberg’s local arm, South Asia Breweries, has chosen its east European brand of strong beer, Okocim Palone, to compete with leading strong beers, like UB’s Kingfisher Strong and SABMiller’s Haywards 5000.  Article in India Time here.
2. Local Budweiser launched in India. Budweiser is entering the Indian market with a locally-produced Budweiser launched by India Crown Beers India, the joint venture between Anheuser-Busch and Crown International. The new beer will be available in southern and western India. Stephen Burrows, CEO of Anheuser-Busch Asia Pacific Operations observes that "the Indian beer market continues to experience tremendous growth”. Article in Drinks Business Review.
3. Diageo tries out new marketing method in the UK – India next. Drinks giant Diageo has launched an innovative mobile internet marketing initiative for the Smirnoff brand in the UK, intending to “"bring the world of Smirnoff to the palm of the consumer's hand through leading-edge technology". Following the launch in the UK, the platform will next be rolled out in India, according to a company statement.                         (Source: ADD-Newsletter)

Our Founding Brewers? While many of us (in USA) associate the 4th of July with values such as democracy and freedom from tyranny, Anheuser Busch is set on painting a whole different picture. Just as with Cinco De Mayo and St. Patrick’s Day, the world’s largest beer maker hopes to insinuate itself into popular culture at every opportunity. This time, August A. Busch IV has implicated our founding fathers, as well. “Independence Day is the perfect time to celebrate America's rich brewing"     (Source: Marin Institute News, 5.7.07) 
Earth Times  http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,128978.shtml

Viral Energy Drinks Alcoholic energy drinks are the new jewel in the crown of Big Alcohol. Key to their success, most companies believe, is the fact that they’re a natural fit with new technology and lend themselves well to viral marketing – two essential factors in hooking a young audience.
(Sources: Marin Institute News, 5.7.07) 
BrewBlog:   http://www.brewblog.com/brew/2007/06/talking-innovat.html

Call for expression of interest in the SANCO Stakeholder Dialogue Group: The European Commission's Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General (DG SANCO) has opened a call for expression of interest for the Stakeholder Dialogue Group that will close on 27 July 2007. The Group's objective is to help SANCO improve its contacts with stakeholders. The participants will be selected on the basis of their overall working experience in the field of DG SANCO consultation processes. The group will include 20 experts from different policy areas and across Member States.
EU-Call, 7/4/07

AMA Won't Call Compulsive Gaming 'Addictive'
There's not enough evidence to suggest that compulsive video-game playing rises to the level of addiction as with alcohol or other drugs, according to the American Medical Association (AMA). (Source: Join Together, 6/25/07)    Reuters, 6/24/07

UK – Government to propose reducing BAC level to 50 mg  
Road Safety Minister Stephen Ladyman said the government, which has already been reviewing the law, was in favour of adopting a 50 mg limits, and that this proposal is to form part of a Government consultation later this year. But he said that ministers wanted first to see evidence that the police are able to enforce the current level.
The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2091061,00.html
Alcohol Policy UK: http://www.alcoholpolicy.net/2007/06/index.html

Alcohol and tobacco tax to rise in Estonia next year
The government of Estonia decided on 24 May to increase its alcohol excise duties by 30%. The increase was motivated by public health concerns, said the Estonian Finance Minister Ivari Padar.
Estonia's decision to hike its duty on alcohol by 30 per cent will have a bearing on Finnish alcohol taxation.
Cheap alcohol has been a major draw for Finnish travellers visiting Estonia, and was a key reason why Finland felt forced to lower its taxation of alcohol by an average 33% in March 2004 before Estonia joined the EU. The unprecedented alcohol tax cut in Finland was followed by a sharp rise in consumption and alcohol-related problems. The Finnish government is to discuss possible higher taxation of alcoholic beverages in the autumn. Mr Hannes Manninen, the chairman of the Finnish parliamentary Finance Committee, said that Estonia's decision would lay the groundwork for a hike in Finnish alcohol duties, to be implemented already next year. Finnish Prime Minister, Matti Vanhanen, praised Estonia's decision. (Source: EUROCARE Newsletter Mai-Juni 07)
http://newsroom.finland.fi/stt/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=15837&group=Politic http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Alcohol+and+tobacco+tax+to+rise+in+Estonia+next+year/1135227499218

GB-Drinks companies are being told to change the labelling and packaging on some products as part of a crackdown on speed drinking and downing alcoholic drinks in one. Spirit-based products described and promoted as "shooters" or "slammers" are likely to fall foul of a revised code of practice published yesterday by the drinks industry body the Portman Group. A spokesman for Alcohol Concern is critical.   (Quelle: Harvard World Health News, 6/21/07)      The Guardian, 6/20/07

STD Rise in U.K. Tied to Teen Drinking
The rate of sexually transmitted diseases is rising rapidly in Great Britain, and researchers say that alcohol -- particularly teen drinking -- plays a major role in the trend. The Independent reported June 15 that a report from the Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV found that about 40 percent of sexually active 13- to 14-year-olds said they were drunk or high when they first had sex, and that about 10 percent of 15- and 16-year-olds said they had sex after drinking that they later regretted. Rates of HIV and chlymidia have risen 300 percent over the past 12 years in the U.K., while the gonorrhea rate has risen 200 percent and the syphilis rate has increased 2,000 percent.
(Source: Join Together, 6/20/07)    The Independent, 6/15/07

Big  Brewers Pour Into Emerging Markets
This is the conclusion of a broad article in recent issue of the magazine BusinessWeek, analyzing resent trends in the multinational brewing industry. The drinks industry’s scramble for new markets in the South has been a major concern for health NGOs and researchers for several years. The article in BusinessWeek reconfirms that there are good reasons for concern.  (Source: ADD-Newsletter, 6/21/07)  BusinessWeek, 6/4/07

Beer Featuring Baseball Mascot Appeals to Kids, Critics Say
A Wyoming minor-league baseball team is selling beer named after its furry purple mascot, prompting a letter-writing campaign by local addiction-prevention groups.
The Casper Star-Tribune reported June 13 that the Casper Rockies platypus mascot, Hobart, is the inspiration for Hobart's Duckbill Draft. The mascot''s picture appears on the beer bottle. "Hobart beer appeals to small children," said coalition chair Melissa Stahley-Cummings.   (Source: Join Together, 6/18/07)

A new government alcohol strategy, unveiled today, will target for the first time not only under-age and binge-drinking youths but the middle-aged who regularly drink over the limit at home and end up with health problems. The strategy, launched jointly by the Home Office and the Department of Health, will aim for a cultural shift to make excessive drinking as unacceptable as drink-driving has become.
Comment: If drink-driving has become unacceptable, why is there still a limit of 0.8‰?
To make excessive drinking unacceptable is the credo of the alcohol industry. But information campains alone will not be successful.
(Source: Harvard World Health News, 6/7/07           Guardian Unlimited, 6/5/07
Join Together, 6/7/07     BBC News 6/5/07    Government-Campaign

Powdered Alcohol Marketed to Youth
A group of Dutch students has invented a form of powdered alcohol that they say will appeal primarily to youth. Twenty-gram packets of Booze2Go are being sold for less than $2 in the Netherlands. When the powder is mixed with water, it yields a lime-flavored beverage with a 3-percent alcohol content. "Because the alcohol is not in liquid form, we can sell it to people below 16 [under Dutch law]," said project member Martyn van Nierop. The product also may dodge alcohol taxes for the same reason. 
(Source: Join Together, 6/6/07)   CNN.com/Reuters, 6/6/07

Busch Seeks to Revive 'Bud TV'
Anheuser-Busch's expensive experiment with interactive Internet marketing, Bud TV, has attracted more controversy than viewers, so the company is working to try to revive its $30-million online venture. The brewer has hired consulting firm New Media Strategies to try to get a better handle on what Internet users want from Bud TV, which launched three months ago. Unique users of the site fell 40 percent in March, to 152,000, while April site traffic was too low to be measured.
(Source: Join Together, 6/5/07)           Bud TV,         Online Media Daily, 6/1/07

Addiction Community's Influence Over Corporate Responsibility Grows
Anheuser-Busch's recent decision to pull its fruity Spykes drink mixers from the market represents the latest in a series of significant victories by the addiction field in confronting what advocates consider irresponsible marketing by big corporations. After weeks of escalating complaints by public-health groups such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the Marin Institute, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America and the Oregon Partnership, as well as a coalition of state attorneys general, Anheuser-Busch announced on May 17 that it was withdrawing Spykes from the market.
Source: Join Together, 6/1/07

Owners, Not Clerks Should Be Accountable for Underage Alcohol Sales, City Says
The city of Racine, Wis., has announced a policy change that will see liquor outlet owners -- not clerks -- slapped with hefty fines when alcohol is sold to minors. Previously, clerks who sold alcohol to underage buyers were hit with a $536 fine, but now the Racine Police Department will issue the ticket to the store or bar owners, instead.
(Source: Join Together, 5/31/07)   Racine Journal Times, May 26, 2007

U.S. Supreme Court Allows Virginia Alcohol Law to Stand
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to review a 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision that upheld Virginia's ability to limit the sale of out-of-state alcohol and wine. The state's Alcoholic Beverage Control Act only allows Virginia-made wine to be sold in state-run liquor stores and limits the amount of alcohol consumers can bring into the state for personal consumption. The lower federal court had ruled that the act's provisions unconstitutionally impeded interstate commerce, but the appeals court reversed the lower court's decision.
(Source: Join Together, 5/16/07)        Associated Press, May 14, 2007

African Journal: The African HIV/AIDS epidemic and the role of alcohol and drugs
The latest issue of the African Journal of Drug and Alcohol studies is devoted to broadening the knowledge base on the role of alcohol and drugs in the spreading of HIV/AIDS in Africa.
New research material is presented from Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. pdf-version of the journal      (Source: ADD-Bulletin 3/2007) 

New recommendation from WHO Expert Committee
The WHO Expert Committee on Problems Related to Alcohol Consumption has presented its report The Committee urges the World Health Organization to continue to play a leading role in coordinating a global response to the global nature of alcohol problems. It also recommends that WHO continue its practice of no collaboration with the alcohol industry.
Download the report here.   (Source: ADD-Bulletin 3/2007) 

The World Health Assembly is right now in session in Geneva. This is the 60^th Assembly, and prevention of alcohol-related problems is on the agenda as item 12.7 “Evidence-based strategies and interventions to reduce alcohol-related harm” under Technical and Health Matters.
The basis for the discussion is two documents prepared by the Secretary General, summarizing the evidence base on alcohol-related harm and on effective interventions to reduce such harm. The outcome of the discussion is of great importance for the future of effective alcohol prevention in many countries, not the least in developing societies.
The documents to the Assembly on alcohol policies can be downloaded here:
A60/14 Evidence-based strategies and interventions to reduce alcohol-related harm

A60/14 Add.1 Global assessment of public-health problems caused by harmful use of alcohol    (Source: ADD-Bulletin 3/2007) 

THE WINE CONTRIBUTION TO HEALTH - AN EU PROJECT. Remarks by Robert Madelin, Director General for Health and Consumer Protection, European Commission at the Assemblée des Régions Européennes Viticoles, Stuttgart, 21 April 2007
The wine contribution to health - an EU project
Comment: In October of last year a Communication on a European strategy to support Member States in reducing alcohol related harm was adopted. Now on 7 June 2007 the EU "Alcohol and Health Forum" is to be launched in Brussels. Members will be the alcohol industry and stakeholders. We say "the mountain will give birth to a mouse". Because the industry will never accept effective measures. 

Beer Money In Congress
In the 2005-2006 election cycle, beer-, wine- and liquor-industry interests gave federal candidates a combined total of more than $10 million. Of that amount, beer industry money accounted for more than two-thirds (70%). The two largest sources of beer money in Congress are the political action committee of the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) and mega-brewer Anheuser-Busch (AB). Those two sources together account for more than two-thirds of all beer money flowing to Congressional campaign coffers and about half of all alcohol-industry money. (Source with Details: CSPI, 5/8/07)

www.add-resources.org

Dr. Neo Morojele at two conferences on alcohol as a development issue, held in Oslo and Stockholm: "In South Africa we have one of the highest levels of alcohol consumption in the world, combined with very risky patterns of drinking. There is an urgent need to raise awareness about the threat of alcohol consumption to development in the Southern African region."  Dr. Morojele is the Deputy Director of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Unit at the Medical Research Council of South Africa. (Source: Forut, Norway, ADD-Bulletin, 5/7/07)
A brief presentation of the key introductions can be found here,

Advertising: Liquor Maker Ups the Ante a Bit in Discouraging Young Drinkers
There was another round yesterday in the continuing sparring over alcohol advertising, as Beam Global Spirits and Wine — which makes brands like Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbon and Canadian Club whiskey — announced it would voluntarily adopt stricter rules to keep messages away from young people.
(Source:Harvard World Health News, 5/10/07)       The New York Times, May 8, 2007)

Critics bash sneaky ‘BYOB’ trinkets
Anti-teen drinking advocates are speaking out this prom season against cunning new products they charge are designed to help teens hide alcohol.
(Source:Harvard World Health News, 10.5.07)          Boston Herald.com, 6.5.07)
 

One in Four NYC Men Are Binge Drinkers, Study Finds. Adult men are three times more likely to be binge drinkers than women, with one in four saying they consumed five or more drinks at one sitting in the past month, according the a study from the New York City Department of Health. The department's annual community health study found that white and Hispanic men were more likely to be binge drinkers than blacks or Asians, and that white women were bigger binge drinkers than Hispanics, blacks or Asians. Women were half as likely to binge drink as men, however. Still, binge-drinking rates in New York were lower than in other parts of the country: nationally, 31 percent of men are monthly binge drinkers, and the city's overall binge-drinking rate -- 14 percent -- was lower than the national average of 24 percent. (Source: Join Together, 4/19/07)   
New York City Department of Health         ABC-7 News, 4/18/07

(Quelle: Eurocare, 20.4.07)

Fewer Dry Towns in Bible Belt
The number of alcohol-free "dry" towns in the Texas "Bible Belt" is declining, with observers saying that religious conservatives are too busy with issues like abortion and same-sex marriage to keep the alcohol bans on the books. Even some Southern Baptists who don't drink themselves are backing local ballot measures to revoke alcohol bans, hoping to give communities a boost from new businesses and increased tax revenues.
(Quelle: Join Together, 4/18/07)      Reuters, 4/13/07

Sticky Solution Sought for Underage Drinking
Utah prevention agencies are distributing preprinted sticky notes that parents can slap on liquor bottles at home as a warning to children against underage drinking. The notes, available free at the state's Parents Empowered website, are printed with the message, "At your age, drinking is dangerous. So are really angry parents." The stickers also can be affixed to liquor cabinets or refrigerators. A different set of sticky notes are available at Utah state liquor stores, with no-drinking pledges intended to be signed by youths before they go out with friends. (Source: Join Together, 4/11/07)    Salt Lake Tribune, 4/9/07

Flip-Flops Have Hidden Alcohol Compartment
Footwear maker Reef recently introduced a line of flip-flops that include secret compartments for hiding alcohol, the Baltimore Examiner reported March 29.
Each flip-flop has a compartment that can hold a one-ounce bottle of alcohol; the sandals also come with a miniature funnel and measuring bar. The built-in flask is included in several styles of sandals for men, including "Dram" and "BYOB," and are priced at about $45. The flip-flops have the image of a mixer stamped on the sole.
(Source: Join Together, 4/10/07)

Europeans support alcohol health warnings to protect vulnerable groups
Seventy-seven percent of Europeans agree with putting warnings on alcohol bottles and adverts in order to warn pregnant women and drivers of the dangers of alcohol. This was revealed in a special Eurobarometer on alcohol presented on 14 March. (See here 3/14/07)
Source: Health & Consumer Voice - March - 2007 Edition       List of different Newsletters

NIDA Library Shuts Down
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) library, which contained up to 12,000 journal volumes and 8,000 books, has been shut down due to budget cuts. The library primarily served NIDA's 400-person staff but also archived many historic documents, including every research article published by program staff since the original Addiction Research Center (ARC) was founded in Lexington, Ky., in 1935, and the minutes of every Committee on Problems of Drug Dependence meeting held since 1929. (Source: Join Together, 4/4/07)
National Institute on Drug Abuse    SALIS News, Winter 2007 issue

Atlas, Athena Programs Address Drugs in Sports
The ATLAS and ATHENA anti-drug programs developed at Oregon Health and Sciences University address alcohol and other drug use among athletes, so it's no surprise that the curriculum is based on a team approach. The Athletes Targeting Healthy Exercise and Nutrition Alternatives (ATHENA) program is designed for girls, while ATLAS, (Athletes Training and Learning to Avoid Steroids) is intended for boys. The programs are meant to be implemented during regular team meetings: student athletes are broken into six squads with squad leaders. Each squad "might deconstruct ads or play Jeopardy about the effects of drugs on an athlete," said Diane Elliott, M.D., who helped design the programs. The programs are currently being implemented in schools in Florida, Oregon, Michigan and Virginia, thanks to a donation from Sports Illustrated. (Source: Join Together, 3/30/07)    CNN.com, 3/20/07  Oregon Health and Sciences University: ATHENA   
                           Oregon Health and Sciences University: ATLAS

The trade group Drinks Manufacturing of Ireland criticized the report, saying that it "fails to provide any conclusive evidence linking sports sponsorship by drinks companies and alcohol misuse.   (Source: Join Together, 3/28/07)    Irish Times, 3/27/07

The BBC reported that the new Eurobarometer study found that Finland (27 percent) had the second-highest rate of binge drinking -- defined as consuming five or more alcoholic drinks at a sitting -- followed by Great Britain (24 percent) and Denmark (23 percent). The binge-drinking rate in Ireland was 34 percent. Only 2 percent of residents of Italy and Greece reported bingeing, however, and the binge-drinking rate in Portugal was just 4 percent. Binge drinking was more prevalent among men and among 15- to 24-year-olds. 
(Source: Join Together, 3/16/07)     BBC, 3/14/07

Eurocare Press Release: European Commission releases Eurobarometer Special Report on attitudes towards alcohol
Eurocare welcomes public support for Alcohol Strategy
Eurocare welcomes the Eurobarometer Special Report on attitudes towards alcohol, released today by the European Commission, and hopes the survey will be repeated at regular intervals in order to, amongst other things, measure the success of the EU Alcohol Strategy in reducing the harm done by alcohol in Europe. The low awareness among EU citizens of the permitted blood alcohol levels or the trend among the youngest respondents to drink 3- 4 drinks or more on any given drinking occasion, show that the EU has still a long way to go in this field. Andrew McNeil, Honorary Secretary of Eurocare, the European Alcohol Policy Alliance, welcomed the findings in the report and said that  “although the results of the survey show that there is still much work that needs to be done, there is also a considerable public support for tackling drink driving and underage drinking, which bodes well for the Commission Strategy”. Around three quarters of EU citizens would agree with putting warnings on the containers of alcoholic beverages, introducing lower blood alcohol level for young drivers or banning alcohol advertising which targets young people. Banning the sale and serving of alcohol to people under the age of 18 was regarded as an important measure by 87% of the Europeans surveyed.   (Not yet online)

Alcohol Problems Among U.S. Soldiers in Iraq Tied to Violence
Some of the most violent crimes committed by U.S. troops in Iraq were fueled in part by alcohol. The 2005 rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl by 101st Airborne Division troops in Mahmudiya involved soldiers who drank locally distilled whiskey before the attack; a 2004 murder of one 3rd Infantry Division soldier by another also followed a drinking binge. U.S. soldiers are barred from drinking alcohol while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, but alcohol and other drugs were involved in 240 of 665 Army criminal prosecutions that resulted in convictions in the two war zones. Crimes involving alcohol and other drugs included murder, rape, armed robbery, and assault. Meanwhile, the military has cut spending on alcohol prevention, from $12.6 million in 2005 to $7.74 this year. 
(Source: Join Together, 3/14/07)          New York Times, 3/13/07

Responsible Alcohol Use' Group Launches First Community Project
The Foundation for Alcohol Responsibility (FAR), an alcohol-industry supported group that advocates for responsible use of alcohol and seeks to "prevent intoxication, drunk driving and other alcohol-related problems," has launched its first community-based project in Harrisonburg, Va. - FAR -- founded by the head of Health Communications, Inc., the company that produces the TIPS server-training curriculum -- will conduct alcohol-education outreach to local community members and leaders "while arming them with the information to both consume and serve alcohol responsibly and to intervene in instances of intoxication," according to a press release.  (Source: Join Together, 38..07)
Comment: Wonderful propaganda as we had already: "drink responsibly, but drink!"

New SAMHSA Report Provides State-Level View of Substance Use and Mental Health. State Estimates of Substance Use from the 2004-2005 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) provides state-level rates for 23 measures of substance use and mental health problems, including underage drinking, binge drinking, use of illegal drugs, serious mental illness and tobacco use.  The SAMHSA report combined two years of data (2004-2005) from the annual NSDUH surveys to enhance the precision of estimates for less populous states.
Past month underage drinking (age 12 to 20) was lowest in Utah (21.3 percent) and highest in Wisconsin (39.5 percent). (Source: Harvard World Health News, 3/5/07)      
USA Today, 2/28/07     SAMSHA News Release, 2/28/07     Join Together, 3/2/07

Abandon "Idiotarod" Beer Promotion

"Idiotarod" is a Pub Crawl in Shopping Carts
Anheuser-Busch should drop its sponsorship of a Washington, D.C. charity event called the "Idiotarod," organized by a local group that goes by the acronym "SMASHED," according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The March 3 event, in which young people are urged to acquire shopping carts and drink beer in one bar after another, is in clear violation of the Beer Institute's Advertising and Marketing Code, which prohibits marketing which encourages rapid or excessive beer drinking or drinking games, according to the group.
The Anheuser-Busch brand Bud Light has apparently dropped its sponsorship of this event after CSPI complained to the president of the company, August A. Busch IV, in a letter sent yesterday.  (Source: CSPINET, 2/28/07)

The head of Great Britain's Royal College of Physicians is calling for a complete ban on alcohol advertising to stem a rising tide of alcohol problem in the country.
(Source: Join Together, 2/27/07)

Ein Experte verlangt in England ein totales Alkohol-Werbeverbot.

02/27/2007

Drinking-related deaths among 15- to 34-year-olds in the U.K. have doubled between 1991 and 2004, according to the Office for National Statistics.
(Source: Join Together, 2/26/07)

Alkoholbezogene Todesfälle in England verdoppelt.

02/27/2007

(Source: Eurocare, 23.2.07)

Thai festivals have become drinking occasions  ThaiHealth have registered a development where traditional festivals have been replaced by binge drinking. Now 30 million Thai Bath will be used to encourage communities to celebrate festivals, funerals and other important events the traditional way, without alcohol.
The ThaiHealth foundation blames marketing efforts by alcohol producers for this development, writes the national Thai newspaper, The Nation. To the newspaper the ThaiHealth vice chairman Prof Udomsil Srisangnam reports that in the past few decades alcohol has dramatically ruined the value of traditional festivals: "People of younger generations don't even know the essence of festivals because all they've seen year after year was people getting wildly drunk. Drinking is not a Thai tradition. Alcohol companies have long tried to mislead society on that one," Udomsil added.  (Source: ADD Bulletin 1-2007)
See article in The Nation.

National summit on prevention of substance abuse in South Africa  According to the latest statistics by the South African Risk Survey, more and more young people are getting hooked on drugs and alcohol. Almost 50% of SA teenagers drink alcohol, a little over 30% are smokers while another 13% smoke dagga on a regular basis. This has been the backdrop for a national conference in South Africa last week; the first Biennial Substance Abuse Summit. The summit has brought together government, civil society, private sector and drug experts to discuss how to reduce the demand for drugs and substance, and how to effectively combat drug and substance abuse. - Statistics show that drugs and alcohol abuse cost the South African economy an estimated R10 billion per annum, said the Minister of Social Development, Dr Zola Skweyiya, in his opening address 
(Source: ADD Bulletin 1-2007) National Drug Master Plan 2006 - 2011 from the Department of Social Development.

India to back down on spirits duties?  Several industry sources are now assuming that the Indian government will back down on their high import duties for spirits and wine, following international pressure, both via bilateral channels and through WTO. India has for months been under heavy international pressure to reduce its import duties on spirits and wine, ranging up to 550% for spirits. Towards the end of 2006 the European Union appealed to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to intervene to open up the Indian alcohol market for imported alcohol, and later both the US and Australia have their added their weight to the demand from the EU. The World Economic Forum in Davos was also used to put pressure on India. Industry sources now are expecting India to give in for the pressure and step by step reduce their tax level. The industry is preparing for the new opportunities expected to open up in India. One commentator says: “Despite all the hype surrounding potentially enormous emerging markets in South America and the Far East, they still pale into insignificance compared with that of India”.(Source: ADD Bulletin 1-2007)
See news report in Business Scotsman.com
Comment: It looks as if India gets a new colonialization - with very grave consequences for the people. How wonderful is free trade! We are so proud in Switzerland that the WEF in Davos could be of some help!

•  Programme 2003-2008             European Union
  The call for proposal for 2007 is now open !
   
•  Programme 2003-2008
  Commission Decision adopting the work plan for 2007 for the implementation of the programme of Community action in the field of public health (2003-2008), including the annual work programme for grants Available in 21 languages
   
•  Health services
  Results of the consultation regarding community action on health services updated

A media critique by Wayne Friedman on ads during the Super Bowl brings a press review: USA Today suggested in its annual poll that Anheuser-Busch's spots were once again rated the best.     (Source: TV Watch, 2/5/07)

N.J. School to Test Students for Alcohol
Random urine tests will be administered to students at Pequannock Township High School in New Jersey, USA, starting next month.School officials will be able to tell whether students were drinking over the weekend. Positive tests won't result in disciplinary action, but parents will be informed. The measure is critisized.
(Source: Join Together, 1/31/07)    ABC News, 1/29/07

After Fatal Crash, N.M. Demands Airlines Get Liquor Licenses
Dana Papst, 44, downed two single-serving bottles of Jack Daniels on a US Airways fight, then got off the plane, got into a car, and got into a head-on crash that killed five members of a New Mexico family. Now, the state of New Mexico is barring US Airways from selling alcohol on its flights into and out of the state because the airline does not have a New Mexico liquor license. (Source: Join Together, 1/31/07)            
Santa Fe New Mexican, 1/30/07

Significant cuts to the budgets of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) were some of the lowlights of the Bush administration's budget for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) -- part of an FY2008 spending plan that trims or eliminates a number of prominent federal discretionary programs. "Bush's proposal would provide a big increase in military spending to fight the war in Iraq while squeezing federal health-care programs and cutting most domestic agencies to below fiscal 2006 levels to meet his goal of eliminating the deficit in five years," noted the American Counseling Association.
(Source: Join Together, 2/9/07)

Soldiers in the 2nd Infantry Division (2nd ID) who are found to have a blood-alcohol level of .10 percent or higher -- even when they are not driving -- could face disciplinary action. The policy comes after a recent spike in alcohol-related incidents among 2nd ID soldiers, including a number of underage-drinking reports. Soldiers who exceed the .10-percent limit face discipline under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
(Source: Join Together, 2/12/07)  Stars and Stripes, 2/12/07

The South Carolina Supreme Court has ruled that adults who intentionally serve alcohol to underage youth can be sued for damages. The ruling stated that hosts can be held liable if they know that they are serving alcohol to a minor. "While underage persons have full social and civil rights, we find the public policy of this State treats these individuals as lacking full adult capacity to make informed decisions concerning the ingestion of alcoholic beverages," the court ruled. The court was ruling on a pair of cases: one in which a 19-year-old drank at a cookout and later died in a car crash with a blood-alcohol level of .291 percent, and another where a 19-year-old drank at a company Christmas party and crashed, killing himself and a passenger. (Source: Join Together, 2/6/07) 
Associated Press, Feb. 5, 2007

Social host" laws, which allow police to enter private homes to break up underage drinking parties and impose fines on adults who allow parties to take place, are being adopted by more and more U.S. communities. Hundreds of communities have passed social-host ordinances, according to the Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center, including recent actions by cities in Oklahoma, California, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.
(Source: Join Together, 1/24/07)           USA TODAY, 1/04/07

In an effort to curb underage drinking, two state legislators are proposing to hit minors where the lawmakers think it might really hurt: in the driver’s license. Under a bill filed by Sen. Tom Buford, R-Nicholasville, and Sen. Joey Pendleton, D-Hopkinsville, anyone under 21 who buys or possesses alcohol could be penalized with a three-month license suspension. Subsequent offenses could result in suspensions of six months to a year under the measure, Senate Bill 45. Current law provides for a fine of up to $250 for such violations. (Source: Harvard World Health News, 1/25/07)   courier-journal.com, 1/21/07

Binge-drinking among women has doubled. The number of girls and young women drinking to excess has risen dramatically in a decade. In 1993 only nine per cent of women aged 16 to 24 drank more than 21 units of alcohol a week, according to the Health Survey for England trend tables from the NHS Information Centre. By 2002, this had leapt to 21 per cent.      (Source: Marin Institute Alcohol News - 1/02/07)  Telegraph, 12/21/06