www.alkoholpolitik.ch

Children can make a real difference in their communities. A new manual on rights-based research from Concerned for Working Children (CWC) in Bangalore, India shows how children can be empowered to influence their community and also local alcohol policies. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 03/14/11) add-recources.org, 03/14/11

The government is waging war on the alarming increase in the abuse of alcohol and drugs, and has warned of stricter legislation – including raising the legal age for alcohol consumption from 18 to 21.
In a hard-hitting statement, Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini said yesterday that the devastating effects of alcohol abuse had spurred the government to „prioritise this as a matter of urgency“.
„Alcohol and substance abuse is destroying families and the fabric of society. The shocking reality of the situation has strengthened our resolve to tackle the problem head-on,“ Dlamini told The Times. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 03/12/11) timeslive.co.za, 03/11/11 Comment: Good luck, my beloved South Africa. You have the political power to succeed. But do it without the alcohol industry! Take the WHO Global Alcohol Strategy.

For women, this weekend’s International Women’s Day holiday is supposed to be a time to receive gifts and affection from the men in their lives. For the country, it means a welcome three-day weekend. But for all too many people, the holiday also offers an excuse to drink.
The good news is that the national drinking problem isn’t quite as bad as many thought. The World Health Organization concluded in a report last month that Russia is apparently no longer the world leader in per capita alcohol consumption. In fact, at 15.7 liters of pure alcohol per capita, Russia is not even on the medal stand of the global drinking games, just beating out Ukraine (15.6 liters) for fourth place behind bronze medalist Hungary (16.3 liters), the Czech Republic (16.5 liters) in second place, and the world-champion guzzlers from Moldova, who quaff an astounding 19.2 liters of pure alcohol per year.
But do those numbers actually mean anything? How much do Russians really drink? … (Source: Harvard World Health News, 03/10/11) themoscowtimes.com, 03/05/11

In New York City, a professor of Human Ecology from Rutgers University is taking a giant step from documenting the urban advertising landscape toward changing it. In the process, she hopes to improve the health of neighborhoods impacted by blight such as outdoor alcohol advertising. …
Dr. Naa Oyo Kwate’s research focuses on mapping urban environments and their impact on health. For example, she found that an astonishing twenty-five percent of outdoor advertising in Central Harlem was dedicated to promoting alcohol. Exposure to the alcohol ads increased black women’s chances of being a problem drinker by up to thirteen percent. … (Source: Marin Institute, 03/08/11) our Online-Comment: My compliments to that researcher. Usually scientists don’t care much what happens to their study results. But she feels responsible that there is progress.

Aims The impact of alcohol on those other than the drinker is an under-researched area with important policy implications. This study is a first step in investigating relationships between exposure to heavy drinkers in respondent’s lives with measures of health status and wellbeing.
Design setting and participants A cross-sectional general population survey was carried out among 3068 New Zealand residents aged 12–80 years (response rate 64%) using an in-house computer-assisted telephone interviewing system.
Findings More than one in four of the sample had experienced someone they considered to be a heavy drinker in their environment in the past 12 months.
Conclusions: Cross-sectional data from a general population sample suggest that there is a relationship between exposure to heavy drinkers and reduced personal wellbeing and poorer health status. Exposure to heavy drinkers may have negative impacts for others. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 03/08/11) onlinelibrary.wiley.com, 03/07/11

Introducing a minimum price for alcohol in Northern Ireland is an important step in the prevention of suicide and self-harm, as well as addressing wider health and social issues the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Northern Ireland has said.
Dr Philip McGarry, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Northern Ireland, welcomed the consultation into alcohol pricing launched today by Social Development Minister Alex Attwood and Health Minister Michael McGimpsey, but said the floor price must be set high enough to have a genuine impact on problem drinking. (Source: Medical News Today, 03/07/11)

Malawi now experiences a conflict over liquor sachets. Government and NGOs versus alcohol producers. Health versus profits. Also other countries in Africa face problems with the small plastic bags with strong liquor.
A few years ago a variety of small plastic sachets with 40 % spirits were introduced to the markets place in a number of African countries. Now problems have become very visible from the sale and use of such alcoholic beverages, in particular among the youth and the poor. This has resulted in public outcry and political discussions in an attempt to do something to the problem.
In Malawi there was an encouraging political process last year which aimed at banning the sale of liquor in plastic sachets. Now, as a result of a court decision, the process has stalled. Governments and NGOs have their hands tied up by the court injunction, while the strong liquor continues to be sold to minors, through legal and illegal channels. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 03/08/11) add-resources.org, 03/07/11

Cigarette smoking is highly prevalent among people with alcohol use disorders. People who are dependent
on alcohol are three times more likely than those in the general population to be smokers, and people who are dependent on tobacco are four times more likely than the general population to be dependent on alcohol. Alcohol use problems are associated with higher levels of nicotine dependence and a lower likelihood of smoking cessation.
The link between alcohol and tobacco has important implications for those in the alcohol and smoking cessation
treatment and policy fields. More alcoholics die of tobacco-related illness than die of alcohol-related problems.
Although the health threats of smoking are clear, many unanswered questions remain about how to best approach smoking cessation in alcohol dependent populations. Effective treatment hinges on a better understanding of how these substances—and their addictions—interact.
12th and 13th October 2011, Parc Thistle Hotel, Cardiff, Wales. www.ashwales.co.uk

The number of young people having to be treated in hospital for serious liver disease has risen by more than 50 per cent in the last decade, figures show. (Source: Eurocare Newsletter January-February 2011)

Alcohol’s role in everything from injury and relationship breakdown to trouble with the police, emerges in a poll of 2,221 people commissioned by the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG).
According to the survey, some 11% of people polled have seen a friend or relative’s relationship end as a direct result of heavy drinking. One in five (21%) know someone who has driven while over the legal alcohol limit. And 51% know someone who has been a victim of alcohol-related violence, or has been attacked themselves.
The survey also found that 14% of children are being brought up in a family where at least one adult has a drink problem.
The YouGov poll paints a graphic picture of alcohol’s many negative consequences. The survey found that:… (Source: Eurocare Newsletter January-February 2011)