www.alkoholpolitik.ch

The study found increased cigarette prices due to taxes did not decrease smoking rates in people under 30, The Atlantic reports.

The researchers based their findings on data from the 2001-2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys, which included 1.3 million people. They found increases in state cigarette prices were associated with increases in current drinking among people ages 65 and older, and binge and heavy drinking among those ages 21 to 29. They found reductions in smoking among adults ages 30 to 64, drinking among those ages 18 to 20, and binge drinking among those 65 and older.

“Researchers, practitioners, advocates, and policymakers should work together to understand and prepare for these unintended consequences of tobacco taxation policy,” the researchers wrote in the journal Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy.
(Source: Join Together, 07/17/12)

TWELVE sports associations will become teetotal when it comes to alcohol sponsorship after a $25 million deal with the government.

The groups have struck a deal to promote safe alcohol consumption by adults, alcohol-free sporting environments for minors and to reduce alcohol promotion in their codes.

But the AFL and NRL were not part of the deal. Those that do have a stake include national associations for soccer, basketball, netball, swimming, cycling, hockey, athletics, skateboarding, volleyball, equestrian, triathlon and canoeing. They will be precluded from sponsorship that promotes alcohol consumption as it would be in conflict with the health campaign message of Be the Influence, Tackling Binge Drinking.

(Source: Harvard World Health News, 06/29/12) smh.com.au, 06/24/12

State Control of Alcohol: Protecting the Public’s Health

Pennsylvania Republican House Majority Leader Michael Turzai recently gave up the fight to privatize liquor sales in the state, at least for the moment. The battle to privatize Pennsylvania’s 620 state-owned liquor and wine stores, and to allow the sale of alcohol by non-state retailers, has been raging in Pennsylvania for several years. In 2010, then-gubernatorial candidate (now governor) Tom Corbett made alcohol privatization a key part of his election campaign. Since then, advocates for state control and new research findings regarding its effectiveness have helped fight off the ill-fated plan.

When the 21st Amendment repealed national prohibition in 1933, states became responsible for
regulating alcoholic beverages. While many states decided to license private businesses to sell alcohol,
18 states chose to control alcohol sales themselves. The goal was to provide a legal way for people
to obtain alcohol, but also encourage moderate consumption by reducing economic incentives for
maximum sales.

States that currently have monopolies over control either beer, wine, or spirits (or some combination)
are: Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina,
Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming. In
addition, Montgomery County, Maryland controls spirits, beer, and wine (the only jurisdiction that
controls all three). …
(Source: Alcohol Justice, 06/27/12)

The latest annual statistics on alcohol for England 2012 have been released by the ONS, confirming a continuing rise in alcohol-related and primary alcohol attributable hospital conditions. Alcohol-related admissions rose 11% on the previous year with primary diagnosis conditions up 2.1%. Ns_logo

This comes despite falls since 2004 in the proportion of adults reporting drinking alcohol. Continuing admissions – many being long term conditions – are thought to be linked to decades of rising consumption prior to 2004. Additionally indications that amongst some groups, those who are drinking are drinking more.

Some key facts from the report include:

A 2.1% increase in primary diagnosis alcohol conditions (198,900 for 2010/11) since the previous year and a 40% increase since 2003 (142,000).
A 11% increase on alcohol-related admissions (based on attributable fractions) totalling 1,168,300 for 2010/11.This is more than twice as many as in 2002/03 (510,700). …
(Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 06/5/12)

One in eight deaths of UK adults under the age of 64 is caused by alcohol, an international conference on tackling problem drinking has heard.

The social cost of alcohol abuse has been estimated to be £240 a year for each European, with the annual bill for the NHS alone being £2.7 billion.

A major conference of addiction specialists from across the world is meeting at Newcastle University and organisers have called for England to follow Scotland and set a minimum price per unit.

They have also demanded a ban on advertising alcohol.
Too easy: Prof Eileen Kaner from Newcastle University said the government had to be bolder about tackling cheap alcoholl

In Europe, alcohol consumption is more than twice the global average and it represents the biggest addiction in the UK, greater than any illegal drug or gambling.

(Source: Alcohol Reports, News, 05/21/12) dailymail.co.uk, 05/16/12

In this issue:

NCD Alcohol Target Dropped to Placate Drinks Industry

Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives used “to undermine alcohol control policies”

Free trade agreements “threaten public health”

Global Alcohol Policy Conference – DECLARATION

Adults in Europe consume three standard alcoholic drinks per day on average New report on alcohol in European Union
and more….
THE GLOBE No. 2, 2012

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is requiring 14 major alcoholic beverage producers to provide information about their online marketing. The FTC will use the information for a study that will guide recommendations on how the alcohol industry should regulate itself, both online and offline.

The last time the FTC completed an alcohol marketing study was in 2008, using data from 2005, according to The Kansas City Star. That study found only 1.9 percent of alcohol marketing expenditures went toward Internet efforts.

The marketing landscape has changed dramatically since then, with a much greater emphasis on social media. For example, Bacardi has at least seven Facebook pages, with a total of 1.7 million fans, according to David Jernigan, Director of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. He notes that Captain Morgan Rum has a video game app for iPhones. Many companies connect with consumers through Twitter. …
(Source: Join Together, 05/3/12)

Europe’s eight biggest drinks makers have agreed to introduce continent-wide rules on the marketing of alcohol.
AB InBev, Bacardi, Brown-Forman, Carlsberg, Diageo, Heineken, Pernod Ricard and SAB Miller will work with the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and national trade associations to establish and implement common standards on social media marketing and age appropriate advertising and scheduling in each of the 27 member states (see below).

Although a voluntary agreement, the move follows pressure from the European Commission’s flagship alcohol harm reduction initiative, the European Alcohol Health Forum (EAHF) to establish a set of harmonised rules across the European Union following concern that standards were fragmented. …
(Source: Alcohol Reports, News 16/2012) marketingweek.co.uk., 04/16/12

Excessive alcohol consumption causes 79,000 deaths annually in the U.S., shortening the lives of those who die from it by approximately 30 years. Although alcohol taxation is an effective measure to reduce excessive consumption and related harm, some argue that increasing alcohol taxes places an unfair economic burden on “responsible” drinkers and socially disadvantaged people.

To examine the impact of a hypothetic tax increase based on alcohol consumption and sociodemographic characteristics of current drinkers, individually and in aggregate.

Data from the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey were analyzed from 2010 to 2011 to determine the net financial impact of a hypothetic 25-cent-per-drink tax increase on current drinkers in the U.S. Higher-risk drinkers were defined as those whose past-30-day consumption included binge drinking, heavy drinking, drinking in excess of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, and alcohol-impaired driving.

Of U.S. adults who consumed alcohol in the past 30 days, 50.4% (or approximately 25% of the total U.S. population) were classified as higher-risk drinkers. The tax increase would result in a 9.2% reduction in alcohol consumption, including an 11.4% reduction in heavy drinking. Compared with lower-risk drinkers, higher-risk drinkers would pay 4.7 times more in net increased annual per capita taxes, and 82.7% of the net increased annual aggregate taxes. Lower-risk drinkers would pay less than $30 in net increased taxes annually. In aggregate, groups who paid the most in net tax increases included those who were white, male, aged 21–50 years, earning ≥$50,000 per year, employed, and had a college degree.

A 25-cent-per-drink alcohol tax increase would reduce excessive drinking, and higher-risk drinkers would pay the substantial majority of the net tax increase.
(Source: Alcohol Reports, 03/19/12)

Abstract
Aims: To provide an overview of alcoholics attending a socio-ecological treatment programme [Clubs of Alcoholics in Treatment (CATs)] and to identify factors associated with abstinence and self-perceived improvement in lifestyle.

Methods: A national sample of 7522 subjects (76% males and 24% females, mean age 53.2 ± 11.3 years ± SD) attending CATs was evaluated using a self-administered questionnaire completed at a weekly meeting in 2006.

Results: Of participants, >70% reported no alcohol use in the last year and around 90% indicated no use in the previous month, whereas 4% of them declared no alcohol use before club attendance. Abstinence and lifestyle improvement were related positively to the number of years of club attendance but negatively to the presence of other problems in addition to the alcohol-related one. Moreover, being older or female was associated with more likely achievement of abstinence as well as with the perception of a better lifestyle. Finally, attending the club with one or more family members was associated with achievement of better lifestyle.

Conclusion: These data provide an overview of alcoholics attending the CAT programme and are a first step toward developing a surveillance system. In addition, on the basis of this preliminary picture further research (notably longitudinal studies) can be planned considering this method and its effectiveness.
(Source: Alcohol Reports, 02/27/12) oxfordjournals.org, 02/23/12
Comment: I visited one of the first clubs at the beginning of their work in Udine. It was very impressing and I am glad they have such a success over the many years.