www.alkoholpolitik.ch

Next week, Sarah Wollaston MP will put forward a private member’s bill urging the government to adopt a new approach to protect UK children from alcohol advertising.
In an editorial published on bmj.com today, Professor Gerard Hastings and Dr Nick Sheron set out why we urgently need to tackle the excessive drinking of our young people and their massive exposure to alcohol advertising.
The bill will call on the government to adapt French legislation that allows alcohol advertising in media aimed at adults but not children, and ensures that promotional messages are factual and verifiable. (Source: Medical News Today, 03/24/11)

Research topics:
* Research on the Impact of Alcohol Marketing
* Research on Effectiveness Policies to Regulate Alcohol Marketing
* Research on Alcohol Marketing and the Alcohol Industry
* Research on the Impact of Counter-Advertising
(Source: Alcohol Reports, 03/23/11)

Following the continued proliferation of alcohol advertising in social and traditional media outlets, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced plans to conduct another review of the effectiveness of the alcohol industry’s self-regulation of its own advertising campaigns. As noted in the Marin Institute’s 2008 report „Why Big Alcohol Can’t Police Itself: A Review of Self-Regulation in the Distilled Spirits Industry,“ the industry’s voluntary guidelines fail to protect underage youth from exposure to alcohol advertising. The FTC is currently seeking public comment until April 26, 2011 on the companies‘ compliance with ad placement provisions; status of third-party review of complaints; and industry data-collection practices. We encourage everyone concerned about the effects of alcohol advertising to submit comments here. Marin Institute will make our own comments available, so check back. (Source: Marin Institute Newsletter, 03/23/11)

In complete disregard of the fact that alcohol is known to be the third leading cause of preventable death in America, the National Foundation for Cancer Research has decided to specifically promote the consumption of red wine, purportedly for its cancer-preventing properties. Yet even the Foundation acknowledges that the cancer-fighting benefits are not inherent to the alcohol itself, but to the antioxidants that can be found in a wide range of other foods. Since antioxidant sources are so prevalent and widespread, it boggles our mind that the National Foundation for Cancer Research specifically pick the one antioxidant source that is also linked to an increased risk of several cancers. (Source: Marin Institute, 03/22/11)

Groupon faces widespread problems related to its discount deals with restaurants and retailers who sell alcohol. According to an attorney who specializes in alcohol law, the Massachusetts crack-down of deals involving drinks is likely just the start. California, New York and at least 15 other states likely will find fault with the popular deals.
This attorney, who I am not naming at his request because he represents a Groupon competitor that is facing similar alcohol troubles, contacted me after this morning’s post to point out that, in fact, Groupon does appear to be in violation of New York and California law, and likely many more states. In fact, this memo from the California Alcoholic Beverage Commission appears to suggest Groupon, as an Internet provider soliciting sales that include (or can include) alcohol, needs to hold a license in that state. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 03/22/11) blogs.forbes.com, 03/21/11

Last month, I discussed the negative impacts that a nutritional label mandate would have on small producers of alcohol beverages, such as craft brewers. Another side of this issue is the negative impact that prohibiting nutritional labels has caused small and large alcohol beverage producers—as well as health-conscious consumers of adult beverages. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 03/21/11) biggovernment.com, 03/20/11

Findings from the 2004 Global School-Based Student Health Survey.
This study examines the associations between alcohol marketing strategies, alcohol education including knowledge about dangers of alcohol and refusal of alcohol, and drinking prevalence, problem drinking, and drunkenness. …
These findings underscore the importance of restricting alcohol marketing practices as an important policy strategy for reducing alcohol use and its dire consequences among vulnerable youth. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 03/15/11)

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.

In a stunning display of insensitivity and ignorance, Belvedere Vodka and singer Usher have joined with Product (Red) to launch a special edition bottle and give half its profits to „fight HIV/AIDS in Africa,“ under the misleading tagline “Helps Save Lives.” Promoting and selling booze to fight HIV/AIDS?! There are just so many things wrong with this, we can hardly decide where to start. Let’s consider the facts that are missing from this campaign:
* Product (Red) must have conveniently missed the recent news release that alcohol kills more people annually than AIDS, tuberculosis, or violence – a sobering 4% of all deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Association.
* Alcohol use is a leading factor in the spread of HIV. Alcohol consumption is associated with two major modes of HIV transmission: high-risk sexual behaviors and injection drug use. … (Source: Marin Institute, 03/09/11)

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.