www.alkoholpolitik.ch

“To own all routes to sociability; football, music, and everything else that brings the lads together, is to dominate the beer market.” –Ad agency Mobious in Carling strategy document, 2006.
“Carling Commandments: Thou shalt never abandon your mates in favour of a girl… though shall never desert thy mates in drunken distress, thou shalt always welcome a mate’s mate.”
–Slide presentation by Hill & Knowlton advertising agency, pitching Coors for sports advertising, 2006.
“Shot used to crank up the evening, accelerate the process of getting drunk with less volume of liquid. Sense of danger. For a pleasure ride or to get blasted.” –Slide presentation by ad agency Cheethambell JWT, 2003.

When the U.K.’s House of Commons Health Select Committee ordered up a report on alcohol last year, the resulting paper once again put the alcohol industry in the spotlight, after researchers at the University of Stirling gained access to a treasure trove of documents from four alcohol companies and their ad agencies. …(Source: Addiction Inbox, 02/06/11)

… on driving performance and attention/reaction time
Aims: Marketing that promotes mixing caffeinated ‘energy’ drinks with alcoholic beverages (e.g. Red Bull with vodka) targets young drinkers and conveys the expectation that caffeine will offset the sedating effects of alcohol and enhance alertness. Such beliefs could result in unwarranted risk taking (e.g. driving while intoxicated). The aim of this study was to assess the acute effects of caffeinated versus non-caffeinated alcoholic beverages on a simulated driving task and attention/reaction time.
Conclusion: The addition of caffeine to alcohol does not appear to enhance driving or sustained attention/reaction time performance relative to alcohol alone. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 02/01/11) onlinelibrary.wiley.com, Addiction February 2011

Aims: To examine the relationship between direct alcohol and non-alcohol sponsorship and drinking in Australian sportspeople. Methods: Australian sportspeople (N = 652; 51% female) completed questionnaires on alcohol and non-alcohol industry sponsorship (from bars, cafes etc.), drinking behaviour (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)) and known confounders. Results: … Multivariate regression showed that receipt of alcohol industry sponsorship was predictive of higher AUDIT scores …Conclusion: Governments should consider alternatives to alcohol industry sponsorship of sport. Hypothecated taxes on tobacco have been used successfully for replacing tobacco sponsorship of sport in some countries, and may show equal utility for the alcohol industry’s funding of sport. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 01/31/11) alcalc.oxfordjournals.org, 01/31/11

Increasing concern about the negative impact of alcohol on the Australian community has renewed calls for tighter regulatory controls. This paper reviews levels of and trends in public support for liquor control regulations, regulation of alcohol promotions, and alcohol pricing and taxation reforms in Australia between 1998 and 2009.
Conclusions: Implementation of targeted alcohol policies is likely to be strongly supported by the Australian public, but universal controls are liable to be unpopular. Policy makers are provided with insights into factors likely to be associated with higher public support. (Source: biomedcentral.com, 01/27/11)

In 2008, there were a number of posts on this blog about a rape at the University of Iowa that was terribly mishandled by the school. In the aftermath of publicity about the school’s “poor judgment,” a number of changes were made. The university president publicly apologized, two administrators involved in the case were fired, and the sexual assault policy was revised. A new article (in a Texas newspaper, the Victoria Advocate, oddly enough) following-up on the case also shows that in 2009 the school hired a sexual misconduct response coordinator who was trained to assist victims and make sure they “get treated with care.” So, despite the inexcusably abysmal immediate response for the survivor, the school seems to have taken a number of admirable actions to make sure that such a disaster never happens again. (As an aside, the outcome for the two perpetrators was that one plead guilty to misdemeanor assault and the other was found guilty of misdemeanor assault). … (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/26/11) by Sarah M in: Campus news,General commentary safercampus.org, 01/25/11 our Online Comment: Talking about alcohol in the context of rape makes sense. Most of sexual violence has to do with alcohol. To reduce harm is one way to tackle the problem. Having lessons on sexual violence is an other way which is necessary too. But to start with the most effective measure is good. The other question is if the University finds the right way to reduce alcohol consumption on the campus. Most of the Universities haven’t found yet a good solution, because there is a lot of money involved. E.g. advertising. There’s a new study this month.

Teachers and middle- and high-school students: here’s your chance to „Get in the Game“ by participating in this informal national survey that will help measure the impact of alcohol advertising from the Super Bowl.
The Drug-Free Action Alliance of Ohio is calling for young people from across the country to participate in the „Big Bowl Vote 2011“ on Feb. 7, the day after the Super Bowl. The survey is intended to gauge which commercials the students remember and prefer — and to help students more-thoughtfully evaluate alcohol advertising. (Source: Join Together, 01/24/11)

Due to Nasty Winter Weather. New Deadline – Midnight, January 27, 2011 Free the Bowl

Marketing efforts that encourage mixing caffeinated „energy“ drinks with alcohol often try to sway young people to believe that caffeine will offset the sedating effects of alcohol and increase alertness and stamina.
But a new study led by researchers from the Boston University School of Public Health and the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University has found that the addition of caffeine to alcohol — mixing Red Bull with vodka, for example — has no effect on enhancing performance on a driving test or improving sustained attention or reaction times. (Source: Medical News Today, 01/15/11)

The Free The Bowl contest is open to youth 10-20 years old. The deadline for 30-60 second counter-beer-ad video entries is January 24, 2011. Winners will be announced during the Free The Bowl 2011 World Premiere, February 3, 2011, at the Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, California. (Source: Marin Institute, 1/11/11)

The Swedish center-right government has presented a four-year plan to reduce the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and narcotics – especially among the youngsters. While nation-wide statistics show a general decrease, abuse among young people is on the increase. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 1/10/11) sverigesradio.se, 1/07/11