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Marin Institute unveiled a new report from the steps of the Wine Institute in San Francisco titled, „The Myth of the Family Winery: Global Corporations Behind California Wine.“ Marin Institute symbolically renamed the trade association the ‚Big Alcohol Institute,‘ pointing out that it is a tool of Big Alcohol that perpetuates the image of California wineries as small, local, and family-owned. In fact, 7 California wine corporations own 82 percent of the wine sold in the U.S., and 6 of them are global conglomerates who, together with the Wine Institute, work to defeat critical public health policies such as AB 1019. (Source: Marin Institute, December 2009)

An attractive female beams her message across the opening page: „Wanna go home with me tonight?“ No surprise here: Budweiser is using sex to sell its latest public relations campaign, the “Budweiser Designated Driver.” Anheuser-Busch InBev (the global giant owner of Budweiser) has taken the old adage “sex sells” to heart, featuring beautiful people who drink too much, and do so often, as they tell us over and over in the campaign’s ad. (Source: Marin Institute, 12/15/09)

Please note that the question below will be answered at the next plenary session.
Last spring, a report was presented by the Science Group at the request of the Alcohol and Health Forum entitled ‚The impact of marketing communication on the volume and patterns of consumption of alcoholic beverages, especially by young people‘.
The report reveals that twelve of thirteen studies examined show that alcohol advertising affects the point at which young people start drinking alcohol and persuades those who already drink to increase their consumption. The studies also show that there is a direct link between how much advertising young people are exposed to and how much they increase their consumption. Moreover, a report produced by the Commission shows that self-regulation on alcohol advertising, as advocated by the alcohol industry, does not produce particularly good results. Strict regulations are more effective.
The rules already in existence stipulating that alcohol advertising must not be aimed directly at young people are, in practice, ineffective. A total ban on alcohol advertising is the best way of reducing drinking among young people, as also shown by a study published in the scientific journal ‚The Lancet‘.
In the light of the above, would the Commission consider banning alcohol advertising, in the same way as tobacco advertising, on health grounds? (Source: Eurocare Newsletter October/November 09) (European Parliament, Anna Hedh, 11/26/09)

HELP US MEET OUR GOAL – FOR FREE THE BOWLTM
Marin Institute created the Free The BowlTM contest last year to raise awareness around SPORTS and ADVERTISING by Big Alcohol companies. Anheuser-Busch InBev spends over $14 million a year creating the hottest beer ads to launch on Super Bowl Sunday. This event boasts over 100 million television viewers and is a CASH COW for the alcohol industry. The PROBLEM with SPORTS and BIG ALCOHOL ADS is that our children love watching professional sports as much as parents do! On Super Bowl Sunday, 20 million youth under the age of 21 will be sitting with their families watching these pervasive and excessive ads. … (Source: Marin Institute, 12/16/09)

Magazines with the highest proportion of young readers also are the most likely to contain alcohol ads, according to researchers who accused the alcohol industry of intentionally marketing to underage drinkers. (Source: Join Together, 12/8/09)

The document consists of three parts: The report by the secretariat, including a draft resolution for consideration by the WHO Executive Board; Annex 1 – the draft strategy itself; and Annex 2 – a two page summary of the evidence for the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions. In addition there is also a Bibliography on evidence on harmful use of alcohol published as a separate document on the WHO-web page: Follow the process for implementing the WHA 61.4 resolution and preparing a draft global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol Comment: One of the most important papers on alcohol politics.

Our Holiday Gift Wish: Help us get Super Bowl Beer Ads Off The Air! Give the people on your holiday list
a Free The Bowl donation in their name.
During Super Bowl 2008, the most watched commercial, with 103.2 million viewers, was the Bud Light Lime ad.
18 million youth under 21 are exposed to beer ads on Super Bowl Sunday. Anheuser-Busch InBev spent over $14 million on ad time for Super Bowl 2009 beer ads. On Super Bowl Sunday 2007, there was a 25% increase in total alcohol beverage cooler sales and a 13% increase in beer sales. Every year alcohol sales are the highest in the two-week period before the Super Bowl. Marin Institute Donation

Rapporteur proposes to exclude all alcoholic beverages from the proposed regulation on food labelling
ENVI draft report from rapporteur on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the provision of food information to consumers.
In her report the rapporteur, Renate Sommer (EPP, DE), is proposing to delete all references to alcoholic beverages. … (Source: Eurocare Newsletter 12/1/09)

Council invites Member States and Commission to keep alcohol high on the agenda. The Council of the EU adopted today its Conclusions on Alcohol and Health. Today’s Council conclusions on Alcohol and Health
The Council reiterates that harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption is the third most significant risk factor for ill health in the EU and that many Community policies have a potential positive or negative impact on health and well-being.
The Council also notes that the level of alcohol-related harm is still high in the Member States, that 15 % of the EU population drinks at harmful levels and that the impact of harmful use of alcohol is greater in young people.
It also remarks that these issues are of Community relevance because of the cross-border element and highlights the negative effect on both economic and social development and public health.
The Council conclusions also mention that alcohol marketing increases the likelihood of young people to start drinking, that alcohol has became more affordable between 1996 and 2004 and that alcohol pricing policies can reduce alcohol consumption and related harm.
It also points at the relationship between alcohol consumption and communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
The Council invites the Member States to:
* implement the good practices included in the EU Alcohol
* foster a multi-sectoral approach
* make use of effective measures
* consider the role of alcohol pricing policies
* address the well-being of the aging population

The Council invites both the Commission and the Member States to:
* Keep alcohol policy high on the agenda
* strengthen the identification and dissemination of effective policies
* recognize the reduction of health inequalities as a priority
* engage the alcohol industry to enforce regulatory measures
* consider how to improve EU regulations on alcohol marketing
* implementation of brief interventions
* raise awareness of the impact of harmful consumption

The Council invites the Commission to:
* Continue to provide strong support to the Member States
* Ensure that alcohol is taken into account in other EU policy areas
* Consider further steps to reduce exposure to alcohol marketing
* Report to the council in 2012 at the latest on the progress and outcome of the Commission work , and;
* Define the priorities for the next phase of the Commission’s work on alcohol after the end of the current strategy in 2012. (Source: Eurocare Newsletter 12/1/09member st) Comment: At least the EU-Council sees clearly.

11 November 2009. The European Sponsorship Association (ESA) has seen the promotional release from the journal ‚Addiction‘ and wishes to clarify a number of points.
ESA is the trade body representing the sponsorship industry in Europe. The Association’s 240 members include sports governing bodies, arts companies, sports clubs, sponsorship consultancies, suppliers to the sector and also sponsors. Sponsor members include brands such as Visa, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, National Express, Guardian Newspapers, Aviva and Castrol.
ESA has a number of drinks industry members which account for three percent of its membership. The Association’s agenda is independent as it looks after the benefits of sponsorship in general and its views are not set by the drinks sector.
Karen Earl, ESA Chairman, acknowledges that the alcohol sector is an important source of sponsorship revenue and says that ESA is highly mindful of the way that alcohol sponsorship has become linked in the press and in some people’s minds with problem drinking. … (Source: Eurocare Newsletter 12/1/09) Comment: There is a lack of studies on sponsoring. But sponsoring is even more than advertising, it effects the public – and the sponsored organisation. That’s common sense.