www.alkoholpolitik.ch

A new report from Alcohol Concern looks at how children and young people are at risk of being exposed to alcohol marketing and pro-drinking messages via the internet.
‚The report reveals the growing importance to alcohol companies of social networking sites (SNSs) like Facebook and video sharing sites such as YouTube as a means of promoting their products, and the inadequacies of online age verification pages aimed at preventing under 18s from accessing content intended for adults.
It also highlights the frequent practice of users of SNSs posting pictures and descriptions of themselves drinking and being drunk, and asks why so many of us choose to publicise our alcohol consumption in this way.‘ (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 08/23/11)

More than 100 bodegas across the city were busted for selling alcohol to underage customers during a three-day sting by the State Liquor Authority.
The State Liquor Authority visited 212 stores beginning Monday, sending six young men and women inside while a state investigator looked on. At 123 of the undercover visits – or about 58% – the decoys, ages 18 to 20, successfully bought booze.
Of the bodegas visited by the SLA, the Bronx had the highest citation rate. Thirty-eight of the 48 stores – about 79% – sold alcohol to underage spies in the borough. Manhattan wasn’t far behind with 75% of the bodegas selling to customers under the age of 21. …
The state mailed violations to the 123 stores for selling alcohol to minors. First-time offenders face $2,500 fines. Repeat offenders can be slapped with fines of up to $10,000. Business owners can lose their liquor licenses after a third offense. (Source: Join Together, 08/23/11) nydailynews.com, 08/19/11

The Portman Group, the industry’s social responsibility body, is to monitor and report on the industry’s progress on the voluntary labelling pledge.
The pledge to provide responsible drinking information on 80 per cent of alcohol labels on UK shelves by 2013 was set out as part of the Government’s controversial Responsibilty Deal earlier this year.
In a press release, the Portman Group said they would monitor and report publicly on the industry’s progress towards the labelling goal. They are contacting all companies who signed up to the pledge asking them to re-affirm their commitments. A database summarising the pledges, companies and brands involved will be published at a later date. … (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 08/22/11) Comment: The Portman Group will like this job as labelling is not much preventive.

The Philippine government will push a proposal to index taxes on alcohol and tobacco products to inflation that could raise around $1.4 billion in revenues as one of 13 priority bills in Congress this year, President Benigno Aquino said on Tuesday. …
For alcohol products, the bill proposes a uniform rate for three years before the tax is indexed to inflation.
However, the revised alcohol tax still provides for a different tariff on products made using local materials — a provision which the WTO says is discriminatory. … (Source: Alcohol Reports – News, 08/22/11) reuters.com, 08/16/11

New EU regulations could force the Norwegian government to overturn its current ban on alcohol advertising.
Labour’s (Ap) long hard-fought battle to retain the ban on advertising booze is now hanging by a thread following statements by the EU. Norway will not be exempt from the new European Union TV Directive (AVMSD).
European Commission Vice-President, Neelie Kroes wrote to the government saying it has no choice but to adopt it.
Deputy Foreign Minister Erik Lahnstein said to NRK this was an example of uncommon EU “plainspeaking”.
“The EU says it is consideration for the internal market that weighs heaviest, not Norwegian public health arguments. This puts the government in a difficult situation.” … (Source: Alcohol Reports-News, 08/22/11) theforeigner.no, 08/18/11 our online-comment: The European Union seems to be an economical union only. Not a union for the people. I hope Norway finds a way to resist.

We investigated tobacco companies’ knowledge about concurrent use of tobacco and alcohol, their marketing strategies linking cigarettes with alcohol, and the benefits tobacco companies sought from these marketing activities.
We performed systematic searches on previously secret tobacco industry documents, and we summarized the themes and contexts of relevant search results. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/20/11)

HEALTH warnings linking alcohol with dire outcomes such as brain damage and cancer have been backed by health groups but described as potentially “alarming“ by an industry-backed group.
The fight over safety labels between the health sector and the multibillion-dollar liquor industry is warming up just as the federal government finally begins formal consultations today on long-awaited warnings, introduced in the United States 22 years ago.
The federally-funded Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation yesterday released its favoured warnings, including: “Drinking alcohol increases your risk of developing cancers“ and “drinking alcohol damages the young developing brain“. .. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/18/11)

The WTO, on 15 August 2011, issued the report of the panel that had examined complaints by the European Union and the United States regarding “Philippines – Taxes on distilled spirits” (DS396 and DS403). Panel report

Holding alcohol retailers liable for injuries or damage done by their intoxicated customers can reduce motor vehicle deaths, homicides, injuries, and other alcohol-related problems, according to the Community Preventive Services Task Force. The independent, nonfederal, volunteer body of public health and prevention experts has determined that commercial host liability, otherwise known as dram shop liability, can be an effective intervention for reducing alcohol-related harms. … (Source: Google Alcohol News, 08/10/11) finanznachrichten.de, 10.8.11

Commentary on Laslett et al. (2011).
In their paper, Laslett et al. [1] have done a service not just to the research community, but to the millions of people who are affected by alcohol production, distribution and consumption every day in every corner of the world. In brief, the authors have provided a national-level assessment of how the drinking of individuals can affect the social fabric of a society. The impact is widespread and significant in terms of psychological, physical, social and economic costs. Negative effects from others’ drinking were reported by over 70% of Australians in the past year, with 51% experiencing serious adverse effects. Although Australia may not be representative of countries with lower levels of per capita income and alcohol consumption, the article raises some fascinating questions about the ways in which alcohol-related problems are defined, conceptualized, measured, and controlled. For example, what other legally available consumer product (tobacco, automobiles, gambling, etc.) has a comparable negative impact on the majority of the population of an advanced industrialized country? … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/8/11)Addiction, 106, 1612–1613 onlinelibrary.wiley.com, 2011