www.alkoholpolitik.ch

The European Parliament rapporteur on the EU Budget recently released his draft report on the future EU Budget. Health and civil society are not mentioned in the report. This is worrying as this report will be the European Parliament position on what the priorities of the EU should be for the coming 5 to 7 years.
The health community can find below a summary of the report as well as the list of key MEPs to contact in order to advocate for public health to be taken into account by the European Parliament.
The rapporteur Salvador GARRIGA POLLEDO MEP (EPP Spain), states that the structure of the future EU Budget (‘Multi Annual Financial Perspectives MAFF’) should reflect the EU priorities, particularly the Europe 2020. However, he also recognises that the Europe 2020 is not an all-inclusive strategy covering all Union policy fields and therefore stresses that other Treaty-based policies pursuing different objectives will also need to be duly reflected in the next MAFF.
According to EPHA and its partners, the report is problematic as it does not mention public health, funding for civil society and it only considers inclusion in its role to increase growth.
It is therefore of utmost importance that the European health community gets active to support appropriate European Funding for health in the coming years. The European Commission is likely to make a its proposal in June 2011 and actions beforehand towards the European Commission and MEPs are welcomed.
Source: Eurocare Newsletter March-April 2011/EPHA)

The latest IAS Alcohol Alert is available from the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS). The issue’s headline article attacks the Government’s alcohol policy, emphasising dissatisfaction over the Responsibility Deal, below cost ban and decision to stick with the current drink-drive limit. The Alert also reviews key alcohol policy news and developements over recent months including a slight fall in alcohol-related deaths, licensing act changes, and predicted rises in alcohol-related admissions. Full article index here.

The U.S Federal Trade Commission, in response to wildly proliferating alcohol advertising in both traditional and new media, is conducting another review of the effectiveness of the alcohol industry’s self-regulation. The agency is seeking comments from the public, so we need your help.
In our 2008 report titled „Why Big Alcohol Can’t Police Itself: A Review of Self-Regulation in the Distilled Spirits Industry,“ Marin Institute concluded that the industry’s voluntary guidelines fail to protect underage youth from exposure to inappropriate alcohol advertising. If you’re concerned about the effects of alcohol advertising on our youth, please submit your comments here, by Tuesday, April 26. To read Marin Institute’s comments, click here. Please submit your comments to the FTC today.

Alcohol Focus Scotland (AFS) have launched a new Manifesto which calls for the new Scottish Parliament to take decisive steps to reduce the harm caused by alcohol by:
Increasing the price and reducing the availability of alcohol
Specifically targeting supermarkets for increased regulation
Banning alcohol sports sponsorship
Reducing drink driving limits to 50mg
Awareness raising campaign on the harm alcohol causes to others
Improved treatment and support services for people in need
See here for the full 8 calls to action. The Scottish National Party (SNP) recently announced they would revive their plans for a minimum price if they win the Scottish national elections on May 5th. A senior police officer has also backed the measure. (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 04/07/11)

Friday night, 1st April, in St. Pauli district, Hamburg a football match of the highest German league (Bundesliga) was abandoned. The reason: the assistant referee was hit in the back of his head by a plastic cup full of beer thrown at him from the stands . The match had to be broken off and the referees had to be guided from the pitch by guards.
“Not many in Europe might have paid attention to this incident”, says Andrea Lavesson, President of Active – sobriety, friendship and peace. “But we think that the dramatic incident from Friday night stands a symbol for the fact that alcohol and sport does not belong together at all.”
The act of violence occurred shortly after an official hearing in the European Parliament organized by the EPP group on 30th March. By this hearing the EPP group aimed at stressing “the importance of sports. The […] Hearing on Sport […] is a very important step in bringing new ideas and suggestions…” Commissioner Mrs Androulla Vassiliou, among others, expressed the strong role that sport plays in promoting active citizenship. … (Source: active presscontact, 04/04/11)

My name is Andrea Lavesson and I am President of Active – sobriety, friendship and peace. Active is a European youth umbrella NGO with 38 member organizations in 27 countries from all over Europe.
In this letter I am sending you our thoughts and experiences as well as our wishes – in reaction to the most recent unveiling of the “cash-for-amendments” scandal that threatens the trust of young Europeans in the independence of their elected representatives.
That four corruption cases involving MEPs , from different political groups and countries, have been discovered by journalists and that more discoveries seem to be likely has shocked and surprised us. We are truly worried and quite frankly alarmed. We wonder about what the implications are for the political efforts of so many of our members and their initiatives towards the European Parliament.
Many Active members from all over Europe engage in advocacy to share their visions of a better Europe. We write e-mails with ideas and questions. We call and we try to meet MEPs, when we have the (financial) resources to go to Brussels. (Source: OpenLetterActive110404) Comment: In Switzerland the Social Democrats just start with a people’s initiative which demands that all political parties have to declare the sources of their income. Most of the Swiss members of parliament are lobbyists.

Sign the Petition to Tell Pabst Execs to Stop Targeting Youth with Supersized Alcopops.
Pabst Brewing Company is attempting to revive the Colt 45 brand name with a dangerous new supersized, high-alcohol alcopop called Blast.
The Metropoulous family, which owns Pabst, is placing young women of color in the center of their marketing bullseye hoping to get youth hooked on super fruity, high-potency, 12% alcoholic beverages in massive 23.5 oz. single serving cans.
Popular rap star Snoop Dogg is helping the company with their shameless exploitative marketing strategy. Snoop’s fans deserve better. (Source: Marin Institute, 03/28/11)

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)

Towards a Comprehensive EU-Wide Strategy
The Silken Berlaymont Hotel, Brussels, Tuesday 14th June 2011,
Event Details – Website – Register to Attend

New and comprehensive study on the consumption of alcohol reveals worrying trends on alcohol use around the world. * Listen to this episode – duration 00:05:56 [mp3 3.5Mb] *
* Global status report on alcohol and health 2011 by the UN World Health Organization WHO (Source: Alcohol Reports, 03/21/11)