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Alcohol Library, European Alcohol and Health Forum, „Alcohol Library“: List of documents, 3/18/10

Brussels, 12 November 2009, 23 December 2009, Documents available. Latest updates.

WHO Executive Board 126th Session in January 2010 adopted resolution EB126.R11 were it recommends the World Health Assembly to endorse a sligthly amended draft global strategy on harmful use of alcohol. Strategies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol was agenda item 4.10 on the Executive Board. The draft global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol was submitted for consideration. The draft was prepared on the basis of available evidence and the outcomes of consultations with Member States and stakeholders, and in collaboration with Member States, as requested in resolution WHA61.4. (Source: WHO.int, 1/25/10) Resolution

Although the content of alcohol advertisements in the UK is restricted, an analysis of previously unseen industry documents published on bmj.com today, finds that advertisers are still managing to appeal to young people and promote drinking. Professor Gerard Hastings and colleagues show that companies are „pushing the boundaries“ of the advertising code of practice and warn that the UK system of self regulatory controls for alcohol advertising is failing. (Source: Medical News Today, 1/21/10)

Progress in public health and major challenges ahead. 18 January 2010 — In her opening speech to the Executive Board at its 126th session, Dr Chan, WHO’s Director-General, noted that many health problems today are transnational, such as the harmful use of alcohol and the marketing of unhealthy foods to children.
Read the Director-General’s speech Comment: The agenda item 4.10 Strategies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol is scheduled for discussion on Wednesday. The document is available here: http://apps.who.int/gb/e/e_eb126.html (Doc EB126/13)

First Monitoring Progress Report All available translations. Released: 13 January 2010 Comment: It’s interesting to see how many preventive activities came from the alcohol industry and to see that just nothing has changed to the better. To the contrary.

A Swiss private banking firm publishes a report on the newly proposed WHO-strategy on alcohol:
Price rises are key to tackling alcohol abuse-WHO
* WHO issues draft global plan to tackle harmful alcohol use
* Executive board to examine strategy next week
* Harmful use of alcohol blamed for 2.5 mln deaths a year
Binge drinking and other growing forms of harmful use of alcohol should be tackled through higher taxes on alcoholic drinks and tighter marketing regulations, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended. (Source: Google Alkohol Alert, 1/13/10) claridenleu.com, 1/12/10 Comment: Perhaps this information may convince some shareholders of the alcohol industry to sell their shares as it is not acceptable to earn money at the cost of public health and our youth.

On the cover of this issue: Global Alcohol Strategy on the right track
Also in this issue:
* Draft global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol – Summary of Report
* Swedish Presidency – Major Alcohol Conference in Stockholm
* EU Alcohol Strategy makes a promising start
* GAPA Board meets in Sweden
* European Economic and Social Committee calls for statutory controls on alcohol marketing Self-regulation ‘not enough’, etc. All articles online

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.

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)