www.alkoholpolitik.ch

Denver’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade last Saturday was very good, bringing a lot of families downtown to enjoy a cultural display and good family and community fun. I am a first-generation American and very proud of my Irish roots and their contribution to the educational and medical foundations in the USA….
I am very disappointed that open containers are allowed in the parade. Parades are family events. They should not be used for encouraging drinking and rowdy behavior, especially by the participants in the parade. I realize many spectators use this forum as an excuse to drink alcohol and act like fools, but at least the participants should not be allowed to exhibit such behavior. … ( Source: Google Alcohol News, 03/16/11) blogs.denverpost.com, 03/15/11

ALCOHOL LABELLING POLICIES TO PROTECT YOUNG PEOPLE
Place: European Parliament (Brussels)
Date: Thursday 17 March 2011
Time: 12h00 – 15h00
Room: JAN6Q2

ll residential colleges held mandatory meetings on Monday night to discuss each college’s response to the recent campus-wide moratorium on hard alcohol and to inform students about the circumstances that led up to the administrative action.
Each college was given the freedom to specify its own enforcement policies, definition of a private party and other aspects of moratorium that were mentioned in the letter from Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson on Feb. 24. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 03/11/11) media.www.ricethresher.org, 03/11/11

SCIENCE GROUP 8th Meeting, 21 March 2011, 11h00 – 17h00
Brussels, Froissart 101, room 02/169
AGENDA
7) Update on recent developments (Commission services)
8) Work towards formulating scientific advice on reducing the negative impact of harmful
and hazardous alcohol consumption on the workplace (EAHF Task request)
o Draft report on initiatives and guidelines developed by alcohol producer companies
to reduce consumption and potential harm in the workplace
o Draft report on the evidence relating to the topics of the Task request (Source: EU, Agenda, 03/10/11)

Active criticizes alcohol industry’s distorting picture of women.
Andrea Lavesson, Active President, explains that “the alcohol industry objectifies girls and women in two ways: since in most countries the alcohol use of girls and women used to be lower than of men, especially girls and women have been identified as new market. Girls and women became the new target group for increasing profits. The second form of objectification can be seen in the commercials: women are displayed as sexual objects.”
In fact, to seduce girls and women to start drinking and increase their use of alcohol, the alcohol industry does not consider ethics: tapping into gender stereotypes is their strategy. Therefore they designed “diet” alcoholic beverages, developed a variety of fruit flavoured beer that soon was called “chick beer” and promote these products in connection with items, like handbags, high heels, make-up, that are highly associated with women. (Source: Active press release, 03/08/11) Comment: Not to forget that is was the protest of women, the „Suffragettes“, against the alcohol industry, which brought in several countries the right of vote to women.

Cigarette smoking is highly prevalent among people with alcohol use disorders. People who are dependent
on alcohol are three times more likely than those in the general population to be smokers, and people who are dependent on tobacco are four times more likely than the general population to be dependent on alcohol. Alcohol use problems are associated with higher levels of nicotine dependence and a lower likelihood of smoking cessation.
The link between alcohol and tobacco has important implications for those in the alcohol and smoking cessation
treatment and policy fields. More alcoholics die of tobacco-related illness than die of alcohol-related problems.
Although the health threats of smoking are clear, many unanswered questions remain about how to best approach smoking cessation in alcohol dependent populations. Effective treatment hinges on a better understanding of how these substances—and their addictions—interact.
12th and 13th October 2011, Parc Thistle Hotel, Cardiff, Wales. www.ashwales.co.uk

Towards a Comprehensive EU-Wide Strategy
The Silken Berlaymont Hotel, Brussels. Tuesday 14th June 2011
Event Details  Website 
In the European Union, domestic violence against women remains an alarming phenomenon, and the most consistent and pervasive human rights violation across the continent.
This timely International Symposium renews the debate on how to work towards an EU-wide strategy on domestic violence. It will provide a platform for the discussion of a better European regulatory framework aimed at strengthening the 3 P’s – prevention, protection and prosecution.

Letter from MEP Alojz Peterle to his fellow MEPs about the pros and cons of the alcohol consumption
On Tuesday 7 December 2010, the MAC (MEPs Against Cancer) organized a round table discussion on the topic of Alcohol and Cancer. The outcome of this round table was clear: drinking alcohol can cause different types of cancer, such as cancer of the mouth, larynx, pharynx, oesophagus, breast, colorectum and liver.
In the discussion that followed, attention was also drawn to the potential beneficial effects of alcohol.
In an attempt to break down the misunderstandings about the effects of alcohol on health, the president of the MAC, Mr Alojz Peterle, has sent out a letter to his colleagues in the European Parliament. This letter aims to provide a balanced vision on the relationship between alcohol and health, based on the latest scientific insights.
Click to read the Short version of the letter or if you want to download the Extended version.
(Source: Eurocare Newsletter January-February 2011)

The Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center (UDETC), part of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, is offering national electronic seminars to assist states and local communities in their efforts to enforce drinking age laws, prevent youth drinking, and „significantly reduce harmful consequences associated with alcohol use by underage youth.“
The seminars include audio- and web-conferencing (for those with an internet connection).
The next workshop — called „Alcohol Energy Drinks: They Pack a Killer Punch!“ — will be held Thurs., Feb. 24, from 3:00 pm – 4:15 pm EST.
UDETC invites state and community leaders to participate and find out what others are doing to limit youth access to alcohol and prevent the injuries associated with consumption of alcoholic energy drinks (AEDs).
To register or learn more about UDETC seminars, visit: www.udetc.org/audioconfregistration.asp

…but momentum must last.
From Norway to Turkey have Active members worked for raising awareness about the problems that children and young people have to grow up in families with alcohol addicted parents.
“We’ve been on the streets, have established co operations, been in contact with both politicians and the media and we’ve occupied the cyberspace,” says Andrea Lavesson, President of Active – sobriety, friendship and peace, and continues: “We need this momentum that Active and many, many other organizations created all over Europe to continue and grow because one week is not enough to bring about change. 9 Million children in the EU alone long for change and we need NGOs, authorities and the media and their long-term commitment to make that happen.” … Source: Active press release, 02/18/11)