www.alkoholpolitik.ch

The financial crisis in Europe is affecting young people’s overall emotional well-being and capacity to learn. A report from Glasgow City Council highlights how pupils’ emotional stability underpins their ability to learn. In Estonia a notable rise in abuse of alcohol among youth is reported. However, EU countries report that social spending is bearing the heaviest austerity burden: e.g. the German “savings package” requires 37% of the savings to be taken from social spending.

At the same time the President of the European Commission Mr. Barroso finds the time to attend a gala of the alcohol lobbyist Brewers of Europe, to join their special interests by recognizing the “important contribution to European economy. And the value added of the sector to the economy is estimated at €50 Billion.”

The costs of the social harm caused by alcohol every year in the EU, however, are more than twice of that sum: €125 Billion.
“Mr. Barroso displays exactly the kind of thinking that got us into the crisis in the first place. Short-term profit thinking instead of long-term vision rooted in sustainable policies”, says Andrea Lavesson, President of Active – sobriety, friendship and peace.

The EU is the heaviest alcohol consuming region in the world. Only the economic consequences, let alone the social and democratic harm, are enormous: productivity losses because of alcohol (absenteeism, unemployment and premature death) amount to €59 Billion per year.
In the face of these facts, it remains a riddle how the President of the European Commission can say things like: “And indeed the Commission looks to your industry as a key partner in pushing forward our growth agenda towards a more smart, inclusive and sustainable Europe, our Europe 2020 agenda.” … (Source: JOINT PRESS RELEASE by Active and The European Youth Forum (YFJ), 25.11.11)

High level meeting, Brussels, 17 November 2011. The 9th meeting of the Committee on National Alcohol Policy and Action
(CNAPA) took place on 17 November 2011. For the first time Member States were represented at senior level, in addition to regular CNAPA members. Attendance was very high. The meeting was chaired by Despina Spanou, Principal Advisor with DG Health and Consumers and Chair of the European Alcohol and Health Forum (EAHF). … (Source: EU-DG for Health and Consumers, 11/21/11)

Dear grown-ups, decision-makers in the European Parliament, in the national peoples’ representations, in the national governments and ministries, in the European Commission, We hope this letter finds you well.

We are not well. We are concerned because it looks like our future (is) broke.
In our organizations and for many of the young people and youth organizations we are cooperating with, the picture is clear: young Europeans are concerned, often even scared. We are extremely aware of the tremendous burden that is being put on each and every single young European, who will have to make huge efforts, work relentlessly to master the debt challenges collected and piled up by the grown-ups who have been making decisions in the past and do so today.
Millions of young Europeans – in youth organizations, schools, universities and the public places all over the continent – ask: how are we ever going to be able to pay back these paramount debts that exceed any form of imagination?

With this question came another realization: we, Europe’s youth, need the best possible conditions, tools and qualifications to be able to tackle the debt piled up by yesterday’s and today’s grown-ups. In that sense and in many other ways, it is wrong to cut and try and save money on education, youth facilities, culture. It is especially wrong when other measures go largely unnoticed. Therefore Active and (only) 30 of its members collected during 2 hours in Rome last weekend more than 130 postcards from people whom they met. 130 ideas what €125 Billion could be spent on – instead of paying for alcohol related harm every year. … (Source: Press Release activeeurope.org, 11/16/11)
Comment: This could be an essential part of the Occupy-movement.

Government-led policies on alcohol throughout the UK have been branded a joke by the chief executive of the charity the British Liver Trust.
Andrew Langford spoke as figures showed a 70% rise in liver cancer deaths in England and Wales since 1977.
The UK also has the highest rate of oesophageal cancer in Europe. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 11/14/11) bbc.co.uk, 11/14/11 Comment: Alcohol policy is a joke in many countries, e.g. Switzerland.

A ban on the sale of alcohol below a minimum price will be introduced in England and Wales from 6 April 2012.

Shops and bars will not be able to sell drinks for less than the tax paid on them – a move the government says will cut crime.

It works out as 38p for a can of weak lager and £10.71 for a litre of vodka.

Health campaigners say the price „floor“ is too low to have any impact, but the drinks industry has described it as a „pragmatic solution“.

The move comes as the Scottish government presses ahead with plans to introduce a minimum price per unit of alcohol.

Its first attempt to do so, setting the price at 45p per unit, failed during the last Parliament, but MSPs have now reintroduced the bill and say the measure is needed as part of the „battle with alcohol misuse“. … (Source: bbc.co.uk, 11/08/11)

Prevention of Teen Substance Abuse Must Start with Tackling America’s Underage Drinking Epidemic. Let’s Make it Cool for Teens Not to Drink!

Joseph A. Califano, Jr.A recent survey of 7th through 11th graders in the Connecticut gold coast town of Westport, Connecticut, nails the importance of targeting alcohol use among teens for parents, teachers, pediatricians and public health professionals who seek to prevent teen substance abuse and addiction.

The survey by the Governor’s Prevention Initiative for Youth revealed that 25 percent of the town’s 9th graders, 37 percent of 10th graders, and 60 percent of 11th graders had been drinking alcohol in the previous 30 days. Translated from substance abuse statistical jargon to plain English, this means that these high school freshman, sophomores and juniors are current drinkers, likely drinking regularly. … (Source: CASA, Chairman’s Corner, 11/15/11)

our online-comment:
As long as politicians are not willing to reduce the harmful impact of the alcohol industry on society (TV-marketing is only one sector of many) in order to reduce alcohol consumption in general, youth will miss the good example and will hardly be convinced by educational prevention. Alcohol-lobbies are a sort of corruption. Not only in the Third World.

Alcohol is the world’s number one risk factor for ill-health and premature death amongst the 25-59 year old age group, a core of the working age population. Europe is the heaviest drinking region of the world. Consumption levels in some countries are around 2.5 times higher than the global average (WHO 2009). Alarmingly 43% among 15-16 year old European students reported heavy binge drinking during the past 30 days (ESPAD 2007) and alcohol is the single biggest cause of death among young men of age 16 to 24.
The World Economic Forum’s 2010 Global Risks Report identifies non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as the second most severe threat to the global economy in terms of likelihood and potential economic loss. NCDs are a global risk equal in cost to the current global financial crisis. NCDs account for 86% of deaths globally, cardio-vascular diseases alone cost the EU economy €192 billion a year; similarly diabetes type II affects nearly 10% of entire adult population and costs €166 billion annually. The World Economic Forum and Harvard School of Public Health estimate that NCDs will cause a €25 trillion global economic output loss over the period 2005-2030.
Alcohol abuse is one of the 4 risk factors for developing NCDS such as cancer (1 in 3 European will get cancer in the coming years) and cardiovascular disease. It is important to address alcohol in this context and give it the attention needed.
Addressing the issue of alcohol abuse through effective policies will offer measurable health system savings and enhance the growth and productivity agenda for Europe 2020.
By decreasing the level of alcohol consumption, as well as being physically active and having a healthy diet:
– 75% of deaths from cardiovascular disease could be avoided
– 30-40% of cancers could be avoided

Due to the size of the problem and the universal impact, alcohol abuse is too big for governments to solve
alone. It requires a comprehensive, coordinated response from policy and decisions makers at the
European and national levels as well as all stakeholders concerned.

With this in mind, we the signatories would like to call on the Ministers of Health in Europe to
acknowledge the need for a comprehensive alcohol policy framework. The Committee on National
Alcohol Policy and Action are meeting on 17th November and we urge you to put forward a
request to the European Commission for a future European Alcohol Strategy 2013 – 2020.
(Source: Eurocare; Link to the letter

Comment: For Swiss policy-makers too… But we know, they don’t care.

AAW is led by Alcohol Concern the national charity on alcohol misuse.

As part of AAW, Alcohol Concern have launched a Charter for a World Free from Alcohol Harm. It is a call to action on politicians and professionals to campaign for the measures necessary to enable people in the UK to live free from alcohol harms. The measures are based on WHO recommendations and on policies supported by professionals in the alcohol and health fields.

The Charter aims to promote action to reduce the risks alcohol presents to society. It sets out measures such as responsible retailing, ensuring alcohol is not sold at artificially low prices, protecting children from social marketing, limiting the number of new licences, and increasing the identification and support of people suffering from alcohol-related harms.

Alcohol Concern are calling for as many people and groups as possible to sign up to the Charter, so that a real „grassroots“ movement is formed. They also want the Charter and its measures to be formally included in the forthcoming National Alcohol Strategy. This, they believe, will ensure that the public health of the nation is always put first, and that we will begin to live in a world which gives each of us the right to live free from the burdens of alcohol abuse.

The publishing of the Charter is the start of a range of activities by Alcohol Concern during Alcohol Awareness Week, which also include the launch of the Youth Report on Advertising and an invitation to share your local activities on their Facebook page.

For more information see here or visit the Alcohol Concern Facebook page. Alcohol Concern have also released a units poster available to help people think about their level of drinking. (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 11/14/11)

Many Georgia Cities and Counties Vote to End Restrictions on Sunday Alcohol Sales
Last week, voters in 105 cities and counties in Georgia voted to lift restrictions on Sunday alcohol sales, while 22 communities voted against changing the laws.
The restrictions had been in place for a century, The New York Times reports. Lawmakers in Georgia decided to let communities decide on whether to lift the ban, instead of trying to enact a statewide change. … (Source: Join Together, 11/14/11 )

LOWER DRINK-driving limits come into effect from midnight, reducing the maximum blood-alcohol level to 20mg per 100ml of blood in some cases.
The changes, which bring Irish law into line with European levels, will see the current limit of 80mg drop to 50mg for most drivers.
Under the regime, professional drivers, learner drivers and those who are newly qualified will be subject to a lower 20mg limit, as will other categories such as those driving tractors or cars with trailers.
A penalty system is also being introduced to deal with offences detected under the limits. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 11/02/11) irishtimes.com, 10/27/11