www.alkoholpolitik.ch

…Who Have Sex With Men: A Review and Critique of the Current Literature
HIV incidence is increasing among men who have sex with men (MSM) despite years of prevention education and intervention efforts. Whereas there has been considerable progress made in identifying risk factors among younger MSM, older MSM have been largely neglected. In particular, the role of alcohol and drug use in conjunction with sex has not been thoroughly studied in older MSM samples. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 03/14/11) springerlink.com, 03/10/11

The government is receiving a lot of criticism from a number of different health groups based on their refusal to sign up for a „responsibility deal“ regarding alcohol sales in England. The deal created by organizations like Alcohol Concern, British Liver Trust and the Royal College of Physicians is voluntary and encourages the drink industry to label the alcohol units on their beverages and to take on the problem of alcohol abuse. … (Source: Google Alcohol News, 03/14/11) topnews.us, 03/14/11

Information about Oklahoma?s driving breath alcohol and ignition interlock devices just became easier to access with the launch of the Oklahoma Board of Tests for Alcohol and Drug Influence’s (BOT) new website at http://bot.ok.gov. The new website allows the agency to post announcements quickly, keeping Oklahomans informed and increasing transparency of information. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 03/13/11) trading-house.net, 03/11/11

Alcoholic drinks sold in pubs and restaurants in Linz will not become more expensive due to higher taxes after such plans by the Social Democrats (SPÖ) were snubbed by political rivals.
The SPÖ department in the Upper Austrian city said today (Fri) the factions of People’s Party (ÖVP), the Freedom Party (FPÖ), the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) and the Austrian Communist Party (KPÖ) rejected its draft bill. The Greens declared abstention from the vote, according to the SPÖ.
The party of Mayor Franz Dobusch announced last weekend it wanted to set up an extra tax on alcoholic beverages for sale in bars and eateries in the city. The Linz SPÖ explained prices of beer, wine and other alcoholic drinks would have risen by around 15 per cent. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 03/13/11) wienerzeitung.at, 03/11/11 Comment: As usual, the profits to the industry, the harm and social costs to the state and the people.

The government is waging war on the alarming increase in the abuse of alcohol and drugs, and has warned of stricter legislation – including raising the legal age for alcohol consumption from 18 to 21.
In a hard-hitting statement, Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini said yesterday that the devastating effects of alcohol abuse had spurred the government to „prioritise this as a matter of urgency“.
„Alcohol and substance abuse is destroying families and the fabric of society. The shocking reality of the situation has strengthened our resolve to tackle the problem head-on,“ Dlamini told The Times. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 03/12/11) timeslive.co.za, 03/11/11 Comment: Good luck, my beloved South Africa. You have the political power to succeed. But do it without the alcohol industry! Take the WHO Global Alcohol Strategy.

New Mexico has ruled that beer pong can be played again in local bars as long as the games don’t involve drinking alcohol or gambling, the Portales News-Tribune reported Feb. 28.
„It’s against the law for [liquor] licensees to allow games or contests that involve drinking alcohol beverages or award alcohol beverages as prizes,“ said Gary Tomada, who directs the state’s alcohol and gaming department, „and we can’t have any semblance of gambling. If those [rules] are observed … they can play all they want.“ Source: Join Together, 03/10/11)

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) says that 30 percent of U.S. eighth graders drink alcohol, and 20 percent binge drink, according to a March 4 story in HealthDay. In that light, it’s particularly chilling to learn (also from HealthDay) that federal statistics show that underage drinkers are responsible for about 546 visits to emergency rooms each day.
What’s a parent to do?
Talking with teens about alcohol and drinking can be difficult for parents — but emergency room doctors and MADD just made it a little easier.
The American College of Emergency Physicians(ACEP) teamed up with MADD to create and release a new, free handbook as part of MADD’s „Power of Parents, It’s Your Influence“ campaign. (Source: Join Together, 03/10/11)

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

… data from the World Health Surveys.
Alcohol use is increasing among women in Africa, and comparable information about women’s current alcohol use is needed to inform national and international health policies relevant to the entire population. This study aimed to provide a comparative description of alcohol use among women across 20 African countries. …
Conclusions: A variety of drinking patterns are present among African women with lifetime abstention the most common. Countries with hazardous consumption patterns require serious attention to mitigate alcohol-related harm. Some similarities in factors related to alcohol use can be identified between different African countries, although these are limited and highlight the contextual diversity of female drinking in Africa. (Source: biomedcentral.com, 03/10/11) Comment: Now the alcohol industry knows about a wonderful field for marketing. (It knew before.)

For women, this weekend’s International Women’s Day holiday is supposed to be a time to receive gifts and affection from the men in their lives. For the country, it means a welcome three-day weekend. But for all too many people, the holiday also offers an excuse to drink.
The good news is that the national drinking problem isn’t quite as bad as many thought. The World Health Organization concluded in a report last month that Russia is apparently no longer the world leader in per capita alcohol consumption. In fact, at 15.7 liters of pure alcohol per capita, Russia is not even on the medal stand of the global drinking games, just beating out Ukraine (15.6 liters) for fourth place behind bronze medalist Hungary (16.3 liters), the Czech Republic (16.5 liters) in second place, and the world-champion guzzlers from Moldova, who quaff an astounding 19.2 liters of pure alcohol per year.
But do those numbers actually mean anything? How much do Russians really drink? … (Source: Harvard World Health News, 03/10/11) themoscowtimes.com, 03/05/11