www.alkoholpolitik.ch

Due to Nasty Winter Weather. New Deadline – Midnight, January 27, 2011 Free the Bowl

SUMMARY: For most of the past 50 years apparent consumption of alcohol in Australia has increased, from around 68 million litres of pure alcohol in 1960-61 to 183 million litres in 2008-09. However, in per capita terms (that is, average alcohol consumption per person aged 15 years and over) a different picture emerges, with Australia experiencing periods of both increasing and decreasing apparent per capita consumption (Graph 1).
Between the early 1960s and mid 1970s apparent per capita consumption increased steadily, from an average 9.3 litres of pure alcohol per person to a peak of 13.1 litres of pure alcohol per person in 1974-75. Apparent per capita consumption remained relatively steady for the next 5-10 years, then declined over the following decade, reaching 9.8 litres per person in 1995-96. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 01/21/11) abs.gov.au, 01/18/11

The Smirnoff distiller’s head of corporate social responsibility in the UK, Mark Baird, has this week told a Parliamentary committee that there is no evidence of a link between pricing and alcohol harm.
„There’s no evidence that pricing does work,“ Baird told the House of Lords Science and Technology committee yesterday (19 January). His comments show that the UK drinks industry’s biggest producer is sticking to its guns, despite the Government’s announcement this week that it will ban drinks sales at ‚below tax‘ prices. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/21/11) just-drinks.com, 01/20/11 Comment: That is the best proof pricing influences consumption and harm. The alcohol industry never agrees to measures which reduce its profits. As we can suppose that the leaders of the industry do read all studies in this matter carefully, and have seen sale-figures after introduction of alcopop taxes not long ago, we have to accept that they act in contradiction to their knowledge.

In early 2010, the previous government commissioned three pieces of research on alcohol pricing. This research has been considered as part of the review of alcohol pricing and the individual reports are available to download below.
* Economic impacts of alcohol pricing policy options in the UK (PDF file – 938kb)
This report will be of interest to government officials dealing with alcohol issues and will contribute to the UK government’s policy- and decisionmaking to address alcohol-related harms.
* Alcohol pricing, consumption and criminal harm: a rapid evidence assessment of the published research literature (PDF file – 776kb)
This report attempts to answer the following research question: To what extent does the research evidence support a direct association between the price of alcohol and crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour?
* Public perceptions of alcohol pricing – market research report (PDF file – 657kb)
The overall objective of this research is to understand the extent to which the general public would support a government intervention in alcohol pricing, with a specific focus on alcohol that is purchased to consume in the home. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 01/18/11)

Maryland may raise alcohol taxes for the first time since 1972 by a dime a drink, Delmarvanow.com reported Jan. 14.
Maryland last raised its tax on beer and wine in 1972, and its tax on spirits 54 years ago, in 1957. Its wine tax ranks 37th-lowest in the nation, its beer tax 44th, and its tax on spirits 47th.
Some legislators said the tax could partially offset the state’s $1.6 billion deficit and reduce alcohol abuse and alcohol-related costs. (Source: Join Together, 01/20/11)

In a first-of-its-kind report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) broke down data on health disparities by race, ethnicity, income, and education, The New York Times reported Jan. 13.
The report included data on the impact of alcohol and drug use on different segments of the United States population. For example, more Americans now die from prescription drug overdoses than from illicit drugs. In particular, White, non-Hispanic deaths from prescription drug overdoses outnumber those of African-Americans. (Source: Join Together, 01/20/11)

…, Say North West Health Campaigners.
Government proposals for minimum alcohol price levels that will ban shops and bars from selling drinks for less than the tax they pay on them are totally inadequate and will have little or no impact on improving public health, according to North West health campaigners Our Life.
Our Life believes that the government has missed an opportunity to stop supermarkets selling alcohol at pocket-money prices. Commenting on the proposals, Our Life chief executive, Dr Alison Giles, said: „These measures, which stop well short of setting a minimum unit price, will have little or no impact in tackling binge drinking and the rising tide of public order and health harms.“ (Source: Medical News Today, 01/19/11)

First Study To Measure Blood Alcohol Levels After Games Finds 8 Percent Of Fans Legally Drunk After Attending Professional Sports Games.
It’s no secret that there is a lot of alcohol consumed by fans at sporting events, …A new study published online in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER) finds that BAC levels can be measured using a breath tester on fans as they exit football and baseball events. And the results show that 60% of the fans had zero BAC, 40% had a positive BAC, and nearly 8% were legally drunk. (Source: Medical News Today, 01/19/11)

Pick up just about any beverage on store shelves and on the back of the packaging you’ll find a numerical rundown of calories, carbs, etc. Unless, that is, the beverage is alcohol.
Some folks want to change that.
“In the year 2011, it’s sort of bizarre that alcohol’s the only consumable product sold in the United States that you can’t tell what’s inside the bottle,” says Guy L. Smith, executive vice president in North America for Diageo, the world’s leading distilled spirits, beer and wine company.
Diageo is supporting a proposal presently before the federal Tax and Trade Bureau — the agency with authority over alcohol labels — to list nutrition information such as calories, carbohydrates, serving size and alcohol per serving. But not everyone in the industry is as enthusiastic. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 1/20/11) mddailyrecord.com, 1/20/11 our Online-Comment: The European Union is also working on labels. But they have excluded alcoholic beverages at all, because the alcohol industry is against it. Maybe they follow when the USA begin. The effect on general consumption will be little.

The Kruger National Park is considering a ban on liquor for day visitors, Beeld newspaper reported on Saturday.
SANParks chief executive David Mabunda said the international tourist attraction recently received 130 complaints of drunken driving, animal abuse, disturbing the peace and even skinny dipping in a space of just two weeks.
„There is a lack of respect for the park. People ignore rules and regulations and alcohol abuse is a big problem,“ said Mabunda. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/20/11) news24.com, 01/15/11