www.alkoholpolitik.ch

The Free The Bowl contest is open to youth 10-20 years old. The deadline for 30-60 second counter-beer-ad video entries is January 24, 2011. Winners will be announced during the Free The Bowl 2011 World Premiere, February 3, 2011, at the Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, California. (Source: Marin Institute, 1/11/11)

…and its relation to problem drinking in university students“.
Introduction and Aims: Alcohol is a key component of identity exploration for many young people, yet few studies have investigated identity construction in relation to problematic drinking. Increases in youth alcohol consumption have coincided with expanding use of communications technologies, particularly social networking sites (SNS), which have altered traditional conditions of identity construction. It has been found young people often engage with alcohol in the SNS environment by portraying themselves as binge drinkers. The current study applied an innovative approach to identity construction (the photographic essay) to provide insight into the portrayal of ‘alcohol-identity’ on Facebook. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 1/7/11) onlinelibrary.wiley.com, 1/7/11

The AMA released a brochure containing practical advice to help Australians to be more knowledgeable and responsible about alcohol consumption. (Source: Medical News Today, 01/03/11) ama.com.au, 12/28/10

Films popular in Europe feature more drinking episodes per movie than their equally popular American counterparts, according to a report by the European Centre for Monitoring Alcohol Marketing (EUCAM).
The trend toward incorporating name brand alcohol in movie scenes as a form of product placement took off more than a decade ago. In 1999, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission reported that in the two previous years, “eight reporting alcohol companies placed alcoholic products in 233 motion pictures and in one or more episodes of 181 different television series.” (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/02/11) addiction-dirkh.blogspot.com, 01/01/11

Fueled largely by an increase in distilled spirits advertising on cable television, the growth rate in youths‘ exposure to televised alcohol ads is outpacing that for adults, according to a Dec. 13 news release from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The report by the center indicated that exposure of youths 12 to 20 to alcohol ads on U.S. television increased 71 percent from 2001 to 2009.
The average TV-watching youth saw 366 alcohol ads in 2009.
„One a day is great for vitamins but not for young people being exposed to alcohol advertising,“ said CAMY director David H. Jernigan, Ph.D.
The center said that the latest numbers were an indication of the failure of voluntary marketing standards in the alcohol industry, under which companies place ads in programming with a youth audience no higher than 30 percent. The report found that 13 percent of youths‘ exposure to alcohol ads last year occurred during programming with more than a 30 percent youth audience. (Source: Join Together, 12/20/10)

The Norwegian Health Directorate has launched a campaign ”Alkoholfritt svangerskap” (Alcohol-free pregnancy) to raise awareness among the population about the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
“You give your child the best start if you abstain from alcohol during pregnancy. Research shows that alcohol may interfere with the development of the child’s brain and other organs. Think about drinking habits already when planning children”
The animation-movie “Soon to be mother” is at the moment running on Norwegian TV and cinemas and is available on YouTube and on their website:

http://www.helsedirektoratet.no/gravid/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr__u6bRBK0
(Source: Eurocare Newsletter Winter 2010)

The Boys and Girls Project, which is supported by the EU’s Health programme (2002-2013), will put together a series of websites that will explore the world of relationships, healthy lifestyles, body image and addiction.
The group chose a web series believing they would have a greater impact on a young and technologically advanced teenage network. To reach such a broad audience the, “communication must be on their terms and in a language they understand and relate to.”
The web series will try to be relatable while at the same time enjoyable to sensitize Europe’s youth about some of the most pressing public health concerns today.
The aim target group is teenagers between the ages of 15 and 18, although the project hopes to attract viewers of any age.
The goal is to change the tide of recently developed unhealthy health habits in European teenagers, such as binge drinking, and hopefully influence the younger generation to lead happier, healthier lifestyles. (Source: Eurocare Newsletter Winter 2010) Eurocare, 12/15/10

On average, over a third (38%) of soap air time features alcohol, but the negative consequences of drinking to excess are rarely shown, according to new research launched today (8th December) by alcohol awareness charity Drinkaware.1 Despite 162 instances of characters drinking to excess2 over a six week monitoring period, only 1.5% of alcohol scenes portrayed hangovers and less than 1% combined showed alcohol-related sickness, crime, regret or anti-social behaviour. (Source: Medical News Today, 12/08/10)

The Supreme Court refused to hear a case brought by student newspapers in Virginia challenging a state ban on alcohol advertising in their pages, The Roanoke Times reported Nov. 30.
The Collegiate Times of Virginia Tech and The Cavalier Daily of the University of Virginia sued the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) in 2006, challenging state regulations that outlawed most alcohol advertising in newspapers serving college students under 21. They argued that the regulations violated their First Amendment rights, Student Press Law Center reported June 9, 2006. (Source: Join Together, 12/01/10)

New EUCAM trend report: alcohol portrayal in popular movies This trend report describes the size of alcohol portrayal in movies that have been most visited in cinemas in 27 European countries in 2009. Most of these movies are seen by numerous European adults as well as minors after release in Europe. The volume and content of alcohol portrayal in
these movies give a first indication of the importance of alcohol portrayal in movies as a marketing tool by the alcohol industry in Europe. (Source: EUCAM, 11/24/10)