www.alkoholpolitik.ch

For years, food companies have used advertising, packaging, and brand image to lead people to believe certain products are healthier than they really are. Whether it’s putting a sports star’s face on a Coca-Cola ad, labeling junk food as a “smart choice,” or attaching arbitrary designations such as “all natural” to foods high in fat, sugar, and salt, the food industry knows it must attract health-conscious shoppers. Over the past few years, alcohol companies have begun appropriating many of these misleading advertising techniques. Spirits companies are positioning their vodka as “all natural,” even though the products haven’t changed. Beer companies are sponsoring marathons and running ads showing toned drinkers meeting up at a bar after a work-out. Superstars of grueling, high-endurance sports are being tapped to promote alcoholic beverages. These advertising practices are legally tenuous, morally unsound, and potentially dangerous. Alcohol consumption costs society billions of dollars annually while causing immeasurable human suffering every day. Using health messages to sell products that can cause such widespread harm is not only unethical, it’s illegal, and yet the regulatory system has failed miserably to protect the American public. Because market research shows purchase intent and consumption of a brand increase
when people believe alcoholic products are all-natural or fitness-friendly, intense scrutiny and strict regulation of such misleading claims is essential. This report examines this disturbing trend to promote alcohol as a health and fitness product, analyzes the potential legal implications, and makes policy recommendations. … (Source: Marine Institute, June 2011)

To examine the proportion of self-reported alcohol consumed by different gender and age groups in Brazil over the past year, and to examine whether the “prevention paradox” applies to Brazilian data on alcohol-related problems.
A multistage cluster sample, representative of the Brazilian household population 14 years of age or older (N=3007). The response rate was 66.4%.
The top 2.5% of the drinkers by volume consume 14.9%, the top 5% consume 27.4%, and the top 10% consume 44.2% of all alcohol consumed in Brazil. Men consume 77.8% of the total alcohol, and 18 to 29 year olds consume 40.3%. Individuals below risky drinking guidelines for weekly volumetric intake account for 49-50% of all problem drinkers and 45-47% of all problem types reported. Individuals who do not binge or who binge infrequently (1-3 times/year) account for 50-51% of all problem drinkers and 45-46% of all reported problem types. Most binge drinkers are low volume drinkers. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/13/11)

HEALTH warnings will appear on most beer, wine and spirit products as a result of a liquor industry decision to take voluntary measures after years of government dithering.
The warnings, aimed at young people, pregnant women and problem drinkers will be carried by alcohol products representing 80 per cent of the market, including supermarket chain brands. The interchangeable warnings are: “Is your drinking harming yourself or others?“, “Kids and alcohol don’t mix“ and “It is safest not to drink while pregnant“. An image discouraging drink when pregnant is also available. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/13/11) theage.com.au, 07/11/11

„Once viewed as afflictions limited to the developed world, non-communicable diseases are rising quickly in low- and middle-income countries.
„If we are effectively to reverse the increased global rates of NCDs, we will need to use all the tools at our disposal, including multi-lateral diplomacy.“ — Deputy Assistant Secretary Nerissa Cook
„Once viewed as afflictions limited to the developed world, non-communicable diseases, or NCDs, – including cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes, and cancers – are rising quickly in low- and middle-income countries. This growing prevalence of NCDs has significant health, economic and social implications on the individual, national, and global levels,“ said Deputy Assistant Secretary Nerissa Cook at a recent Global Health Council meeting at the United Nations.
Nearly two-thirds of deaths in the world are now caused by non-communicable diseases. In the United States, NCDs account for 70 percent of deaths, limit the activities of tens of millions more Americans, and cost the economy billions each year. … (Source: (Harvard World Health News, 07/14/11) voanews.com, 07/11/11

We examined the association between pre-teen alcohol use initiation and the victimization and perpetration of bullying among middle and high school students in Georgia. …
Pre-teen alcohol use initiation is an important risk factor for both the perpetration and victimization of bullying among boys and girls in Georgia. Increased efforts to delay and reduce early alcohol use through clinical interventions, education and policies may also positively impact other health risk behaviors, including bullying. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/12/11)

Hosted by MEP Elzbieta Lukacijewska (EPP, Poland)
Key note speaker European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy Mr John Dalli
Place: European Parliament – Brussels; Date: Wednesday 7th September; Time: 12h30 – 15h00; Room: A3 E2
This event is jointly organized by European Alcohol Policy Alliance (Eurocare) and the Polish State Agency for State Agency for Prevention of Alcohol-Related Problems (PARPA) to mark International Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Day.
For more information please contact: aleksandra.kaczmarek@eurocare.org. Click to register

Brussels, 5 July 2011 Eurocare Press Release:
Exemption of alcohol from Food Information to Consumers Provision
Eurocare (European Alcohol Policy Alliance) is extremely disappointed with the shape of the Food Information to Consumers legislation which exempts alcoholic beverages from obligation to list its content. This is despite the fact that alcohol is high in calorie content, carbohydrates and certain ingredients used in its production can cause allergies or intolerances. We strongly believe that we all have the right to make informed choices and the current proposal will mean that one will know what is in a bottle of a fruit juice but not in a bottle of alcoholic beverage.
Providing information (about ingredients and energy value per 100ml) would allow consumers to assess the quality of the beverages and keep track of their calorie intake.
Marian Skar, Secretary General of Eurocare, says: ‘We are very disappointed and concerned about the exemption of alcohol from providing information to consumers. Labelling alcoholic drinks would allow consumers to make an informed choice about their diet and health. This is a bitter reminder about the influence of the powerful industry lobbying on the politicians and their failure to give priority to interest of the
people. It really makes us all wonder what is in our drinks, that the industry is so afraid to tell us’. The European Parliament’s decision is not only ignoring the health and letting people take their own informed choice but it is also not in line with EU’s previous declarations. As stated in the EU Alcohol Strategy launched in October 2006: ‘Citizens have the right to obtain relevant information on the impact, and in particular
on the risks and consequences related to harmful and hazardous consumption of alcohol, and to obtain more detailed information on added ingredients that may be harmful to the health of certain groups of consumers’.

Since 2006, Australia has had graphic image warnings on cigarette packages. Now announced this week, the liquor industry is volunteering to label its products with health warnings also. About 80% of alcohol sold in the country will carry the warnings.
According to government statistics, the proportion of people drinking at high risk level has increased from 8.2% in 1995 to 13.4% in 2005, when the last National Health Survey was conducted. The increase has been greater for women. … (Source: Medical News Today, 07/12/11)

Current alcohol consumption guidelines are inadequate for the prevention of cancer and new international guidelines are needed, states an analysis in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/site/embargo/cmaj110363.pdf.
Guidelines in some countries are not currently based on evidence for long-term harm. Most guidelines are based on studies that assessed the short-term effects of alcohol, such as social and psychological issues and hospital admissions, and were not designed to prevent chronic diseases. As well, in some countries, alcohol producers were either part of working groups defining sensible drinking or instrumental in dissemination of the guidelines. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/11/11)

The California Assembly moved Monday to prohibit the production and sale of beer laced with caffeine and join other states concerned the beverages are aimed at young people and make it easy to drink too much.
The ban was approved on a 43-24 vote. It passed the state Senate in April but that chamber must now reconsider changes made by the Assembly before the bill can be sent to the governor.
The bill, SB39, would ban the import, production, distribution or retail sale of beer and related alcoholic beverages that have caffeine added. At least six other states have passed similar bans. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/11/11) sacbee.com, 07/11/11