www.alkoholpolitik.ch

INVITED SEMINAR, 23 FEBRUARY 2012, LONDON by Rand Corp.
PROVISIONAL SCOPE AND PURPOSE
In the context of growing policy interest in pricing policy as a tool to address alcohol harms, researchers from the European Commission co-financed by the ALICE RAP project1 and RAND Corporation, organised an invitation-only meeting of policy-makers and researchers working on alcohol pricing and related issues.
The meeting aimed to address some of the specific questions policy-makers in the UK are confronting as they consider policy options. With a focus on excise taxation, minimum pricing, restrictions on promotions and discounts, and bans on below cost sales, some of the specific questions for discussion included:
· the implications of the various policy options for different segments of the population;
· the impact of different policies on fiscal revenue;
· pass-through from tax changes to consumer prices;
· the effects of pricing approaches on the use of other substances like tobacco and illicit drugs, illegal alcohol consumption, cross-border trade, etc.
· the difference for on- and off-trade sales of different pricing policies. ….
(Source: Alcohol Reports, 05/18/12) alicerap.eu

According to a new study in the American Journal of Public Health, Australia could yield economic and health benefits by reducing its overall national yearly alcohol consumption.

In 2008, researchers estimated the economic benefits Australia could achieve in health, production and leisure, if the annual per capita consumption of alcohol would be reduced to a designated average yearly target of 6.4 liters per capita.

They discovered that reducing the annual per capita alcohol consumption by just 3.4 liters would save Australia’s health sector $789 million. The saving would be the result of one-third fewer cases of disease, deaths, lost working days and home-based production loss days. …
(Source: Medical News Today, 05/20/12)

our Online-Comment: Yes, this would be an advisable target for many other countries too. But politicians are more listening to the alcohol industry which is not willing to lose profit.

In 2010, the UK Government’s Responsibility Deal Alcohol Network (RDAN) was set up with representatives of the alcohol industry and health organisations. Acknowledging that RDAN does not advance public health objectives, the health groups withdrew from RDAN in 2011. This editorial argues that social responsibility deals as in RDAN and the European Alcohol Health Forum will be significantly undermined unless Corporate Social Responsibility is consistent in all activities across the whole sector. … (Editorial in „Addiction“ by DR ADRIAN BONNER &
PROFESSOR SIR IAN GILMORE)
Source: Alcohol Reports, 05/15/12) onlinelibrary.wiley.com, 05/15/12

Alcohol Justice, the U.S.-based industry watchdog, released a new report today showing convenience store giant 7-Eleven cuts prices on supersized, youth-attractive alcopops so they are cheaper than non-alcoholic energy drinks. While on average, alcopops were the same price per standard alcoholic drink as beer, supersized alcopops in 16- to 24-ounce cans were cheaper per standard drink than similarly sized beer. Some supersized alcopops, such as Four Loko and Mike’s Harder Lemonade, entice youth with more alcohol for the price than even similar sized malt liquor.

“Alcopops are just too good of a deal for kids to pass up,” said Holley Shafer, research analyst at Alcohol Justice and co-author of the new report, “Alcopops Cheaper than Energy Drinks: 7-Eleven Gambles with Children’s Lives.” Alcohol Justice surveyed all 7-Eleven stores in northern California’s Marin County, an area plagued with excessive youth alcohol consumption. “The availability of cheap single-serving supersized alcopops like Four Loko at 7-Eleven stores makes them even more compelling to youth than comparable non-alcoholic energy drinks,” added Shafer, “because young people already seeking the energy drink buzz are a vulnerable market for energy drinks‘ alcoholic cousins, alcopops.”
Source: Alcohol Justice, 05/16/12)

The Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has announced a 50 pence per unit target minimum through the Minimum Pricing Scotland Bill.
Announcing the decision, Nicola Sturgeon said:

„Too many Scots are drinking themselves to death. The problem affects people of all walks of life. It’s no coincidence that as affordability has increased, alcohol-related hospital admissions have quadrupled, and it is shocking that half of our prisoners now say they were drunk when they committed the offence… Introducing a minimum price per unit will enable us to tackle these problems, given the clear link between affordability and consumption.“

The Scottish government were recently reported to have agreed to a „sunset clause“ in the planned legislation, under a deal to win Conservative support. Minimum pricing will be ditched after six years if it fails to have an impact, which Sturgeon deemed „a perfectly reasonable and legitimate position to take.“ …
(Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 05/14/12)
see also: bbc.co.uk,

In this issue:

NCD Alcohol Target Dropped to Placate Drinks Industry

Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives used “to undermine alcohol control policies”

Free trade agreements “threaten public health”

Global Alcohol Policy Conference – DECLARATION

Adults in Europe consume three standard alcoholic drinks per day on average New report on alcohol in European Union
and more….
THE GLOBE No. 2, 2012

The Makati Business Club welcomes the initiative to reform excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol products, which would allow the government to optimize its revenue potential and create a strong disincentive for excessive tobacco and alcohol use.

We especially support the restructuring of the excise tax system from a multi-tiered structure to a unitary excise tax structure for tobacco and alcohol. This will effectively improve equity across cigarette and alcohol brands, promote market-based pricing in the industry, and encourage the entry of legitimate competition. It will also demonstrate the country’s commitment to open and fair competition, as well as its respectful compliance to international agreements.

We further push for the elimination of the price classification freeze so the government is free to levy competitive excise tax rates on tobacco and alcohol products. We believe that the current system has eroded the tax base, costing the Philippine government a substantial amount of foregone revenue. To address this loophole, we urge lawmakers to raise the excise tax rates and burden of tobacco and alcohol products, taking inflation into account yearly, to adequately reflect the negative externalities of consuming these goods. ….
(Source: Alcohol Reports, 05/05/12) mbc.com, 05/02/12

Contemporary Swedes drink significantly more alcohol and eat more meat since the country joined the European Union in 1995, according to a new report by the Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket).

„With regards to alcoholic drinks and meat, the liberalisation of imports and price developments have contributed to increased consumption,“ the board explained in a statement.

One of the key points of negotiation during Sweden’s EU membership application process concerned the issue of the state-controlled alcohol retail monopoly Systembolaget.

Sweden secured the right to retain the monopoly until 2004 after which time import restrictions were eased for private individuals. The board’s report notes that the easing of import restrictions has led to an increase in consumption. The report shows that the consumption of alcoholic beverages increased by 56 percent from 1995 to 2009, primarily of high-alcohol beer and wine.
(Source: Alcohol Reports, News 18/2012) thelocal.se, 04/28/12

Last month the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that flavored malt beverages, also known as alcopops, are distilled spirits and should be classified and taxed as such, instead of the beer tax rate the state has been using. The ruling meant 12 times more alcopops tax revenue for the budget-beleaguered state, and less access to alcopops for youth, whom producers target with these products.

A ruling like that should have policymakers celebrating, wouldn’t you think? After all, their responsibility is to serve the health and welfare of the public they represent, along with keeping a balanced budget for the state. Or is it? Just one month after the ruling, state legislators effectively overturned the Nebraska Supreme Court’s decision with LB 824. Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman approved the legislation April 6. The new law keeps the status quo intact: taxing alcopops at the beer rate and keeping the products available wherever beer is sold. …

It’s no surprise to see certain legislators going out of their way to please the powerful alcohol industry lobby at the expense of the communities they are supposed to represent. However, we don’t often see a legislature deliberately override the state supreme court in order to make alcohol companies happy. Welcome to the Doghouse, Nebraska Legislature and Governor Heineman.
(Source: Alcohol Justice, 04/17/12)

Following the recent release of the Government Alcohol Strategy, here’s a selection of some of the comments and reaction.

Statements and responses

Alcohol Concern have released a short briefing responding directly to some of the specifics in the strategy, and also a press release which called for more public health spend on alcohol. It argues that alcohol remains the „Cinderella issue in competition with drugs, obesity, mental health and other issues“ and more than the current average 0.1% of PCT’s budgets must be invested in alcohol treatment and prevention. …
(Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 04/04/12)