www.alkoholpolitik.ch

The publication „Policy paper providing guidance to policy makers for developing coherent policies for licit and illicit drugs“ is online available at Groupe Pompidou (in the frame of the Council of Europe) Download (Englisch). (Source: infoset.ch, 13.04.12)

A new online tool from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health determines the extent of exposure to radio alcohol advertisements among young people ages 12 to 20 in 75 different media markets.

This free and user-friendly tool is the first service to provide parents, health departments and other key audiences with access to customizable information on youth exposure to radio alcohol advertising.

„Despite the proliferation of things like smart phones and tablets, radio continues to be a popular source of media among youth,“ said David Jernigan, PhD, CAMY director. „This tool gives users in dozens of cities across the U.S. the ability to determine the scope to which young people in their community are exposed to alcohol marketing.“ … Use the radio tool to measure exposure.
(Source: Google alcohol news, 04/11/12) innovations-report.de, 04/11/12

China has been concerned about the serious problem of drinking and driving road crashes, and it has made good progress by establishing strict laws, imposing serious penalties, and initiating a rigorous enforcement program since 2008. This study has assessed the magnitude and nature of the problem and reviewed the legislation, current practices, and institutional capacities for preventing drinking and driving.
Data and information were collected using existing reports and by consulting officials and experts from a number of agencies.
(Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/09/12)

Underage female drinkers are now as likely to die in an alcohol-related car crash as their male counterparts, a new study suggests. In 1996, underage males had a higher risk of a fatal car crash than underage females. By 2007, the gender gap had closed, according to HealthDay.

The total number of young men who are involved in deadly alcohol-related crashes is still greater, because males drink more, the study notes. At any given blood alcohol level, however, young women have the same risk of a fatal car crash as males. …
(Source: Join Together, 04/04/12)

This new report uses information gathered in 2011 to update key indicators on alcohol consumption, health outcomes and action to reduce harm across the European Union (EU). It gives an overview of the latest research on effective alcohol policies, and includes data from the EU, Norway and Switzerland on alcohol consumption, harm and policy approaches. The data were collected from a 2011 survey, carried out as part of a project of the European Commission and the WHO Regional Office for Europe. The report updates the evidence base for some important areas of alcohol policy, and provides policy-makers and other stakeholders in reducing the harm done to health and society by excessive drinking with useful information to guide future action.

Alcohol is one of the world’s top three priority areas in public health. Even though only half the global population drinks alcohol, it is the world’s third leading cause of ill health and premature death, after low birth weight and unsafe sex. In Europe, alcohol is the third leading risk factor for disease and death after tobacco and high blood pressure.
(Source: Alcohol Reports, 03/28/12)

The rumours were true; the new Government Alcohol Strategy: Choice, Challenge and Responsibility confirms minimum pricing is to be brought in for England. Although the unit price is still to be set, in a press release the Prime Minister said „if it is 40p that could mean 50,000 fewer crimes each year and 9,000 fewer alcohol related deaths over the next decade.“

Al201103-coverThe strategy sets out key policies including:

a minimum unit price for alcohol;
banning the sale of multi-buy discount deals;
zero tolerance of drunken behaviour in A&E departments;
a late night levy to get pubs and clubs helping to pay for policing; and
improved powers to stop serving alcohol to drunks.

The strategy sets itself out as a plan to reduce binge-drinking in a bid to drive down crime and tackle health issues. The decision to introduce a minimum unit price means that alcohol will not be allowed to be sold below a fixed price per unit – a policy advocated by health groups and Alcohol Concern for a number of years. As the release states, it „will put an end to cheap white ciders, spirits and super-strength lagers“. It is expected to go out for consultation, with a possible introduction by 2014.

Launching the strategy, the Prime Minister said:

“When beer is cheaper than water, it’s just too easy for people to get drunk on cheap alcohol at home before they even set foot in the pub.

“[Minimum pricing] isn’t about stopping responsible drinking, adding burdens on business or some new kind of stealth tax – it’s about fast immediate action where universal change is needed.

“And let’s be clear. This will not hurt pubs. A pint is two units. If the minimum price is 40p a unit, it won’t affect the price of a pint. In fact, pubs may benefit by making the cheap alternatives in supermarkets more expensive.

“Of course, I know this won’t be universally popular. But the responsibility of being in government isn’t always about doing the popular thing. It’s about doing the right thing.

(Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 03/23/12)
our online-comment: Let’s hope the minimum price will be high enough and that the EU accepts it.
For a conservative government this is a strong signal. Other countries should follow.

See also comment by Eurocare, with which we fully agree.
See also „How significant is a minimum unit price for alcohol of 40p?“ by The Institute For Fiscal Studies.

Excessive alcohol consumption causes 79,000 deaths annually in the U.S., shortening the lives of those who die from it by approximately 30 years. Although alcohol taxation is an effective measure to reduce excessive consumption and related harm, some argue that increasing alcohol taxes places an unfair economic burden on “responsible” drinkers and socially disadvantaged people.

To examine the impact of a hypothetic tax increase based on alcohol consumption and sociodemographic characteristics of current drinkers, individually and in aggregate.

Data from the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey were analyzed from 2010 to 2011 to determine the net financial impact of a hypothetic 25-cent-per-drink tax increase on current drinkers in the U.S. Higher-risk drinkers were defined as those whose past-30-day consumption included binge drinking, heavy drinking, drinking in excess of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, and alcohol-impaired driving.

Of U.S. adults who consumed alcohol in the past 30 days, 50.4% (or approximately 25% of the total U.S. population) were classified as higher-risk drinkers. The tax increase would result in a 9.2% reduction in alcohol consumption, including an 11.4% reduction in heavy drinking. Compared with lower-risk drinkers, higher-risk drinkers would pay 4.7 times more in net increased annual per capita taxes, and 82.7% of the net increased annual aggregate taxes. Lower-risk drinkers would pay less than $30 in net increased taxes annually. In aggregate, groups who paid the most in net tax increases included those who were white, male, aged 21–50 years, earning ≥$50,000 per year, employed, and had a college degree.

A 25-cent-per-drink alcohol tax increase would reduce excessive drinking, and higher-risk drinkers would pay the substantial majority of the net tax increase.
(Source: Alcohol Reports, 03/19/12)

News from Members, EU, WHO, European countries, new research and reports, new events
(Source: Eurocare, 03/16/12)

Offer a male fruit fly a choice between food soaked in alcohol and its nonalcoholic equivalent, and his decision will depend on whether he’s mated recently or been rejected by a female. Flies that have been given the cold shoulder are more likely to go for the booze, researchers have found. It’s the first discovery, in fruit flies, of a social interaction that influences future behavior.

„This is an amazing link,“ says neurogeneticist Troy Zars of the University of Missouri, Columbia, who was not involved in the study. Understanding the brain pathways responsible, he says, could help explain more broadly how rewarding behavior is reflected in the brain, and how the brain mediates complex behaviors. …
(Source: Alcohol Reports, 03/15/12)
Medical News Today, 03/16/12

A major overhaul of guidelines for the safe consumption of alcohol seems to have had no impact on Australians.
Only 5 per cent of the population can identify safe drinking levels nominated in the National Health and Medical Research Council’s guidelines for reducing health risks from alcohol consumption.
The latest guidelines, which were published in 2009, say women and men can reduce their lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury by having a maximum of two standard alcoholic drinks a day.
(Source: Alcohol Reports, 03/07/12) brisbanetimes.com, 03/06/12

Online comment: Before we can expect people to take notice of and accept drinking guidelines they must know why. But for decades the fields of information and propaganda have been left over to the alcohol industry, which may invest giant sums into advertising and marketing.