www.alkoholpolitik.ch

The European Centre for Monitoring Alcohol Monitoring (EUCAM) has delivered a luke warm response to the Responsible Marketing Pact. The pact was trumpeted to be the first time that common standards would be implemented throughout the EU. The standards would protect young people from undue exposure to alcohol and prohibit marketing being directed at minors. The alcohol industry had claimed that self-regulation is working, and should be expanded.

However AMMIE (Alcohol Marketing Monitoring in Europe) at the EUCAM conference in March, warned against mere „window dressing“ and called for an outright ban on advertising. Their research showed that on average each minor in the 5 countries they researched (Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Bulgaria and Denmark) were exposed to 44 alcohol commercials in 2 months. They noted numerous violations of the 30% rule, whereby advertising should only be allowed where under 30% of the population are minors. In practice, they insist, there is nowhere in Europe where there is a population group consisting of more than 30% minors, meaning that alcohol advertising can go unchecked. …
(Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 05/22/12) EUCAM Newsletter May 2012

Over the years, use of alcohol, excessive and prolonged, has been associated with various health hazards. With increasing clinical experience and research in the area, the association has become stronger and progressively more alarming. The evidence from different treatment settings viz. the outpatient department, inpatient setup, emergency department, and the consultation liaison services has linked the use of alcohol with a wide array of hazards to the physical and the psychological health of the users. The impact on psychological health extends beyond the users of alcohol to involve caregivers and other family members of users. …
(Source: Alcohol Reports, 05/21/12)

Alcohol advertising should be banned in Europe in a bid to drive down excess boozing and associated ill health across the continent, concludes an alliance of experts in a new policy brief.

Alcohol is Europe’s most persistent and devastating addiction problem, says the Addiction and Lifestyles in Contemporary Europe – Reframing Addictions Project (ALICE-RAP), which brings together a network of over 150 researchers with expertise in many different aspects of addiction, including the social and economic impact. …

The briefing notes that the most effective and fairest policies are those which nudge people towards lower consumption, through price hikes, restrictions on availability, and advertising bans.

A minimum unit price, which the Scottish government announced its intention to introduce earlier this week, is supported by research, says the briefing. Scotland has opted for a 50 pence minimum unit price, while England is considering a 40 pence option. …

The evidence shows that alcohol adverts push people into higher and more harmful levels of consumption and trigger relapse among those trying to give up booze. Furthermore, it can encourage young people to start drinking, says the brief, which advocates a wholesale ban.

“Europeans drink more than twice the world’s average and alcohol represents the number one addiction problem in Europe today, greater than any other drug or gambling, “ said Dr Peter Anderson, Professor of Substance Use, Policy and Practice, Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, and co-leader of the project, speaking at the report’s launch yesterday.

“Our aim with this policy brief is to help decision makers across the EU and beyond break the negative pattern of harmful alcohol consumption and costs by providing much needed scientific input to the discussion, which has long been dominated by the alcohol industry lobbyists,” he added.
(Source: Alcohol Reports, News, 05/21/12) onmedica.com, 05/17/12

Comment: Unfortunately many politicians do not like scientific input.

One in eight deaths of UK adults under the age of 64 is caused by alcohol, an international conference on tackling problem drinking has heard.

The social cost of alcohol abuse has been estimated to be £240 a year for each European, with the annual bill for the NHS alone being £2.7 billion.

A major conference of addiction specialists from across the world is meeting at Newcastle University and organisers have called for England to follow Scotland and set a minimum price per unit.

They have also demanded a ban on advertising alcohol.
Too easy: Prof Eileen Kaner from Newcastle University said the government had to be bolder about tackling cheap alcoholl

In Europe, alcohol consumption is more than twice the global average and it represents the biggest addiction in the UK, greater than any illegal drug or gambling.

(Source: Alcohol Reports, News, 05/21/12) dailymail.co.uk, 05/16/12

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.

The Iranian Ministry of Health says the consumption of alcoholic beverages has reached alarming levels in the southern areas of Tehran.
Shargh Newspaper reported on Tuesday that senior ministry official Bagher Larijani said: “According to reports from physicians and hospitals in the southern Tehran area, the spread of alcohol consumption is very concerning.”
He added: “Action regarding consumption of alcohol has become more pressing that ailments such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.”

The ministry also announced that it has only limited data regarding alcohol addiction, however, their research indicates there are two million addicts in the population, including alcohol addicts.

Previously, the head of the Task Force against Smuggling announced that alcohol smuggling was a $730-million-a-year business, and only a quarter of that is discovered and confiscated by the government.
Source: Google Alcohol News, 05/17/12) Radio Zamaneh/fluechtlingshilfeiranev2010.wordpress.com, 05/17/12

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

The 10 communities that will receive funding for work to tackle binge and underage drinking have been announced by Communities and Local Government. The fund was opened for bids earlier this year by Baroness Newlove, the government’s Champion for Active, Safer Communities.
The CLG press release states:

Over the next two years these innovative grassroots projects, backed by local authorities, police and retailers, are expected to deliver real results to end the fallout of problem drinking. Other communities will hopefully be inspired to follow their lead. The projects will address separate issues that are the greatest challenges in their neighbourhoods, with measures of their success that will include:

– a reduction in the number of anti-social behaviour incidents related to alcohol consumption
– fewer A&E admissions to local hospitals or fewer ambulance call outs as a result of drinking
– the consumption of alcohol by young people reducing to safe levels; and
– a reduction in purchasing of alcohol made on behalf of under 18s („proxy purchasing“).
(Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 05/16/12)

June 27th, 2012 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Location: Rue Wiertz 60, European Parliament, Brussels, B 1047, Belgium

The current EU Alcohol Strategy is coming to an end in 2012. However Europe is still the world’s heaviest drinking region-

– Alcohol is the world’s number one risk factor for ill-health and premature death amongst the 25 – 59 year old age group, a core of the working age population

– Alcohol related harm is 1 of the 4 risk factors for developing NCDs such as cancer and cardiovascular disease

– Social costs attributable to alcohol account for €155.8 billion

Due to the size of the problem and universal impact this problem requires a comprehensive, coordinated response from policy and decision makers at the European and national levels

This event will build on the Call for Action from 88 health and social NGOs from across Europe and will be an opportunity to address the issue in the European Parliament to ensure continuation of the efforts to tackle alcohol related harm.

For more informaiton please contact Eurocare Secretariat, aleksandra.kaczmarek@eurocare.org