www.alkoholpolitik.ch

The State Workforce System.
The growing financial cost of drug and alcohol abuse puts tremendous pressure on every social sector.
The present report, part of a larger Family Funding Study project, is the fifth and last in the series that examines the cost of drug and alcohol abuse to West Virginia’s criminal justice, healthcare, education, welfare, and workforce systems. A comprehensive report, incorporating estimates from all these sectors, will be produced at the end of this project. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 02/15/11)

by Sally Casswell in The Lancet, 02/05/11
It was heartening to read of the forthcoming UN high-level meeting on chronic non-communicable diseases and the excellent strategic analysis by Robert Geneau and colleagues (Nov 13, p 1689),1 which addressed the links between chronic disease and poverty and the reasons for inaction.
As Geneau and colleagues‘ Series paper states, alcohol (a fast-growing risk factor in the populous, disproportionately young countries with growing economies) is a contributor to important chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and tuberculosis. It therefore qualifies for attention in this forum because of its contribution to premature mortality, the basis on which Geneau and colleagues suggest that resource allocation should be made. However, alcohol differs somewhat from other risk factors mentioned in the Series in that its contribution to the global burden of disease and injury is, in large part, via its effect on morbidity (injury from violence and motor vehicle crashes, alcohol dependence, and depression). Much of the effect is in young people, and disability-adjusted life-years are equivalent to those of tobacco globally.

At least a dozen places selling alcohol in the North Caucasus were attacked with grenades, bombs and gunfire over the last year as armed Islamists bent on installing sharia law have stepped up their battle against those who fancy a tipple. Last week saw the latest fatal attack in the town of Khasavyurt in Dagestan, near the border with Chechnya, where a bomb ripped through an alcohol-serving cafe, killing four. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 02/02/11) blogs.reuters.com, 02/02/11

In 2008, there were a number of posts on this blog about a rape at the University of Iowa that was terribly mishandled by the school. In the aftermath of publicity about the school’s “poor judgment,” a number of changes were made. The university president publicly apologized, two administrators involved in the case were fired, and the sexual assault policy was revised. A new article (in a Texas newspaper, the Victoria Advocate, oddly enough) following-up on the case also shows that in 2009 the school hired a sexual misconduct response coordinator who was trained to assist victims and make sure they “get treated with care.” So, despite the inexcusably abysmal immediate response for the survivor, the school seems to have taken a number of admirable actions to make sure that such a disaster never happens again. (As an aside, the outcome for the two perpetrators was that one plead guilty to misdemeanor assault and the other was found guilty of misdemeanor assault). … (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/26/11) by Sarah M in: Campus news,General commentary safercampus.org, 01/25/11 our Online Comment: Talking about alcohol in the context of rape makes sense. Most of sexual violence has to do with alcohol. To reduce harm is one way to tackle the problem. Having lessons on sexual violence is an other way which is necessary too. But to start with the most effective measure is good. The other question is if the University finds the right way to reduce alcohol consumption on the campus. Most of the Universities haven’t found yet a good solution, because there is a lot of money involved. E.g. advertising. There’s a new study this month.

News from different countries, worldwide, 01/25/11

Impact on alcohol-related mortality of a rapid rise in the density of private liquor outlets in British Columbia: a local area multi-level analysis.
To study relationships between rates of alcohol-related deaths and the density of liquor outlets and the proportion of liquor stores owned privately in British Columbia (BC) during a period of rapid increase in private stores.
Multi-level regression analyses assessed the relationship between population rates of private liquor stores and alcohol-related mortality after adjusting for potential confounding. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 01/18/11)

I read with great interest earlier, this BBC News article about the Coalition Government’s plans to bring in a minimum price for alcohol in England and Wales.
In the Coalition Agreement, it was stated that: „We will ban the sale of alcohol below cost price“. Ministers are now fleshing out their proposals to make this a reality.
It will work by banning shops and bars from selling drinks for less than the tax paid on them. It is hoped that this will send a signal that the Government is clamping down on the sale of extortionately cheap alcohol. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/19/11) johnmarkcole.blogspot.com, 01/18/11 our Online Comment: It is fine to have an ideology. Then you don’t need thinking.
There is a lot of talking about personal freedom. What about my freedom when the alcohol industry forces me to pay a life long the huge alcohol related social costs? The World Health Organization has mentioned that we all are Passive Drinkers. We all suffer from the harm of alcohol consumption. Taxes are ridiculous low.
Everybody is free to consume according to its income. Drinking alcohol is not a human right. It is better to fight for jobs with an income which enables everybody to live a decent life, instead of giving cheap alcohol to keep the poor calm and down.
What about my personal freedom, when the media do not give the necessary information I need to discuss this matter and ask for the right measures to be taken by the government, because they are alcohol lobbyists? Did you know that in May 2010 the World Health Organization accepted with all 193 votes of the member states a resolution on a global alcohol strategy? In it the alcohol related harm on society and the evidence based measures for harm reduction are listed. Governments only had to implement those proposals, but instead they try everything which wouldn’t harm the alcohol industry. The industry keeps the profit, society pays the social costs in money and in life, etc.

…a summary review of the evidence base.
‚Below cost‘ ban announced as duty + VAT re-opens pricing debate.
The Government has announced the ‚below cost ban‘ will be defined as the rate of duty + VAT, despite concerns from critics that few drinks are sold below this level. A Home Office press release said „This is an important first step in delivering the government’s commitment to ban the sale of alcohol ‚below cost‘ price.“
However some media reports described the measures as ‚minimum pricing‘, a different approach based on cost per unit. See here for the differences between a below cost ban and minimum pricing. The ban on sales below a duty + VAT rate has been calculated as preventing retailers from selling… (Source: Alcohol Policy UK110119 / Home Office, January 2011

Three out of ten municipal alcohol administrators have experienced threats in connection with their work of inspecting alcoholic beverage serving at restaurants and pubs, according to a survey among the country’s all 308 alcohol administrators in Sweden. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 1/10/11) stockholmnews.com, 1/08/11

Alcohol may soon come with a new kind of high. It’s not stronger proof. It’s a higher tax.
Alex DeMetrick reports supporters of a “Dime a Drink Tax” think they have a shot at making it happen in Maryland. If you like to pull a cork, you might pay an extra 10 cents for every glass. It’s called the “Dime a Drink Tax,” and it would hit all alcoholic drinks, if Maryland’s legislature approves it this year. For supporters like health care providers, this may be a good thing. “Alcohol excise tax is a win-win for the state. They provide much needed revenue, and reduce alcohol consumption and related problems,” said David Jernigan, Johns Hopkins professor.
“Some 44 percent of Marylanders do not drink. They will pay no tax,” said Jernigan. The “Dime a Drink Tax” could raise $215 million in new revenue. For light to moderate drinkers, the tax would amount to only $10.83 per year. The last time Maryland raised the tax on alcohol was in 1972. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/04/11) baltimore.cbslocal.com, 01/04/11 our Online-Comment: Everybody should understand that:
– We are all passive drinkers, as the World Health Organization tells us. We suffer under reduced life quality and pay the whole life long terrific amounts for social costs because of alcohol.
– Alcohol taxes are very low and do not cover the social costs. By inflation it gets always cheaper. Since 1972!
– Higher prices mean less harm from alcohol, less social costs: savings.
– Those who drink moderately or not at all have the most profit. No or little more taxes and the lot of profit.
– Taxes should be combined with inflation anualy.