www.alkoholpolitik.ch

Marin Institute is now offering states model legislation to expand last year’s federal ban on seven dangerous caffeinated alcoholic beverages by the Food and Drug Administration. The model bill also restricts the size and alcohol content of the new reformulated products and other youth-friendly alcopops. “Our model bill offers states an important tool to help mitigate this public health problem while ensuring that stimulant-laced products do not return to the market,” said Michele Simon, Marin Institute’s research and policy director. For more information, see the press release and download the entire bill here.

Alcohol Action Ireland has has demanded restrictions on the sale of alcohol and for the introduction of a minimum price for alcohol.
Alcohol Action Ireland is the national charity for alcohol-related issues. It called for all political parties to commit, in the run-up to the election, to doing something about the detrimental impact of alcohol on children…. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/25/11) newswhip.ie, 01/25/11

Teachers and middle- and high-school students: here’s your chance to „Get in the Game“ by participating in this informal national survey that will help measure the impact of alcohol advertising from the Super Bowl.
The Drug-Free Action Alliance of Ohio is calling for young people from across the country to participate in the „Big Bowl Vote 2011“ on Feb. 7, the day after the Super Bowl. The survey is intended to gauge which commercials the students remember and prefer — and to help students more-thoughtfully evaluate alcohol advertising. (Source: Join Together, 01/24/11)

Due to Nasty Winter Weather. New Deadline – Midnight, January 27, 2011 Free the Bowl

…, Say North West Health Campaigners.
Government proposals for minimum alcohol price levels that will ban shops and bars from selling drinks for less than the tax they pay on them are totally inadequate and will have little or no impact on improving public health, according to North West health campaigners Our Life.
Our Life believes that the government has missed an opportunity to stop supermarkets selling alcohol at pocket-money prices. Commenting on the proposals, Our Life chief executive, Dr Alison Giles, said: „These measures, which stop well short of setting a minimum unit price, will have little or no impact in tackling binge drinking and the rising tide of public order and health harms.“ (Source: Medical News Today, 01/19/11)

Nearly 3,000 substance abuse prevention and treatment specialists will convene Feb. 7-10 near Wash., D.C., for Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America’s (CADCA) annual National Leadership Forum. Headlining the conference are Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy and Howard Koh MD, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary of Health for the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, who will both provide keynote addresses during the National Leadership Plenary on Feb. 8. (Source: Join Together, 01/19/11)

Content, e.g.: * Alcohol, HIV and Public Health
* Alcohol and tobacco ‘more harmful than cannabis and ecstasy’
* Tax increases ‘superior to minimum prices’
* Facebook updates alcohol guidelines
* Eurocare Presses for Ingredient Labeling on Alcohol
* Convergence in teenage drunkenness in Western countries (Source: GAPA, The Globe)

Alcohol use is the third greatest contributor to the global burden of disease, estimated to cause 3.8% of all deaths. Among people aged 15 to 44 years, alcohol is estimated to result in 4.6% of all disability-adjusted life years lost and a disproportionate number of fatal injuries. 2 Heavy drinking is classified as the consumption of more than 210 g of alcohol per week for men and more than 140 g per week for women, owing to differences in clearance and body size. As a metabolic poison, heavy alcohol use is
associated with cardiovascular disease, oral cancers and liver cirrhosis. As an intoxicant, it causes dependency, injuries and trauma as well as substantial social harms. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 01/18/11) cmaj.ca, CMAJ 2011. DOI:10.1503/cmaj.110029 our Online-Comment: In May 2010 the General Assembly of the World Health Organization held in Geneva accepted with all votes of the 193 member states a Resolution on a global Alcohol Strategy. In it the evidence-based measures are listed which reduce the general consumption of alcohol in a given society. No need to wait any longer.

Second Monitoring Progress Report, 15 December 2010

Only two in five adults (42%) recognise how many alcohol units are in common drinks, according to research by Drinkaware. The survey also found that less than a third of adults (29% of women and 32% of men) can correctly state the recommended daily unit guidelines for their respective gender. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 01/15/11) alcoholpolicy.net, 01/13/11