www.alkoholpolitik.ch

Data and Reports Released With Improved Access.
NSDUH is the primary source of information on the use of illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco by the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States age 12 or older. The survey is also a source of national estimates on mental health measures such as serious mental illness, other mental illness, depression, and treatment.
The 2009 NSDUH data and documentation files are available for download and online analysis. Also, custom analytic tables can be produced with NSDUH data using Quick Tables—choose from preselected core variables by pointing and clicking from dropdown menus. Results from online analysis or Quick Tables can be copied easily and inserted into documents.
National Findings Report—Presents national estimates of rates of use, numbers of users, and other measures related to illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco products. The report focuses on trends between 2008 and 2009 and from 2002 to 2009, as well as differences across population subgroups in 2009. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 01/11/11)

In response to increasing attacks by industry on the rights of states to regulate the sale, distribution, and transportation of alcohol, Marin Institute has launched a new campaign: State Control. This campaign is designed to help protect the authority granted to states by the 21st amendment, guaranteeing their right to use regulation to protect their citizens from the public health dangers presented by an unregulated alcohol industry. Please visit our new State Control campaign page here.

For more than two decades, the codified method to regulate which businesses could sell alcohol in Jefferson Parish had lain dormant. That changed in March, and the newly constituted Alcohol Beverage Permit Review Committee has kicked its operations into high gear.
The Parish Council will weigh the committee’s recommendations that it bar seven establishments, mostly in the Fat City area of Metairie, from renewing their annual alcohol retail permits. And in a sign that the committee is extending its reach beyond that contentious cluster of low-rent apartments, bars and strip mall parking lots, the council will also consider suspending the permits for seven more businesses, including three along Airline Drive. … (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/12/11) nola.com, 01/11/11

The AMA released a brochure containing practical advice to help Australians to be more knowledgeable and responsible about alcohol consumption. (Source: Medical News Today, 01/03/11) ama.com.au, 12/28/10

Films popular in Europe feature more drinking episodes per movie than their equally popular American counterparts, according to a report by the European Centre for Monitoring Alcohol Marketing (EUCAM).
The trend toward incorporating name brand alcohol in movie scenes as a form of product placement took off more than a decade ago. In 1999, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission reported that in the two previous years, “eight reporting alcohol companies placed alcoholic products in 233 motion pictures and in one or more episodes of 181 different television series.” (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/02/11) addiction-dirkh.blogspot.com, 01/01/11

By Joseph A. Califano, Jr.
The New Year is a time for resolutions and here are my suggestions for some of those responsible for curbing drug and alcohol abuse and addiction:
For doctors: Resolve to take responsibility to treat substance abuse and addiction with the same medical professionalism devoted to other diseases.
For medical schools: Resolve to give more than the usual two or three hours to teach the subject of substance abuse and addiction. Then medical students won’t have to wait until their clinical training, residencies and fellowships to learn how alcohol and other drug abuse and addiction cause and exacerbate most ailments and accidents they will confront as family doctors, general surgeons or cancer or other specialists. …. (Source: The Chairman’s Corner, 01/03/11) our Online-Comment: I find the wishes to the Obama-administration and to all of us are too weak. We have to inform about the WHO-Resolution on a global Alcohol-Strategy, which gives exact proposals what we can do to reduce the alcohol related harm. The people and the politicians cannot discuss the matter without this information. That’s why the lobbying of the alcohol industry is still too strong and effective.

Introduction: The alcohol and tobacco industry sell products that can be dangerous to our health. For this reason, governments take action by, for example, raising taxes, enforcing age limits, prescribing warning labels and restricting advertising and sponsoring.
Literature shows that the “industry”—the alcohol and tobacco companies—have traditionally worked closely together, sharing information and concerns about regulation. They have used similar arguments to defend their products in order to prevent or delay restrictions being placed on them (Bond, et al. 2010).
The intention of this brochure is to inform professionals about the attempts made by the alcohol industry to influence alcohol policy globally and to subsequently arm them against the industry’s methods to prevent effective policies from being made. (Source: EUCAM, 01/02/11) „The seven key messages of the alcohol industry“ (pdf) Comment: Very often public health professionals who are not involved in alcohol control policy are not informed what’s happening in this field. And in the political debate they are helpless. This brochure could make a difference.

Center for youth education (CEM) and its partner organization for drug abuse prevention – LINK started a two year long project called „Alcohol free lifestyle“. The level of alcohol consumption among minors in Bosnia and Herzegovina is becoming alarming! The research made by the Institute for Public health of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina during 2009 shows that out of 2970 questioned students, from the elementary and high schools, 61% of them consume alcohol. 50% of those drink mostly beer, 30% wine and 20% spirits. 51 % of them claimed that they can easily get alcohol and 12% of them said that they started drinking before they were 12 years old. (Source: Active Newsletter December 2010)

Marin Institute staffers recently returned from the Alcohol Policy 15 conference, where they gave several presentations on Big Alcohol industry tactics. These presentations are now available to the public.

The Century Council – that venerable industry front group that purportedly aims to curb drunk driving and underage drinking – has stumped us this time with its holiday-themed responsibility ploy. It’s called the “Snowman Stumble,” an online game apparently intended to teach people about alcohol impairment. In this time-waster, the Century Council wants you to control a snowman walking home from a holiday party, and see how far you can get before the snowman falls over. Source: Marin Institute, 12/21/10)