www.alkoholpolitik.ch

Europe’s eight biggest drinks makers have agreed to introduce continent-wide rules on the marketing of alcohol.
AB InBev, Bacardi, Brown-Forman, Carlsberg, Diageo, Heineken, Pernod Ricard and SAB Miller will work with the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and national trade associations to establish and implement common standards on social media marketing and age appropriate advertising and scheduling in each of the 27 member states (see below).

Although a voluntary agreement, the move follows pressure from the European Commission’s flagship alcohol harm reduction initiative, the European Alcohol Health Forum (EAHF) to establish a set of harmonised rules across the European Union following concern that standards were fragmented. …
(Source: Alcohol Reports, News 16/2012) marketingweek.co.uk., 04/16/12

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

Following the recent release of the Government Alcohol Strategy, here’s a selection of some of the comments and reaction.

Statements and responses

Alcohol Concern have released a short briefing responding directly to some of the specifics in the strategy, and also a press release which called for more public health spend on alcohol. It argues that alcohol remains the „Cinderella issue in competition with drugs, obesity, mental health and other issues“ and more than the current average 0.1% of PCT’s budgets must be invested in alcohol treatment and prevention. …
(Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 04/04/12)

Tell State Legislators to Vote NO on LB 824!

In early March, the Nebraska Supreme Court confirmed that flavored malt beverages, AKA „alcopops,“ are distilled spirits according to Nebraska law. That wise ruling allows the state to tax alcopops at the $3.75 per gallon spirits rate, which is 12 times higher than the beer tax of 31 cents per gallon.

Increasing the price of alcohol reduces the amount of access young people have to these products, and is one of the most effective policies to reduce alcohol-related harm.

Unfortunately, Nebraska senators immediately went on the defensive and advanced a bill (LB 824) to negate the court’s decision. LB 824 would re-define beer to include alcopops, keep them cheap and widely accessible to youth.

It’s time to tell the senators to place the health and safety of our youth ahead of Big Alcohol’s concerns for profits. It’s time to tell the senators to kill this bill and let the Supreme Court ruling stand. It’s time to tax alcopops as distilled spirits.

Protect Nebraska Youth From Alcopops — Tell State Legislators to Vote NO on LB 824!
(Source: Alcohol Justice, 03/23/12)

A special committee of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies is expected to vote Tuesday on the “General Law of the Cup” (“Lei Geral da Copa”), but relations between the government and the head of the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) have completely melted down after macho comments by Secretary General Jérôme Valcke. Last month, Valcke stated “Alcoholic drinks are part of the FIFA World Cup, so we’re going to have them. Excuse me if I sound a bit arrogant but that’s something we won’t negotiate.”

Valcke caused an explosive response in Brazil when he stated on Friday: “You have to push yourself, get a kick up the backside and just deliver this World Cup.“ That arrogant comment led to a powerful response by Brazilian Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo on Saturday, „In light of these statements, which are inadequate and unacceptable comments for any type of relationship, the Brazilian government… no longer accepts Secretary-General Valcke as an interlocutor.“ Brazilian presidential adviser Marco Aurelio Garcia added fuel to the fire Sunday, calling Valcke a loudmouth and a bum (“boquirroto” and “vagabundo”).

In an effort to reduce alcohol-related sports violence and protect public health in general, alcohol sales have been banned from football stadiums in Brazil since 2003. A World Health Organization study that included Brazil showed that about 46% of violent incidents seen in the emergency room were related to alcohol use. …
(Source: Alcohol Justice, 03/06/12)
See also press release by IOGT-International

PS Unfortunately, the special committee of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies has accepted the “General Law of the Cup”. It’s a shame! Now it is up to the parliament.

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.

Putting Tobacco in Movies and TV shows has long been politically unacceptable, except for certain period pieces. Now it’s booze under the spotlight with a report in April 2012 Pediatrics (published online March 5), showing that the more teenagers watched movies that featured consumption of alcohol, the more they were likely to drink themselves. The news is hardly surprising, considering how past generations were fed the cool of the cigarette or cigar in previous productions.

The data was collected in Europe and gathered from more than 16,500 youngsters aged 10 to 19. The students from Germany, Iceland, Italy,The Netherlands, Poland and Scotland were asked how often they had had 5 or more drinks on one occasion, and what popular movies they watched (in each country, the majority were Hollywood blockbusters). Movies were content coded for screen depictions of alcohol use. …
(Source: Medical News Today, 03/05/12)

Abstract
Aims: To provide an overview of alcoholics attending a socio-ecological treatment programme [Clubs of Alcoholics in Treatment (CATs)] and to identify factors associated with abstinence and self-perceived improvement in lifestyle.

Methods: A national sample of 7522 subjects (76% males and 24% females, mean age 53.2 ± 11.3 years ± SD) attending CATs was evaluated using a self-administered questionnaire completed at a weekly meeting in 2006.

Results: Of participants, >70% reported no alcohol use in the last year and around 90% indicated no use in the previous month, whereas 4% of them declared no alcohol use before club attendance. Abstinence and lifestyle improvement were related positively to the number of years of club attendance but negatively to the presence of other problems in addition to the alcohol-related one. Moreover, being older or female was associated with more likely achievement of abstinence as well as with the perception of a better lifestyle. Finally, attending the club with one or more family members was associated with achievement of better lifestyle.

Conclusion: These data provide an overview of alcoholics attending the CAT programme and are a first step toward developing a surveillance system. In addition, on the basis of this preliminary picture further research (notably longitudinal studies) can be planned considering this method and its effectiveness.
(Source: Alcohol Reports, 02/27/12) oxfordjournals.org, 02/23/12
Comment: I visited one of the first clubs at the beginning of their work in Udine. It was very impressing and I am glad they have such a success over the many years.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the world’s largest promoter of violent cage fighting events and Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI), makers of the Bud Light family of beers, are delivering harmful content to millions of youth. The underage viewers are treated to people beating one another to a bloody pulp, brought to them by Bud Light…or is it Blood Light?
Protect Youth, Pull the Plug on Bud Light Ads at UFC Fights

In its 2011 announcement of Bud Light’s UFC sponsorship renewal, ABI boasts that it “will continue to immerse the beer into all areas of the world’s premier mixed martial artsorganization.” This includes a thinly veiled effort to target underage youth with graphic violence and sexually explicit ads. According to UFC president Dana White, „…Our target audience is anywhere from age 17 to 35.“ …
(Source: Alcohol Justice, 02/27/12)

Students at the University of Edinburgh have banned the sale of SABMiller’s 200+ beer brands on campus after learning about the conglomerate’s business practices in some of the world’s poorest countries. According to the international advocacy group Action Aid, the world’s second largest brewer (with headquarters in London) has been dodging taxes in Africa for years. By shifting profits made in Africa into tax havens like Switzerland or the Netherlands, SABMiller can avoid paying taxes to the countries where it produces beer–countries that desperately need the revenue for basic public services such as education and healthcare. The University of Edinburgh student body’s move to ban SABMiller products sends a strong message to the company. Send your own message here.
(Source: Alcohol Justice, 02/23/12) studenttimes.org, 02/13/12
(We have reported on this issue before.)