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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.)

The government plans to introduce charges for treating alcohol-related illnesses.
A union representing doctors in Sri Lanka has protested against government plans to stop free healthcare for those addicted to alcohol.
The health ministry is planning to stop free health care to „alcohol-addicts“ from next month.
The union says the new measure jeopardises doctor-patient relations because medics are required to provide a health report for each patient.
The poor that will be twice punished by the measure, the union says.
Dr Nishantha Dasanayake, president of the All Ceylon Government Medical Officers‘ Association, said that the union is happy that Sri Lanka’s Medical Council has expressed objections to the government’s initiative. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/19/11) bbc.co.uk, 01/17/11