www.alkoholpolitik.ch

In 2008 the Lithuanian Parliament accepted an amendment to the Alcohol Control Law that would install a comprehensive ban on alcohol advertising in the year 2012. Now with only 6 months left the pressure to withdraw the ban is steadily rising. The alcohol industry has stepped up its lobbying activities and politicians are backing out.
The Lithuanian National Tobacco and Alcohol Control Coalition reports that Sven Langeneckert, Vice President of the Carlsberg Group traveled to Lithuania to convince the prime minister why the total ban must be stopped. Lietuvos Rytas, a Lithuanian newspaper
even quoted the Carlsberg Vice President as saying that the company would leave the country if the ban would come into force. Such a withdrawal could possibly have a severe impact on the Lithuanian economy as Carlsberg owns the countries’ leading brewery
Svyturys-Utenos Alus. The quote was later denied by Carlsberg, stating that ‘Mr Langeneckert’s words were misinterpreted’, and that the group would not withdraw from Lithuania’. (Source: Eucam, 06/17/11) Comment: In other countries the parliament not even dares to accept such a law.

Minister of the Interior Ögmundur Jónasson submitted a bill in parliament yesterday evening on amendments to the law on alcohol with the purpose of making the ban on advertising alcoholic beverages clearer and more efficient.
It is suggested that the supervision of the ban be moved from the police to the Consumer Agency and that administrative fines can be issued in the case of violations.
As reported on Rás 2 yesterday, the bill includes a ban on advertising light alcoholic beer if the bottles or cans are so similar to regular beer that they can easily be confused. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/08/11) icelandreview.com, 06/01/11

The Swedish government Tuesday launched a new comprehensive strategy to deal with alcohol, drugs, doping and tobacco problems together, Xinhua informs.
„The overall objective is to make Swedish society free from illicit drugs and doping with fewer medical and social damage caused by alcohol and tobacco,“ Maria Larsson, Swedish Minister for Children and Elderly, said in a statement.
The goal is to address the overall problem caused by the use and abuse of alcohol, drugs, doping and tobacco.
Statistics show that 15 percent of the total disease burden in Sweden is due to the harmful effects that may be linked to the use and abuse of alcohol, drugs, doping and tobacco.
The strategy is proposed for 2011-2015 and was passed in the parliament at the end of March this year.
The government will invest 260 million kronor (about 40 million U.S. dollars) per year to support effort such as parents whose children take drugs or children who are abused at home. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/25/11) focus-fen.net, 04/20/11

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has praised a private member’s bill put forward in parliament today by Dr Sarah Wollaston, MP for Totnes. Dr Wollaston will put forward proposals to limit the exposure of children and young people to alcohol advertising as a Ten Minute Rule Motion. (Source: Medical News Today, 03/31/11)

Fifty-six pilots working for Indian airlines have failed alcohol tests in the last two years, according to a list issued by the civil aviation ministry.
Ten pilots were fired after they failed tests, including one who was found over the limit on two occasions, according to the list released by Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi in parliament Thursday.
The fifty-six pilots worked for the state-owned national carrier Air India, as well as private airlines Jet Airways, Indigo, SpiceJet, GoAir, and Kingfisher.
Twenty-three pilots from India’s top airline company Jet Airways failed their tests, but the airline did not sack any of them, putting them on suspension and subjecting them to a pay cut instead. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 03/14/11) google.com, 03/10/11

The Latvian parliament plans to vote on a proposal which would limit trade with alcohol in the near future. The daily Latvijas Avīze welcomes the initiative: „In Latvia more than 10 litres of pure alcohol are consumed per capita and per year, there are countless alcoholics and statistics show that the number of minors being brought into hospitals with alcohol poisoning is on the rise. … (Quelle: Google Alkohol Alert, 25.2.10) eurotopics.net, 24.2.10

After three readings in both chambers of the Swiss Parliament, when the small Federal Chamber always said no and the big National Chamber said always yes to ads in all TV stations and private broadcasting for wine and beer they both agreed after a joint meeting of a commission to this new law, following the demand by the European Union to accept the EU directives on TV over the frontiers. This was a condition because Switzerland wanted to have a Media-Agreement with the EU and profit from film sponsoring. Since the beginning of Swiss Television alcohol advertising was always banned for preventive reasons.
Comment: This is a very sad moment, after a long fight in parliament. The only hope is now that future EU regulations on alcohol will be better and have to be taken by the Swiss legislation. It is against all logic and research on the influence of marketing on youth, in a time when alcohol abuse of young people is in the headlines. But the liberals, the conservatives and even christian democrates in agreement with economy organisations, the alcohol and marketing industry are too strong. The medias didn’t take up the matter and brought only short statements by agencies. This is freedom of the press. Journalists are not obliged to follow their own ethical basic rules which say journalists have to contribute to an open discussion in society. That means that the people cannot make up a realistic mind and put pressure on the parliament.
Theoretically there is the possibility to launch a referendum because this Media-Agreement is an international contract. But I doubt that there is somebody to take this chance as the industry, and the media are financially and in their publicity too strong.

„Australians will be told to drink and smoke less and eat less junk food by a new preventative health watchdog that will begin monitoring the health system within months. Health Minister Nicola Roxon said legislation for a National Preventative Health Agency would be introduced into Parliament within the next fortnight, forming a key part of the Government’s plan to reduce preventable illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. The independent but publicly funded agency will be responsible for a major preventative health advertising push, policy advice, health surveillance, consultation and research. It will begin in January, staffed by government-appointed population health experts.“ (Source: Harvard World Health News, 9/10/09) The Sydney Morning Herald, 9/6/09