Alcohol News - 26/2020

The BMJ (Europe) - Alcohol: WHO tells Europe to raise prices to reduce härm
Higher alcohol taxes, applied more effectively, are needed throughout Europe to reduce harms from problem drinking in a region with the world’s highest alcohol consumption, says the World Health Organization.
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World Health Organization (Europe) - New WHO report on alcohol pricing: Europe ignores cost-effective ways to lower health risks
According to the new WHO/Europe report, “Alcohol pricing in the WHO European Region”, increasing the prices that consumers pay for alcohol is one of the most cost-effective tools available for policy-makers looking to reduce alcohol consumption and associated harm.
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HeraldScotland (Scotland) - WHO praises Scotland's 'promising' minimum alcohol pricing
THE World Health Organisation has praised "robust evidence" for minimum unit pricing on alcohol, but said it must be tied to inflation for the benefits to last.
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Otago Daily Times (New Zealand) - Bid to tackle alcohol-related harm in city after lockdown
A multi-agency action plan to cut alcohol-related harm is ramping up in Christchurch after an increase in drinking believed to be fuelled by Covid-19-induced anxiety, social isolation and job uncertainty.
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RACGP (Australia) - Better pregnancy health labels on alcohol a ‘whole-of-community issue’
Healthcare organisations and individuals around Australia are calling for clear and consistent labelling to expand harm-minimisation strategies.
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Addiction Policy Forum - Understanding Genetic Influences on Problematic Alcohol Use
Psychiatric disorders are among the most common and most commonly ignored illnesses in the world. They affect more than 25% of the population in any given year and are a leading cause of worldwide disability.
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Alcohol Action Ireland - LOWERING ALCOHOL EXCISE DUTY WOULD BE COUNTER TO PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY
Alcohol Action Ireland, the national independent advocate for reducing alcohol harm, has today (30 June) called on the government not to follow the calls to reduce alcohol excise and taxes.
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The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology - Drinking alone: COVID-19, lockdown, and alcohol-related harm
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has, it is frequently said, changed everything. But to appreciate its effects fully, one must not only look at the ways in which clinical services have been reorganised to cope with the flood of patients with COVID-19, or even at the public health measures aimed at flattening the epidemic curve.
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LRT English (Lithuania) - Lithuania lifts ban on alcohol in beaches
Lithuania's parliament, Seimas, backed a proposal to ease restrictions on the sale of alcoholic drinks, allowing beverages with up to 15 percent alcohol to be sold at non-stationary beach cafes.
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The Brussels Times (Belgium) - Belgium sees major rise in alcohol locks on cars
The number of alcohol locks imposed by the Belgian courts has increased significantly in the last two years, judging by figures provided by Federal Mobility Minister François Bellot.
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Alcohol and Alcoholism (Germany) - Did the General Population in Germany Drink More Alcohol during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown?
In his review entitled ‘Are patients with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) at increased risk for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection?’, Testino (2020) examines the effect of alcohol consumption on the risk for a severe illness in case of infection by the new coronavirus 2019 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)].
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YLE.fi (Finland) - Survey: Finns divided on breaking up Alko wine monopoly
A survey commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) found that half the respondents wanted to see wine sold in grocery stores, and not exclusively by state alcohol monopoly retailer Alko.
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ERR.ee (Estonia) - Significant increase in vodka sales during pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic brought a nearly 1,000 percent increase in vodka sales in Estonia, which can partly be attributed to the lack of sanitizer available at the start of the pandemic and false claims that alcohol would no longer be sold in Estonia.
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