As the world turns its attention to Valentine’s Day, a global coalition of advocates is shining a light on a much less visible form of heartbreak. Children of Alcoholics (COA) Week 2026, running from February 8 to 14, has mobilized organizations across the UK, US, Europe, and Asia to address the “hidden hurt” of parental substance use.
https://alcoholcampaign.org/2026/02/12/global-campaign-shines-light-on-the-hidden-hurt-during-coa-week-2026/
South African Government News Agency (South Africa) - Government to push for
stronger alcohol legislation
Government will move to strengthen regulatory controls of alcohol in South
Africa in a bid to reduce road accidents, crime and other social ills.
https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/government-push-stronger-alcohol-legislation
NL Times (Netherlands) - Dutch program
using in-car alcohol lock cuts drunk driving long after end
A Dutch program that required drivers to install in-car breathalyzer
devices, known as alcohol ignition interlocks, significantly reduced repeat
drunk driving—even after the program ended—according to new research from Vrije
Universiteit Amsterdam.
https://nltimes.nl/2026/02/08/dutch-program-using-car-alcohol-lock-cuts-drunk-driving-long-end
News-Medical - Chronic alcohol use
profoundly alters gene expression in the brain's reward system
Chronic alcohol consumption profoundly alters gene expression in key brain
regions involved in reward, impulse control, and decision-making, according to
a study led by researchers at the Institute for Neurosciences, a joint center
of Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and the Spanish National Research
Council (CSIC). Published in the journal Addiction, the work provides new
insight into the biological basis of alcohol addiction and points toward
potential therapeutic targets.
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260209/Chronic-alcohol-use-profoundly-alters-gene-expression-in-the-brains-reward-system.aspx
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
(USA) - Alcohol warning labels may not be reaching US adults, new research
suggests
Only about one in four adult alcohol consumers in the United States has
read the federal alcohol health warning in the past month — and even fewer
remember what it says, according to new research led by Marissa Hall, PhD,
associate professor of health behavior at the UNC Gillings School of Global
Public Health.
https://sph.unc.edu/sph-news/alcohol-warning-labels-may-not-be-reaching-us-adults-new-research-suggests/
La Trobe University (Australia) - Celebrity
alcohol ads slip into teens’ Insta feeds
Celebrity actors, musicians and athletes are promoting their own alcohol
products on Instagram without clear disclosure of advertising content - and
almost all posts are visible to underage users, according to new research from
La Trobe University’s Centre for Alcohol Policy Research.
https://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/articles/2026/release/celebrity-alcohol-ads-slip-into-teens-insta-feeds
RTE.ie (Ireland) - The community groups
shifting our social scene away from alcohol
Journalist Anja Zauers looks at two of the community groups changing
Ireland's social scene in 2026. January may have come and gone (despite feeling
like it would never end), bringing with it bold resolutions for some and a
quiet urge to reinvent for others.
https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/living/2026/0209/1557467-the-community-groups-shifting-our-social-scene-away-from-alcohol/
RUV (Iceland) - Debate over alcohol
monopoly continues
Lára G. Sigurðardóttir and Elías Blöndal Guðjónsson have exchanged views on
alcohol and public health in recent days. They were guests on RÚV yesterday and
discussed access to alcohol and its impact on society.
https://www.ruv.is/english/2026-02-13-debate-over-alcohol-monopoly-continues-466847
Multistate (USA) - Alcohol Legislation
Takes A New Turn: Canned Cocktails, Direct-to-Consumer Shipping, and More
At the end of each year, our policy analysts share insights on the issues
that have been at the forefront of state legislatures throughout the year. Here
are the big developments and high-level trends we saw in 2025 in the alcohol
policy space, plus what you can expect in 2026.
https://www.multistate.us/insider/2026/2/12/alcohol-legislation-takes-a-new-turn-canned-cocktails-direct-to-consumer-shipping-and-more
BBC (Northern Ireland) - Rise in alcohol
deaths in young people concerning, says doctor
A rise in younger people suffering deaths from alcohol is concerning, a
doctor has said. Statistics published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and
Research Agency (Nisra) show the number of deaths caused exclusively by alcohol
has increased by 81% in 10 years.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq572yd342jo
Rayo (Scotland) - Dangers of drinking not
taken seriously enough in Scotland, health campaigners say
A report has been published campaigning for a 50p per unit minimum price
and reduced availability of alcohol to be introduced as soon as possible.
https://www.hellorayo.co.uk/mfr/local/news/dangers-drinking-taken-seriously-enough-scotland-health-campaigners-says-3
IAS (UK) - Is the Great British Pub on the
verge of extinction? The truth behind the headlines
We’re all very used to these headlines – and these were in 2025 alone. For
decades now, there has been increasing concern at the decline in the number of
pubs across the UK.
https://www.ias.org.uk/2026/02/10/is-the-great-british-pub-on-the-verge-of-extinction-the-truth-behind-the-headlines/
PopNAD (Norway) - Increasing alcohol and
cannabis use among youth and young adults in Norway- what does the data tell
us?
This article examines how alcohol and cannabis use among young people in
Norway has changed in recent years, based on new analyses from the Norwegian
Institute of Public Health (FHI). Drawing on data from long-running national
surveys, it describes developments in levels of use, patterns of consumption,
perceptions of risk, and related consequences among adolescents and young
adults.
https://nordicwelfare.org/popnad/en/artiklar/increasing-alcohol-and-cannabis-use-among-youth-and-young-adults-in-norway-what-does-the-data-tell-us/
Le Monde (France) - French companies cut
down on drinking at work
Abstinence is gaining traction in France, including among employers. The
electric utility company EDF banned alcohol consumption on all sites, prompting
internal protest.
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2026/02/07/french-companies-cut-down-on-drinking-at-work_6750258_19.html
NordAN (Sweden) - CAN invites Sweden to
“play a role” for children living among drinking problems
Everyone can play a role for children and young people who grow up with an
adult who drinks too much. That is the message during the awareness week Play a
role, which is held every year around Valentine’s Day. In 2026, Play a role
takes place on 9 to 15 February.
https://www.nordicalcohol.org/post/can-invites-sweden-to-play-a-role-for-children-living-with-harmful-drinking
No comments:
Post a Comment