Alcohol News: January 2011

Monday, January 31, 2011

Alcohol News - 5/2011

manx.net (Sweden) - Schools Take Part In Europe-Wide Drug and Alcohol Survey

The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD) is about to launch its 2011 questionnaire. The study, led from Sweden, will carry out its fifth survey this year. Forty countries will take part, including small nations such as Iceland, Faroe Islands, Malta, Cyprus and the Isle of Man.

Helsinki Times (Finland) - Finland's Räsänen accuses Risikko of kowtowing to alcohol industry

Päivi Räsänen, the Finnish opposition Christian Democrat leader, said Saturday that she was disappointed in Paula Risikko's decision not to pursue a ban on image-based alcohol advertising.

University of Gothenburg (Sweden) - Women involved in leisure activities drink less alcohol

Women who are satisfied with everyday life and are involved in leisure activities rarely have problems with alcohol, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy.

News24Online (Denmark) - Alcohol in pregnancy can damage kids fertility

Mothers who drink alcohol while they are pregnant may be damaging the fertility of their future sons, experts believe. The Danish researchers analysed the sperm of almost 350 young men and compared the results with information on drinking habits their mothers had given 20 years earlier when pregnant with them.

MSNBC - Heavy drinking may raise abnormal heart rhythm risk

People who drink regularly, especially heavy drinkers, may be more likely than teetotalers to suffer atrial fibrillation, a type of abnormal heart rhythm, according to a research review.

PC Magazine - Alcohol-Detecting Cars Could Keep Drunk Drivers Off the Road

Researchers in Massachusetts are working on creating technology that would keep a car from starting if the driver is drunk.

TVNZ (New Zealand) - Review calls for mandatory alcohol warnings to women

A Trans-Tasman review recommends a push for labels to be placed on alcohol warning of the dangers of drinking while pregnant.

NACS Online (USA) - Tax and Trade Bureau Considers Alcohol Labeling

A proposal presently before the federal Tax and Trade Bureau — the agency with authority over alcohol labels — is seeking that alcohol producers list nutrition information such as calories, carbohydrates, serving size and alcohol per serving on spirits, beer and wine, the Associated Press reports.

Herald Scotland (Scotland) - Scots top UK alcohol league

Scots were typically drinking one unit of alcohol more per week in the year to 2009 – the equivalent of a single whisky, one-third of a pint of beer or half a standard glass of red wine.

Natural Products INSIDER - JAMA Commentary: Energy Drinks Accelerate Risks

Energy drinks, with or without alcohol, pose a threat to individual and public health and safety and more research is needed to guide regulation, according to Amelia M. Arria, Ph.D., and Mary Claire O’Brien, MD, both from University of Maryland School of Public Health, in a JAMA commentary.

Bloomberg (Turkey) - Erdogan Defends Revised Alcohol Curbs in Turkey, Hurriyet Says

Stiff new alcohol curbs in Turkey are necessary to protect Turkish youth and have nothing to do with the religious sentiments of the Islamic-rooted government, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Hurriyet newspaper.

Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - Alcohol-related liver disease in young people up 50% in a decade

The number of young people having to be treated in hospital for serious liver disease has risen by more than 50 per cent in the last decade, figures show.

World Radio Switzerland (Switzerland) - Beer ad ban sought for sports events

Addiction Info Switzerland is calling for a ban on advertising for booze at sporting events as paert of a total overhaul of the country’s Alcohol Act.

Business Daily Africa (Kenya) - Bar owners lose court battle against alcohol laws

The alcoholic beverages industry players face further revenue losses after High Court ordered the full implementation of the alcohol control law.

Independent (UK) - In a glass of our own: Britain's troubled relationship with alcohol

Everyone is in a hurry to drink themselves into insensibility," observed a foreign visitor to this country.

msnbc.com - Anxiety -- not social fears -- may spur teens to drink more

A new study in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism highlights the complex relationship between mental health and substance use. Although it was known that anxious teens often self-medicate with alcohol, a group of Finnish researchers, led by Sari Fröjd at the University of Tampere, showed those teens are also more likely to continue using alcohol two years later.

Telegraf.by (Belarus) - Interior Ministry Wants to Reduce Permissible Level of Alcohol in Blood

The permissible level of blood alcohol from 0.5 to 0.3 ppm will be reduced in Belarus in 2011. This was reported by Interior Minister Anatoli Kuleshov. "The document, providing for reducing the permissible level of alcohol in the blood, is currently under consideration by the Council of Ministers," said the MIA head.

Financial Times (Vietnam) - Vietnam: Diageo thirsty for local alcohol

While a select class of wealthy Vietnamese men like nothing more than cracking open a bottle of Johnnie Walker with their mates at a karaoke bar, the vast majority of alcohol consumed here is home-made “rice wine” served in re-used plastic water bottles. But tastes are changing as the middle class grows and Diageo, the global drinks group, has forked over £33m for a stake in a local vodka maker as it seeks to tap into the growing fondness for higher quality but affordable Vietnamese brands.

The Publican (UK) - May claims below-cost ban will cut alcohol incidents by 7,000

Home Secretary Theresa May has claimed the ban on below-cost selling will mean 7,000 fewer alcohol-related incidents and 1,000 fewer hospital admissions a year.

Ukrainian Radio (Ukraine) - Alcohol industry will be privatized sooner or later, Minister says

This opinion was expressed by Minister of Agricultural Policy and Food Mykola Prysiazhniuk. "Sooner or later the alcohol industry will be corporatized and privatized. But what a form - now we are working on with the Ministry of Economy," the minister said.

Deutsche Welle (Germany) - German thirst for beer continues to fall

Beer consumption in the home of some of the most-loved beer brands in the world is continuing to drop, according to official statistics released this week. Beverage makers are turning to experimental alternatives.

Irish Times (Ireland) - Call for price floor below which alcohol cannot be sold

A LEADING charity has called for the sale of alcohol to be restricted and the introduction of a price floor below which it cannot be sold.

Alcohol News - 4/2011

The Telegraph (Denmark) - Why is Denmark the cancer capital of the world?

One reason why Danish people seem to be particularly susceptible to cancer is that its record of diagnosing the disease is so good, meaning that more cases are picked up by the country's doctors than in most other parts of the world. But there are also lifestyle factors which could be having an influence on the figures reported by the World Cancer Research Fund from the World Health Organisation.

Radio Sweden (Sweden) - Criticism of motorist alcohol devices

Sweden has a programme where people convicted of driving while under the influence of alcohol can keep their licences, if they agree to having an ignition interlock device in their car for two years. Motorists have to blow into a tube in the device, which then is supposed to measure their alcohol level.

Helsinki Times (Finland) - Finland's Risikko not to push for curbs on image alcohol ads

Paula Risikko (cons), the health and social services minister, does not intend to pursue a ban on image-based alcohol advertising, the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) reported Friday.

YLE.fi (Finland) - Alcohol Now Plagues Youth and Pensioners

The young and the elderly now receive treatment for illnesses caused by alcohol in greater numbers than before. However, alcohol-related ailments still strike middle-aged men most frequently, says a report by the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) - NSW police warn about alcohol crime

NSW police have issued a stern warning about alcohol-related crime on Australia Day after a string of violent attacks on officers.

USA Today (USA) - Alcohol industry grapples with nutrition labeling

"In the year 2011, it's sort of bizarre that alcohol's the only consumable product sold in the United States that you can't tell what's inside the bottle," says Guy Smith, executive vice president in North America for Diageo, the world's leading distilled spirits, beer and wine company.

Canada.com (Canada) - Debate over combat sports, alcohol sales re-emerge

Now that plans to hold mixed martial arts fights at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre have been scrapped, the issue of allowing alcohol sales at these events has re-emerged.

BusinessWeek (China) - New Clue to How Chinese Remedy Curbs Drinking

Taking kudzu root extract to curb drinking leads to an increase in blood ethanol levels, which might lessen the desire for more alcohol, researchers report.

Opposing Views - New Study: Alcohol Damages Memory

A study in the June issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research uses Internet-based technology to find that heavy alcohol consumption has a negative impact on day-to-day memory.

Mirror.co.uk (UK) - Price of pint of beer 'to go up by 30p'

The price of a pint of beer could rise by as much as 30p as spiralling costs come to a head, experts predicted today.

Newsweek (Turkey) - Turkey’s Teetotalers

The founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, was so fond of raki that he died of liver disease. But alcohol is becoming the latest battleground in Turkey’s culture wars. New regulations introduced this month by the conservative, Islamic-leaning AK Party government have caused a storm of protest from the imbibing elite.

The Guardian (UK) - On alcohol pricing, the coalition should learn from Scotland's experience

The news that the coalition intends to set a minimum price for alcohol will come as some surprise north of the border, where, for some, the wee dram has been replaced by a much cheaper can of strong cider – resulting in the fastest rising rate of liver disease in the world.

Vancouver Sun (Canada) - Study says alcohol problems in B.C. linked to rise in private liquor stores

Alcohol-related deaths and alcohol consumption appear to be going up in British Columbia along with the number of private liquor stores, a University of Victoria study released Tuesday says.

MedPage Today - Afib Risk Rises With Alcohol Intake

Although drinking moderate amounts of alcohol is believed to have cardiovascular benefits, it may also increase the risk of atrial fibrillation, a meta-analysis showed.

BusinessWeek (Netherlands) - Genetics Could Play Role in Teen Drinking

Researchers collected DNA from 282 teens in the Netherlands who had consumed alcohol at least once in their lives. The teens were also asked about their reasons for drinking and the degree of alcohol-related problems they had experienced.

Daily Mail - How those Friday night glasses of wine could be quietly killing you

Are you one of the many who try not to drink alcohol during the week, but save it for the weekend? No doubt you think it helps you function better — surely it’s also healthier than drinking daily.

Irish Independent - Cigarettes and alcohol blamed for men dying younger

A new report has unlocked the mystery of why men die so much younger than women - and smoking and drinking habits are two of the biggest culprits.

Alcohol News - 3/2011

ERR News (Estonia) - Drunk Driving Seen Alarmingly Often Among Truck Drivers

More long-haul truckers are being found to be driving with alcohol in their system, some of them with levels punishable as criminal drunk driving.

The Medical News (Finland) - Amount of alcohol and pattern of consumption affect risk of cognitive impairment

The study, conducted at the University of Turku, University of Helsinki and National Institute for Health and Welfare in Finland based on subjects from the Finnish Twin Cohort, shows that midlife alcohol consumption is related to the risk of dementia assessed some 20 years later.

Innovations (Sweden) - Consumption Report 2010: Swedes' alcohol consumption is falling

Despite the fact that the Swedish Alcohol Retail Monopoly's sales are rising and statistics from Statistics Sweden indicate that we drink more and more alcohol, the trend is going in the opposite direction – Swedes' alcohol consumption is falling. This emerges from the Consumption Report 2010 (Konsumtionsrapporten 2010) published by the Centre for Consumer Science at the University of Gothenburg.

AHN All Headline News - Study: Energy drinks don't lessen effects of alcohol

A new study finds that mixing Red Bull with alcoholic beverages such as vodka have no effect on enhancing performance on a driving test or improving sustained attention or reaction times.

The Media Line (Yemen) - Yemen’s hidden alcohol problem

It’s nine o’clock at night on a busy road on the outskirts of Sana’a and a man is waiting in the shadows. Samir, a 22-year-old university student, has been cruising in his car with his mates and has been engaged in a constant mobile phone negotiation with this man until finally, a location for the deal is made.

THE NEWSLETTER CONTINUES

Alcohol PSA - from years passed

Monday, January 10, 2011

Alcohol News - 2/2011

IceNews (Finland) - Tasteful tipples outstrip binge boozing

Finns are becoming more sophisticated in their tastes in alcohol, choosing Champagnes and sparkling wines over beer and hard liquor, according to a national health body. As well as an increased interest more tasteful tipples such as Rosé, bottled long drinks are also flying off supermarket shelves.

Radio Sweden (Sweden) - Government plan to fight substance abuse

The Swedish center-right government has presented a four-year plan to reduce the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and narcotics - especially among the youngsters.

Nordstjernan (Sweden) - Young Swedes drink less

Alcohol consumption among young Swedes, especially men, is decreasing. Older Swedes and women drink as much as before whereas young men more than before say no to alcohol, according to researchers at Centrum för socialvetenskaplig alkohol och drogforskning, SoRAD (Center for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs).

Stockholm News (Sweden) - Risky job to review beverage serving

Three out of ten municipal alcohol administrators have experienced threats in connection with their work of inspecting alcoholic beverage serving at restaurants and pubs, according to a survey among the country's all 308 alcohol administrators.

Fox News (Chile) - Chilean Researchers Working on Alcoholism Vaccine

A team of researchers in Chile are working to come up with a vaccine against alcoholism. If successful, the patient will get a shot a month and not crave alcohol anymore.

BBC (Scotland) - Call to ban self-service tills for buying alcohol

The use of self-service supermarket tills for buying alcohol should be banned, according to an MSP.

TIME - The Growing Link Between Alcoholism and Obesity

Can salty, fatty, sugary foods be addictive? Recent neurological research has shown that overeating lights up the same brain pathways as drug use, so it's not surprising that new research from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found a connection between a family history of alcohol addiction and obesity.

FT.com (Middle East) - Alcohol producers see cheer in region

From Saudi Arabia’s zero tolerance to Beirut’s buzzing nightlife, the Middle East poses challenges and opportunities for alcohol producers. And as the region realigns itself after the global financial crisis, the trends in drinks consumption also paint a picture of a region in flux.

AFP (Kenya) - Kenya cracks down on out-of-hours drinkers

Kenya has arrested several hundred people for out-of-hours drinking in the wake of new laws which restrict the sale and consumption of alcohol, according to police.

USA Today (Mexico) - Mexico City police clamp down on drunken driving

Inebriated drivers blowing over the legal limit routinely offer bribes to six-year-veteran cop Ernesto Martínez, who works with a team of police officers and doctors operating the "alcoholímetro," or breathalyzer.

Washington Post (USA) - JHU Study: Alcohol commercials reach growing number of youth

In recent years, alcohol companies have vowed to reduce the number of youth who see their commercials by voluntarily strengthening their own rules for when and where to place ads.

Hurriyet Daily News (Turkey) - Booze ad ban knocks Turkey's Efes Pilsen off court

Turkey’s leading basketball club will be forced to either change its name or shut down completely under a new bylaw on sponsorships by tobacco and alcohol brands that was published in the Official Gazette on Friday.

Stuff.co.nz (New Zealand) - Girls lead the drunken charge to A&E

A programme to track how booze-related injuries clog health resources has found an increase in the number of youths so drunk they need hospital emergency treatment and that girls are the fastest-growing group among young problem drinkers.

Irish Medical Times (Ireland) - New study links binge drinking in Ireland to higher risk of developing heart disease

The study, which compared drinking patterns of middle-aged men from three cities in France with those in Belfast, found that the volume of alcohol consumed over a week in both countries was almost identical. However, in Belfast, alcohol tended to be drunk over one or two days rather than regularly throughout the week, as in France.

Holiday Hangover: Alcohol Linked to SIDS Deaths

The New Year's Day hangover can be deadly for caregivers who have had a night of heavy drinking and awake to find a lifeless baby in the crib. ABC reports.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Alcohol News - 1/2011

Helsinki Times (Finland) - Many Finnish parents drink too much alcohol
From the child's perspective, too much alcohol is consumed in one in four Finnish homes, the A-Clinic Foundation said on Thursday.
Read more
YLE (Finland) - Alcohol Consumption Falls in Finland
Finns drank less alcohol this year than last. However, if alcohol tax is not raised, consumption might yet exceed recent records, says Valvira, the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health.
Read more
IceNews (Iceland) - Higher alcohol and fuel prices for Iceland
The price of alcoholic drinks and petrol and diesel are set to increase from 1st January as another tax hike takes hold. Weary Icelandic consumers can take some comfort in the fact that the price rises will be smaller than previous increases since the banking crisis.
Read more
Reuters - Family history of alcoholism raises obesity risk
People with a family history of alcoholism may be turning to high-calorie treats instead of booze to satisfy their addiction, U.S. researchers say, a change that could be fueling the obesity epidemic.
Read more
USA Today (USA) - More underage drinkers end up in ER on New Year's
Alcohol-related New Year's celebrations send an alarmingly high number of young people to hospital emergency rooms, says a report out today.
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Ivanhoe - Alcohol Consumption Increases Amphetamine Abuse
Amphetamines are drugs known as stimulants, and are commonly abused in the U.S. This study shows that the amount of alcohol consumed may increase the likelihood of developing drug abuse, which can be used in helping to understand treatment challenges.
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UPI.com (USA) - Alcohol: Limit access, prevent excess
U.S. public health experts propose protecting public health by limiting the days and hours alcohol can be sold.
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BBC News (Scotland) - Call to 'tag' bottles of alcohol in Scotland
Scottish Labour have called on local licensing boards to enforce the "tagging" of bottles of alcohol to help reduce under-age drinking.
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Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - Unhealthy lifestyle 'ingrained by age 16'
A sedentary lifestyle, bad eating habits and alcohol consumption all kick in by the age of 19, but researchers found that 16 was the 'tipping point' for this type of behaviour.
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Herald Sun (Australia) - Alcohol behind almost all murders in Queensland, figures reveal
ALMOST every murder committed in Queensland during the past year was suspected to involve alcohol, crime statistics show.
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New Zealand Herald (New Zealand) - PM's posers stall alcohol cuts
The Government believes New Zealand drivers aren't ready to moderate their drinking. We know they are. So take responsibility for keeping our roads safe by signing up: Two Drinks Max.
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Times of India - Binge drinking ups future depression risk
Researchers at the Loyola University Health System have found that exposing adolescent rats to binge amounts of alcohol permanently altered the system that produces hormones in response to stress.
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San Francisco Chronicle - Parenting style can determine teen drinking habits
Most parents agree that they don't want their teenagers drinking heavily. Although parents don't always agree on what deters a teen from filling up cup after cup at a high school keg party.
Read more
AsiaOne (Thailand) - Alcohol banned in 110 parks
Most of Thailand's 110 national parks, including Khao Yai, have been declared alcohol-free zones. Not only will there be a ban on booze sales, but visitors will also be barred from bringing alcoholic drinks into the parks.
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Zee News (Sri Lanka) - No free treatment for alcohol-linked ailments: Lanka govt
State hospitals in Sri Lanka, which otherwise provide free treatment, will now make patients pay for treating ailments related to alcohol consumption.
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Focus Infomation (Spain) - Tougher traffic laws cut road deaths in Spain
The government credits the introduction of tough new road laws as well as the greater use of alcohol checkpoints and speed scanners for the decline in deaths from road accidents.
Read more

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Year in Review: Alcohol news in 2010

JANUARY

January 1
(Russia) Trying to break Russia's vodka dependence
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is hoping for some New Year's resolution among his countrymen, as he takes on one of Russia's most deeply-entrenched and prickliest problems – alcoholism. From 1 January, restrictions on the price of vodka in Russia come into force.
Read more
January 12
(Scotland) Alcohol abuse 'costs every Scot £900 a year'
Alcohol misuse could be costing every adult in Scotland £900 every year, according to a new report. York University economists said the problem may be costing taxpayers between £2.4bn and £4.6bn.
Read more
January 28
(UK) Alcohol-related deaths in Britain rising fast
Alcohol-related deaths in Britain have more than doubled over the past 16 years, official statistics showed Thursday, with those in managerial and professional jobs regularly drinking more than manual workers.
Read more

FEBRUARY

February 1
Booze-related violence on the rise among youths
The number of alcohol-fuelled acts of violence by youths in Germany has seen a stunning increase over the last decade, a new study released on Monday showed.
Read more
February 22
(Israel) Vodka most popular alcoholic drink in Israel
Israelis drank more alcohol in 2009 and drink vodka more than any other alcoholic beverage, according to a survey conducted by the BDI business information company.
Read more
February 22
(Australia) Alcohol industry 'infiltrating' government bodies, policies
THE alcohol industry is infiltrating government bodies and influencing policies, a public health expert says. Public Health Association of Australia president Professor Mike Daube says the industry is as bad as "Big Tobacco" when it comes to pushing their wares.
Read more
February 22
(UK) 'Children, Young People and Alcohol' DCSF report published
The report 'Children, Young People and Alcohol' aims to better understand parents’ and young people’s attitudes and behaviour towards alcohol and alcohol consumption. The research was also designed to investigate how children’s behaviour may be influenced by their parent’s attitudes and behaviour towards alcohol.
Read more
February 25
Anti-booze adverts 'raise alcohol use'
Advertising campaigns that warn against alcohol abuse can actually spur increase in drinking among target audiences, claims a new study. The research from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business is forthcoming in the Journal of Marketing Research.
Read more

MARCH

March 19
Alcohol worse than drugs in Pacific: report
Alcohol abuse is a bigger problem for Pacific communities than drugs, according to an Australian report, which links drinking to domestic violence and wide-ranging health problems.
Read more
March 23
(Russia) Vodka drinking is top killer of Russians: study
Russia's heavy consumption of cheap, strong alcoholic beverages is the key factor behind the low life expectancy of its citizens, a leading Russian institute said in a study released Tuesday.
Read more

APRIL

April 12
Adolescent drinking adds to risk of breast disease, breast cancer
Girls and young women who drink alcohol increase their risk of benign (noncancerous) breast disease, says a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Harvard University. Benign breast disease increases the risk for developing breast cancer.
Read more
April 12
(EU) Alcohol consumption is falling in most big European countries
ACROSS Europe, economies are stagnating and unemployment is climbing. Reason enough, you might think, to hit the bottle. Europeans put away over nine litres of alcohol a year per person, twice the global average. The European Commission has declared that alcohol is a “key public-health and social concern”. Yet in most big EU countries drinking is in decline.
Read more
April 12
Drinking spreads in social networks
Social networks can be powerful, influencing such important health behaviors as gaining weight or quitting smoking, Harvard researchers have reported in a series of studies. Now the same team says that how much alcohol an individual drinks is affected by relatives and friends, a conclusion that has implications for how to help problem drinkers.
Read more
April 12
(UK) Report: Expensive Health Campaigns Fail To Curb Britons’ Excessive Eating, Drinking
A report by independent British health charity the King’s Fund assesses the performance of the government’s National Health Service to guide voters about to cast their ballot on May 6 for the next government.
Read more
April 13
Fetal alcohol disorders common in Eastern Europe adoptees
Many children adopted from Eastern European countries may have been exposed to damaging levels of alcohol in the womb, a new study suggests.
Read more

MAY

May 2
(Denmark) Young Danes dying from alcohol abuse
A new study has confirmed the image of heavy drinking Danes, with reports of 25 youths dying from alcohol abuse since 2002.
Read more
May 3
(Sweden) Sweden Fighting Teenage Alcohol Abuse
The attitude of parents is a vital factor in the fight against alcohol abuse among teenagers Swedish agencies say. The Swedish National Institute of Public Health has joined forces with national police in a year-long campaign against buying alcohol for teenagers.
Read more
May 19
Alcohol Companies Use New Media to Lure Young Drinkers: Report
Alcohol companies are increasingly using the latest new media technologies -- including cell phones, social networking sites, YouTube and other features of the expanding digital universe -- to reach young drinkers, a new report contends.
Read more
May 20
(WHO) WHO to tackle alcohol misuse, binge drinking
Health ministers agreed on Thursday to try to curb binge drinking and other growing forms of excessive alcohol use through higher taxes on alcoholic drinks and tighter marketing regulations. The global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol was adopted by consensus at the annual assembly of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Read more
May 23
(WHO) Alcohol kills 2.5 million people worldwide: WHO
Harmful use of alcohol kills 2.5 million people annually and is the eighth leading factor for deaths globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said. Of the 2.5 million people, 320,000 people are between 15 and 29 years of age, it said.
Read more

JUNE

June 11
(UK) Knighthood for alcohol campaigner
The head of the Royal College of Physicians, who has campaigned for measures to tackle alcohol misuse, has been knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.
Read more
June 22
(EU) 4th European Alcohol Policy Conference : "From capacity to action"
The Fourth European Alcohol Policy Conference was held on 21 and 22 June 2010 by Eurocare, the European Alcohol Policy Alliance. The aim of the Conference was to gather people from a broad range of sectors to exchange and communicate on alcohol-related issues and policies aiming at effectively preventing and reducing alcohol-related harm.
Read more
June 28
(New Zealand) Six-fold surge in deaths from alcohol
The number of alcohol-related deaths investigated by the Coroner's Office has increased dramatically, mostly due to binge drinking. In the eight years to 2008, the toll rose by more than six times to 254.
Read more

JULY

July 5
(Africa) Global brewers hope to tap a new market: Africa
As economic development and political stability pull more people out of poverty, multinational beer makers are trying to quench their growing thirst for alcohol.
Read more

AUGUST

August 2
(USA) Number of Americans Drinking Alcohol Hits 25-Year High
The number of adults in the U.S. drinking alcohol has hit a 25-year high, the New York Daily News reported Sunday, as the nation continues to experience economic instability.
Read more
August 7
Alcohol: the forgotten drug in HIV/AIDS
Alcohol has long been recognised as an important contributor to illness and injury, accounting for 4% of the global burden of disease. 1 Yet alcohol remains conspicuously absent from the larger field of research and programming in HIV and substance use.
Read more
August 14
(Canada) Lawyers call for ‘decriminalization’ of fetal alcohol offenders
People who suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome and commit criminal offences don’t belong in jail, Canada’s largest lawyers’ organization says.
Read more
August 23
(New Zealand) New Zealand proposes new rules on alcohol sales
New Zealand's government has proposed several changes to alcohol laws in a bid to curb youth drinking.
Read more
August 23
(Australia) Alcohol costs Australia $36 billion/year: report
A new report on the harm caused by alcohol misuse in Australia claims the economic cost amounts to a staggering $36 billion a year. That's more than double previous estimates.
Read more
August 30
Alcohol-related harm, a global issue
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services and the South Pacific Community(SPC) are taking the lead in organizing a historical two days workshop on the 25th and 26th this week at the Quality Inn. The Workshop was first of its kind in the country to develop a Multi-Sect oral National Alcohol Policy for our country Solomon Islands.
Read more

SEPTEMBER

September 1
(Iceland) Alcohol Ad Laws Tightened
A bill submitted to parliament may close loopholes that alcohol importers and manufacturers have used in the current Icelandic law banning the advertising of alcoholic beverages.
Read more
September 3
(Kenya) Kenyan market frets over impact of new alcohol law
A new Kenyan alcohol law could open up East African Breweries (EABL.NR) to competition, with micro-brewers springing up to capitalise on the legalisation of traditional liquors, analysts said.
Read more
September 4
(Sweden) Privatizing Retail Alcohol Sales in Sweden Will Escalate Alcohol-Related Violence
Privatizing Sweden's government monopoly on the sale of alcohol, a study published today in the scientific journal Addiction argues, will significantly increase alcohol-related violence and other harms.
Read more
September 23
(Scotland) Minimum alcohol price plans defeated by MSPs
MSPs have rejected the Scottish government's proposal to introduce a minimum price for alcohol. The Scottish National Party's (SNP's) flagship policy would have seen a minimum price of 45p per unit of alcohol introduced across Scotland in a bid to tackle the country's well-documented problem with alcohol.
Read more
September 30
(Austria) One in four students may be alcoholics, doctors warn
Around 25 per cent of university and college students could be alcoholics, according to a new study.
Read more
September
(UK) The impact of introducing a Minimum Price on Alcohol in Britain
On 2nd September 2010 the Scottish Health Secretary, Nicola Sturgeon, proposed a minimum price per unit of alcohol set at 45p.1 Minimum pricing was part of a wider Alcohol Bill in front of the Scottish Parliament2 and was the first time a figure had been set. However, minimum pricing was recently defeated at the committee stage and may not now be introduced, though the minority SNP Government still supports the measure.
Read more

OCTOBER

October 8
Facebook Implements Additional Alcohol Advertisement Guidelines
Facebook updated its advertisement policy guidelines with significant new restrictions to ads for or depicting alcohol last month. All alcohol ads must be targeted by country, cannot target any users in a set of predominantly Middle Eastern countries, and can’t include creative that misleads users to think alcohol is healthy, suitable for minors, or a contributor to success.
Read more
October 17
(Czech Republic) Young Czechs lead in alcohol consumption
Alcohol consumption of underage Czechs is the highest in Europe, according to both European studies, and this is why the government is to approve a new action plan of the fight against alcohol and drugs, the daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) writes yesterday.
Read more
October 19
(Norway) Norway’s ‘no-no’ to alcohol ads could be corked
TV channels transmitting from abroad with content aimed at Norwegian viewers are not permitted to advertise alcohol under current Norwegian legislation, but this could contravene European law.
Read more
October 22
(EU) EU Mulls Booze Warning Labels
Brussels is a battlefield of rule-making; there are always a thousand small skirmishes taking place off-camera, many with an impact on your future and the bottom lines of big companies. Take alcohol. The European Union is due to revise its strategy on alcohol-related harm in 2012, setting up a fight between the beer, wine and spirits industry and those seeking policies that crack down on drunken driving, addiction, and binge and underage drinking.
Read more

NOVEMBER

November 1
Alcohol is more harmful than heroin or crack: study
Alcohol is even worse than heroin and crack on the list of "most harmful" drugs, according to a new study published in the British medical journal, The Lancet. A variety of social, physical and psychological problems that are caused by drugs were examined by a panel of experts, who concluded that alcohol, heroin and crack were the most harmful to others while heroin, crack cocaine and methamphetamine were the most harmful to individual users, CNN reported.
Read more
November 1
(Sweden) Efforts to curb youth drinking 'ineffective”
A new report released on Monday has questioned the efficacy of the Swedish government's investment of about 900 million kronor ($135.81 million) over the last 10 years in reducing youth alcohol consumption.
Read more
November 8
(Estonia) State Sets Alcohol Consumption Target to Eight Liters
Estonia should set a target to decrease its alcohol consumption to eight liters per person annually, asserted the National Institute for Health, an agency of the Ministry of Social Affairs.
Read more
November 10
(Scotland) MSPs reject alcohol minimum pricing
Plans to introduce a minimum price for alcohol have been finally killed off by the Scottish
Parliament as MSPs passed legislation aimed at tackling the country’s binge drinking epidemic.
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November 15
(USA) Alcohol-related emergency room visits skyrocket in New York: 74,000 in 2009
Heavy boozing has caused a shocking spike in drunken injuries and emergency room visits in New York, a troubling new study says. Nearly 74,000 people wound up in hospitals in 2009 for alcohol-related reasons, compared with just 22,000 in 2003 - a jump of nearly 250%, said the city Health Department study, which was released yesterday.
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November 24
(Canada) Bureaucrats face new booze rules
Treasury Board President Stockwell Day announced new rules for hospitality expenses for the public service, including a ban on expensing alcohol other than "situations that are necessary for the rules for protocol."
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November
(Finland) An attempt to ban evocative alcohol advertising
In summer 2009 the Finnish Government set up a working group to evaluate, among others, whether restrictions on evocative (visual) alcohol advertising were necessary. The working group finished its work in summer 2010 and concluded that no additional measures were needed concerning evocative alcohol advertising.
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DECEMBER

December 6
Google Adjusts AdWords Alcohol Policy
Google has made changes to its advertising policy on alcohol for AdWords. The company now allows ads to promote the sale of hard alcohol and liquor.
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December 7
(Fiji) Cigarettes and alcohol abuse kills: Ministry
More then 82% of Fiji’s population die of non-communicable diseases says the Health Ministry and two major contributing factors are the excessive use of cigarettes and alcohol.
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December 7
(EU) ALCOHOL AND CANCER: RESEARCH EVIDENCE AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS
For the first time in the European Parliament, the MEPs Against Cancer (MAC) interest group hosted a meeting to evaluate the cancer hazards of alcoholic beverages, and the potential impact of this knowledge on alcohol-related policy in order to address concerns over a lack of public awareness about the carcinogenicity of alcohol.
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December 11
(EU) Liver experts’ consensus: European citizens are drinking themselves to death
New research and measures to tackle societal alcohol consumption are to be announced at liver disease conference Athens, Greece, Saturday 11th December 2010: Europe is failing to deal with the life-threatening effects of excessive and regular alcohol consumption on its citizens’ health.
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December 15
(USA) Over the Limit: Underage Kids See More Alcohol Ads
A new study claims a rise in TV alcohol advertising to underage young viewers -- and that the distilled spirits industry has breached its self-imposed limits. The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health says there was a 71% rise between 2001 and 2009 in TV alcohol commercials seen by young viewers, 12 to 20 years old.
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December 23
(Lithuania) Alcohol excise tax not to be cut in Lithuania
The Seimas in Lithuania has supported the presidential veto, refusing to reduce the excise duty on alcoholic beverages.
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