JANUARY
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.
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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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FEBRUARY
European Public Health Alliance (EU) - 2010 - Overview of activities in implementation of EU Alcohol Strategy
Between September and November 2010 all the existing EU structures
working on alcohol conducted their meetings. You can find below reports of the
following : the Open Alcohol and Health Forum, the European Alcohol and Health
Forum, the Forum Science Group, as well as the Committee on National Policy and
Action.
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Medical News Today - WHO Study:
Alcohol Is International Number One Killer, AIDS Second
Today the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that alcohol is to
blame for just about 4% of, or 2.5 million deaths worldwide annually. Alcohol
attributable injuries are of a growing concern to the public health community,
with alcohol-related injuries such as road traffic accidents, burns,
poisonings, falls and drownings making up more than a third of the disease
burden attributable to alcohol consumption.
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Barents Observer (Russia) - Every
fifth Russian man dies of alcohol
The Russians drink an average of 15,76 liters of pure alcohol every
year, which makes them the fourth most drinking country in the world, a new
report from the World Health Organization reads.
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RIA Novosti (Moldova) - WHO
names Moldova world's leader in alcohol consumption
Moldovans consume more alcohol per head than citizens of any other
country, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its report.
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GlobalPost (Russia) - NEWS
FLASH! Beer is alcohol, Russia says
The Russian parliament today finally acknowledged something taken as
given the world over: beer is alcohol. The Duma passed a law on second reading
(a third, largely ceremonial reading will follow, but the second is the most
important) a bill that explicitly acknowledges that fact and bans the sale of
beer between 11pm and 8am.
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MARCH
EurekAlert (Sweden) - Parents
important for keeping adolescents off alcohol
Parents who are both present and engaged are the very best way of preventing
teenagers from consuming large quantities of alcohol. Adolescents who smoke,
stay out with their friends and have access to alcohol – from their parents,
for example – when they are as young as 13 are at greater risk of becoming
binge drinkers in their late teens, reveals a new thesis from Karolinska
Institutet in Sweden.
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stv.tv (UK) - Health bodies slam
"toothless" alcohol policy
Six prominent health organisations withdrew their support on Monday for
a government initiative aimed at promoting responsible alcohol consumption,
accusing ministers of not standing up to the drinks industry.
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Times LIVE (South Africa) - State
declares war on alcohol abuse
The government is waging war on the alarming increase in the abuse of
alcohol and drugs, and has warned of stricter legislation - including raising
the legal age for alcohol consumption from 18 to 21.
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Norway: Government has to accept
alcohol advertising on TV
The EU Commission will not grant Norway a continued exemption from the
implementation of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive. This means that the
Norwegian government will have to accept TV advertising for alcoholic beverages
in Norway when it is broadcast from another country.
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APRIL
BCM (Russia) - Vladimir Putin
speaks out against sharp rise in prices on alcohol in Russia
Speaking at the meeting of the Government Presidium on Thursday,
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that a sharp hike in excise duties
and, accordingly, the price of alcohol would be unacceptable.
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Eureka! Science News - Underage
binge drinking can create lasting brain changes
Adolescents represent the majority of people who binge drink. This may
come as a surprise to some, but recent surveys indicate that episodes of heavy
alcohol drinking within the previous two weeks are reported by 12 percent of
8th graders, 22 percent of 10th graders, 28 percent of 12th grade seniors and
44 percent of college students.
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BMJ (EU) - Alcohol attributable
burden of incidence of cancer in eight European countries based on results from
prospective cohort study
In western Europe, an important proportion of cases of cancer can be
attributable to alcohol consumption, especially consumption higher than the
recommended upper limits. These data support current political efforts to
reduce or to abstain from alcohol consumption to reduce the incidence of
cancer.
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Telegraph.co.uk - Glass or two
of wine a week 'could damage baby'
Pregnant women who drink as little as a glass of wine a week could be
putting their babies at risk, according to new research which contracts recent
studies indicating that an occasional tipple is harmless.
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UPI.com (Italy) - Study: Italian
youth at alcohol risk
The country's Higher Health Institute released a report Thursday saying
at-risk drinkers of both sexes under the age of 16 are on the rise, with 18.5
percent of males and 15.5 percent of females in that age bracket showing
worrying drink patterns, ANSA reported.
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Focus-Fen (Sweden) - Sweden
launches new strategy to combat narcotic, alcohol problems
The Swedish government Tuesday launched a new comprehensive strategy to
deal with alcohol, drugs, doping and tobacco problems together.
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ABC Online (Australia) - Alcohol
strongly linked to cancer
The Cancer Council of Australia has issued a new position statement
recommending that people limit their alcohol intake to reduce their risk of
developing cancer.
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MAI
Wine Spectator (Australia) - Aussie
Health Group Says No to Alcohol, Even in Moderation
An Australian health organization has issued an eyebrow-raising report
urging people to abstain from alcohol completely in order to reduce their risk
of cancer.
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BBC News (UK) - Alcohol-related
hospital admissions reach record level
The number of alcohol-related hospital admissions in England has topped
one million for the first time, according to official statistics.
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JUNE
The Hindu - Even small amounts
of alcohol impact the brain
Just the one drink can sometimes prove one too many when it comes to
alcohol, according to Chinese researchers who have discovered that even minimal
alcohol intake can cause immediate damage to the brain.
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Daily Mail (EU) - Men twice as
likely as women to die before 65 because of smoking and alcohol abuse
Smoking and drinking too much means men are twice as likely as women to
die before the age of 65, a European Union study has revealed.
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JULY
Scottish Daily Record (Scotland) - Nicola
Sturgeon: SNP will make war on cheap alcohol top priority in 2012
HEALTH secretary Nicola Sturgeon yesterday vowed to drive through
minimum pricing for drink within a year.
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NHS Choices - Alcohol 'may
damage a baby's DNA'
“Alcohol damages DNA of unborn children beyond repair,” The Independent
reported today. The newspaper says that “scientists have identified the precise
molecular mechanism” through which this damage happens.
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Alcohol and Alcoholism (EU) - Heavy
Episodic Drinking in Europe: A Cross Section Study in Primary Care in Six
European Countries
Consecutive attenders aged 18–75 were recruited from the UK, Spain,
Slovenia, Estonia, the Netherlands and Portugal and followed up after 6 months.
Data were collected on alcohol use using the Alcohol Use Disorder
Identification test (at recruitment and 6 months) and risk factors for heavy
episodic alcohol use at recruitment.
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Daily Mail - How much alcohol is
REALLY safe? None, say cancer specialists
French researchers said most nations including the UK and U.S. set
their drink limit guidelines to deal with short-term effects of alcohol and
were not designed to prevent chronic diseases.
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The Guardian (France) - France's
young binge drinkers upset cafe society with their 'British boozing'
Midnight on the Left Bank and the cafes and bars on Place St-Michel
are, on the surface at least, unchanged from the 1920s, when Ernest Hemingway
immortalised one in the opening chapter of A Moveable Feast.
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AUGUST
IrishExaminer.com (Ireland) - Drink
may cause ‘invisible’ brain harm
MORE than 4,000 Irish people could be suffering from an
"invisible" serious brain injury caused by alcohol abuse, according
to research.
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AFP (USA) - More than half of
Americans drink alcohol: report
More than half of Americans aged 12 and up drink alcohol, a quarter
binge-drank in the past month, and one in 14 teens has used marijuana, a US
government agency says in a report on substance abuse.
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Medscape - Industry Influence on
UN Noncommunicable Disease Summit?
The United Nations (UN) High-Level Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases
(NCDs) will convene in New York City from September 19 to 20. However,
negotiations recently broke down in drafting an outcomes document that will
contain commitments toward progress in 4 target NCD areas: cardiovascular
disease, respiratory illnesses, cancer, and diabetes.
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SEPTEMBER
Austrian Independent (Austria) - Alcohol
addiction warning issued
Around 900,000 of the 8.5 million residents of Austrian are consuming
health-threatening amounts of alcohol, experts have warned.
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Euractiv (EU) - Combat alcohol
abuse with mandatory labels, EU urged
Policymakers gathered in Brussels this week to discuss the risks posed
by alcohol abuse to unborn children urged the EU to introduce mandatory warning
labels on bottles and cans.
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Stuff.co.nz (New Zealand) - Alcohol
contributes to quarter of child deaths – report
Alcohol contributed to the deaths of one in four children and young
people who died between 2005 and 2007, a new report has found.
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The Age (Australia) - Experts
see red over wine 'myth'
RED wine's reputation for preventing heart attacks has come under fire
from health experts who have declared every drink of alcohol can do you damage.
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CNN International - WHO outlines
steps to reduce leading causes of death
To decrease deaths from noninfectious diseases, countries should pass
excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol, encourage smoke-free public places, reduce
salt and trans fat in foods, and increase awareness of diet and physical
activity, according to a World Health Organization report.
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Los Angeles Times (USA) - Drinking
problems have increased in last 60 years
An analysis of 31 studies on alcohol drinking patterns worldwide has
found that people born in North America after World War II are more likely than
other groups to engage in binge drinking and develop alcoholism. Younger groups
consistently consume more alcohol than older generations.
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European Public Health Alliance (WHO Europe) - New Action Plan to reduce the harmful use of alcohol adopted by 53 countries
in Europe
Representatives from the 53 WHO European Region Member States met at
the 61st session of the Regional Committee for Europe and adopted the European
Action Plan to reduce the harmful use of alcohol.
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OCTOBER
IceNews (Denmark) - WHO calls
for Denmark drinking age hike
The World Health Organisation has warned the new Danish government that
it should take steps to reduce the amount of alcohol being consumed by
teenagers.
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Independent Online (South Africa) - Foetal alcohol syndrome is on the rise, says study
FOETAL alcohol syndrome is ravaging Western Cape farming communities,
with hundreds of children affected, research has found.
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PR Newswire - Big Alcohol Drunk
With Power
Industry watchdog Alcohol Justice, formerly Marin Institute, released a
new report today that chronicles an obscene outlay of Big Alcohol dollars to
California legislators in 2010.
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EurekAlert (Baltics/Italy) - Link
between alcohol and harm is stronger in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden
than in Italy
Research clearly shows a dose-response relationship between alcohol and
health issues such as cirrhosis of the liver. More recent research has shown
linkages between greater drinking and greater problems such as interpersonal violence.
A study of the impact that the larger, cultural context of drinking in several
European countries may have on the relationship between drinking and harm has
found that this relationship is stronger in the Baltic countries and Sweden
than Italy.
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Euroalert.net (EU) - Commission
stresses the need for action to protect young people from alcohol-related harm at
the EU Alcohol and Health Forum
Although minimum drinking age in most EU Member states is set at 18
years old, the most recent European surveys show that half of school children
aged 15 to16 years have drunk alcohol in the past month. In order to tackle
this situation and take action to protect young people, experts, industry and
other stakeholder have met at the the 9th plenary meeting of the European
Alcohol and Health Forum held in in Brussels on 19 October.
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NOVEMBER
NHS Choices - Breast cancer link
to alcohol studied
Women who drink within the recommended limits are still putting their
health at risk, according to The Daily Telegraph. It said new research shows
that less than one small glass of wine a day increases the risk of breast
cancer.
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EPHA (EU) - 68 NGOs call of a
new EU alcohol strategy
Under Eurocare’s leadership, 68 international, European and National
NGOs (including EPHA) joined forces to call for a comprehensive Alcohol Policy
Strategy in the European Union 2013-2020.
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AHN | All Headline News - Teenage
girls up breast cancer risk with every alcoholic drink
Among teen girls with a family history of breast cancer, there is a
significant association between the amount of alcohol consumed and the risk of
getting benign breast disease, which is a known breast cancer risk factor.
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Toronto Star (Canada) - Women
are the new face of alcohol advertising
She's the image of poised perfection: a come-hither blonde in a sexy
gold dress, balancing a martini between polished red nails, painted just a
shade darker than the swizzle stick perched jauntily through the “o” in
“Classic Cocktails” above her head.
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The Local.de (Germany) - One in
five German children have alcoholic or drug-addict parents
One in five German children have alcoholic or drug-addict parents,
according to the latest annual figures on drugs and addiction.
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Kashmir Watch (China) - China
Prohibits Advertising of Alcoholic Drinks
Nine out of the more than 20 national Chinese television networks
(CCTV) will not air TV commercials that advertise beer, wine, or any other type
of alcoholic drink, according to He Haiming, vice-director of CCTV's
advertising operations and management center, as told to the Beijing Today
newspaper.
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DECEMBER
Baltic Business News (Estonia) - Researcher:
Estonia should triple alcohol excise duty
Indrek Saar writes in his doctor’s thesis that the alcohol taxation
rate that was introduced in 2009 is notably below the optimum level.
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The Atlantic (Italy) - A
Sobering Look at Alcohol: 10-Year Study Finds High Death Rate
A number of studies in the past few years have suggested health
benefits from drinking small or moderate amounts of alcohol. This can encourage
people to look at alcohol almost as if it's medicine. A recent study of alcohol
use in Italy paints a much more sobering picture.
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Mindshare (Lithuania) - Alcohol
advertising ban denied
Lithuanian Parliament has abjured complete ban of alcohol advertising.
Alcohol advertising details are in constant questioning, as the latter plan
oversaw a complete ban of outdoor, internet and print advertising.
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Medical Daily - Underage
Drinking Boosts Criminal Activity: Researchers
While alcohol has frequently been linked to criminal activity among
adults, a new study finds that there is a strong association between childhood
drinking and criminal activity.
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New Zealand Herald (Australia) - New
warning labels for pregnant women on NZ liquor products
Warning labels aimed at pregnant women will be added to all alcohol
products in New Zealand and Australia.
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