Global Alcohol Policy

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM Global Alcohol Policy

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM • Declarations of interest • Used to be Regional Advisor for both alcohol and tobacco policy, WHO Regional Office for Europe • Scientist and policy advisor for Eurocare

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM • Structure of presentation • Eurocare • The problem of alcohol • Some solutions for alcohol policy • Expectations of the WHO • What NGOs can bring

Eurocarewas formed in 1990 as an alliance of non-governmental organisations concerned with the impact of the European Union on alcohol policy in Member States Starting with 9 member organisations in 1990, it now has 46 members from 12 EU States, 5 non EU States and 3 International Organisations with members in 26 European countries Brief Description of Eurocare:

Eurocarepromotes the implementation of evidence based alcohol policy and provides support to its member organizations Key publications include: Alcohol problems and the family, 1998 The beverage alcohol industry’s social aspects organizations: A public health warning, 2002 Drinking and driving in Europe, 2003 Brief Description of Eurocare:

Eurocarewill be implementing a 3 year European Commission funded project (Alcohol Policy Network in the Context of a larger Europe: Bridging the Gap): Creating an alcohol policy network in 27 European Member States and applicant countries, Norway and Switzerland Preparing a report on alcohol in Europe Preparing an advocacy training manual Convening a European conference, Bridging the Gap, Warsaw, Poland, 16-19 June 2004 Convening two summer advocacy schools, Slovenia 2005 and Catalonia 2006. Brief Description of Eurocare:

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM These are net costs, accounting for heart disease They do not include social harms They do not include financial costs

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM • At the community level: • Drinking and driving • Intoxication

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM Towards a solution It is not a complicated message It is not don’t smoke, But it is less is better

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM Risk of CHD by g alcohol per day Source: Corrao et al. (2000)

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM Most of the benefit One drink every second day

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM Alcohol is NOT an ordinary commodity The science for alcohol policy is made

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM • Healthy Public Policy: • Taxation • Bans on advertising and marketing

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM • Strengthening Community Action: • Drink driving • Educational and prevention programmes • Manage availability

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM • Helping individuals: • Brief interventions in primary care • Treatment for dependence

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? Match resources to the size of the problem The purpose of alcohol policy is to reduce the harm done by alcohol. The greater the harm, the greater the need for policy. 4% of GBD; 5th in list of risk factors

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? There is a strong team But, it seems divided and unclear at present

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? Strong Regional Offices Seems a posteriority rather than a priority

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? Need a simple metric (like a billion deaths from smoking) Globally, every drinker loses on average 11 days of healthy life per year.

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? Do we need a FCAC? Or some other mechanism to mobilize action?

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? Make the science clear

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? Calculate the economic burden

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? Estimate the social burden

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? Get some powerful partners (?World Bank)

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? In dealing with the alcohol industry, ENSURE that WHO sticks to its guidelines

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? Disseminate and implement these guidelines throughout: The organization The Regional Offices The Collaborating centres The country offices

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? The industry argues that they have a place at the policy table. They don’t.

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? The industry argues that they are a public health body. They are not.

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? Don’t be duped by the alcohol industry and their social aspects organizations.

Price and the availability of alcohol X X X X 

Creating safer drinking environments X X 

Prevention and education programmes X  X   

Drink driving programmes X X X X   

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? There cannot be common ground on drinking and driving

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM • Eurocare recommendation: • Because of limited evidence for their effectiveness in reducing drinking and driving, public education efforts to persuade drinkers not to drive after drinking, programmes to encourage servers to prevent intoxicated individuals from driving, and organized efforts to make provisions for alternative transportation should not be the main cornerstones of drinking and driving policy.

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? There should be no discussion on self-regulation

It serves the needs of the industry The reality is based on complaints rather than compliance The advertisements still go ahead anyway There is no enforcement It is not independent, and reflects the ‘intentions’ of the advertisers Does not reflect the marketing to young people We should not waste any more time on self-regulation

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? The Smirnoff day off speaks much louder to politicians than all the research

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? Encourage litigation

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM • What can WHO (and its MS) do? • Policy • Action Plans: • Globally • Regionally • Country wide • Regional • Local

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? Community Action Database of community programmes

WORKING IN EUROPE FOR THE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL RELATED HARM What can WHO (and its MS) do? Health sector Be clear and consistent on nomenclature (ICD 10) Promote brief interventions Reorient health care

Global Alcohol Policy