Week #20 Global Alcohol Policy Round-Up
WORLDWIDE WEEKLY ALCOHOL POLICY, SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Welcome to our weekly carefully curated alcohol policy news, latest science updates and Big Alcohol monitoring as well as some outstanding blog posts from IOGT’s Global Voices.
Special Feature
This week we share a special feature about alcohol and older people – in time for our World Health Assembly side event on health promotion through the life course. Check it out below.
Content
This week’s Global Alcohol Policy Round-Up contains:
- Alcohol policy updates come from India, Czechia, UK, and the WHO European region.
- We share fresh science updates concerning alcohol’s harm to others in England and the costs of alcohol harm in India.
- The Big Alcohol monitor exposes law violations in Uganda, unethical marketing in Australia, aggressive lobbying in the United States, and anti-trust violations in Belgium.
- Our IOGT Global Voices blog portal brings you awesome blogs by Viktor about alcohol and the power of our minds and by Suneel about an alcohol policy analysis in Bihar, India.
India: Alcohol Harm Costs More Than Entire Health Spending
Measuring the treatment costs, productivity losses when alcohol users in economically productive ages suffered the health conditions, and years lost through premature deaths it was estimated that alcohol-related deaths would lead to a loss of 258 million life-years between 2011 and 2050.
These costs are without including social consequences of alcohol use such as household discord or violence which can also lead to productivity losses.
Czechia: Plans for Alcohol Tax Increase
Both the World Health Organization and the OECD recommend that we do something about alcohol and tobacco consumption, and one of the most effective recommendations is a higher tax,” said Czech Health Minister Adam Vojtech, as per Expats Cz.
UK: Sharp Rise in Suicide and other Mental Health Problems
Among Britons aged 45 to 54 the number of deaths of despair (per 100,000 people) has risen from just over 20 in 1993 to 43 in 2017. That is higher than the number of deaths caused by heart disease in that age group. Because of this trend the death rate for middle aged people, which was declining through the 90s and 2000s is now on the rise.
Sir Angus Deaton warns that the UK is on the path of experiencing a similar health and socio-economic crisis as can be witnessed in the U.S.
WHO Europe: New Alcohol Country Fact Sheets
This allows for a quick overview of important subsets of alcohol policy measures that will support countries to assess their own progress towards reducing the burden of noncommunicable diseases and their key risk factors.
The fact sheets also present, for the first time, an individual overview of the composite indicator scores of the 10 areas of action to reduce the harmful use of alcohol.
“How Should We Talk about Alcohol and Risk?”
Research Editorial
“Alcohol-Related Harm to Others in England: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of National Survey Data”
Research Article
“Health Impact and Economic Burden of Alcohol Consumption in India”
Research Article
Uganda: 11 Companies Not Complying With Sachet Alcohol Ban
Australia: Kids Can’t Avoid Alcohol Ads
USA: Senate to Support Major Tax Break for Big Alcohol
EU: AB InBev Fined For Trade Violations
Mind Your Power: Of Placebos, Outer And Inner Strength
by Viktor Watz
Alcohol Prohibition In Bihar: A Policy Analysis
Special Feature: “Alcohol and older people”
IOGT-NTO Highlights Health, Social Harm of Alcohol in Elderly
At #WHA72 we team up with our friends @IntFedAgeing and @IFMSA to discuss the health of young and older people – health promotion through the lifecourse.
👉🏼https://t.co/Mze7v3cNou
That this is a timely topic os proven by the news daily.
See this thread ⬇️⬇️⬇️1/6#HealthForAll— IOGT International (@IOGTInt) May 17, 2019
