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The Social Cost of Alcohol: Passive drinking. 2 February 2010. Brussels

02/12/2009 12:30 pm
02/12/2009 2:00 pm

Drinking alcohol is a deeply ingrained part of the European society; each year, the average intake per adult is equivalent to 1,400 small beers (11 litres of pure alcohol).

The consequences of drinking go far beyond the individual drinker's health and well-being. They include acts of drunken violence, vandalism, sexual assault, road accidents, harm to the unborn fetus, child abuse, and a huge health burden carried by both the National Health Systems and friends and family who care for those damaged by alcohol.

Each year in Europe, alcohol causes:

  • Some 50% of all violent crime to the person
  • Some 40% of all domestic violence
  • 2,000 homicides (4 in 10 of all murders)
  • 10,000 deaths in drink-driving accidents for people other than the drink-driver
  • 5 million people born with mental disorders and birth defects because of their mothers' drinking
  • 16% of all child abuse / neglect
  • 5-9 million children living in families adversely affected by alcohol

Place: European Parliament – Brussels (Room: A3G-3)
Date: Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Time: 12h30 – 14h30 (Lunch will be provided)

Deadline for registrations:

Please send your completed registration form to ruth.ruiz@eurocare.org before

  • 23 January (If you DO NOT have a permanent pass to the European Parliament)
  • 1 February (if you do have a pass)

DRAFT PROGRAMME

Welcome by MEP Anna Hedh

Opening remarks by Hans Olav Fekjær (Actis)

Alcohol and Interpersonal Violence

  • Drunken violence, vandalism and sexual assault: representative of Police forces
  • Aggressive behaviours in the Emergency rooms: Nurses Association
  • Domestic violence: Xavier Ferrer (Fundación Salud y Comunidad)

Alcohol and traffic accidents

  • Vojtech Eksler (ETSC: European Transport Safety Council)

Children living in families with alcohol problems: the invisible victims

  • Mira Roine (ENCARE: European Network for Children for Children affected by Risky Environments within the family)

Harm to the unborn child

  • Tbc

Closing remarks Eurocare

Debate

Bruxelles