Eurocare Updates

Just after the approval by the European Parliament of its report on the EU Alcohol Strategy offering strong support for self-regulation, the results of a project funded by the Commission (ELSA project) show that there is no scientific support for the effectiveness of self-regulation and that the rules concerning alcohol advertisement in Europe do not protect minors sufficiently.

The German member of Eurocare, the German Centre for Addiction (DHS), has recently published the results of the EU funded project, Pathways for Health.

Reaction of STAP to Advertising Compliance Monitoring Report 2007 by the EFRD

Baccardi is withdrawing its alcopops brands Rigo and Breezer from the German market, after a sharp decline in sales, the company announced from its German headquarters in Hamburg Tuesday.

The imposition in 2004 of a special tax on mixed alcopop drinks, aimed at making them less attractive to younger consumers, led to a sharp fall in market share.

The aim of this project is to have issues about alcohol habits to be a natural element in the daily health care work - integrated in such as way that it reflects alcohols importance as a source of medical injuries and illnesses.

Strasbourg, 18 June. MEPs have adopted an amended report on the definition, description, presentation and labelling of spirit drinks by Hors Schnellhardt (EPP-ED, DE).

Brussels, 7 June. 7th June marked the launch of the European Commission's Alcohol and Health Forum, a multistakeholder platform bringing together civil society and businesses pledging to take action to reduce alcohol related harm in Europe.

UK, 5 June. England's Home Office Minister, Vernon Coaker, and Public Health Minister Caroline Flint unveiled 'Safe, Sensible, Social - next steps for the National Alcohol Strategy'. The new Strategy builds on the foundations laid and the lessons learnt since 2004, when the country's first Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy was launched.

The adoption of a Commission Communication on Mental Health is scheduled to take place during the 3rd quarter of 2007. The document is in the process of being finalised.

Alcohol involvement in injuries has been demonstrated in numerous studies. Hundreds of thousands of deaths occur each year due to alcohol-related intentional and unintentional injuries, and alcohol is involved in up to 30% of adult hospital admissions, particularly those to emergency rooms.