Library / Updates / Eurocare supports the intended implementation to ban alcohol advertisement in Lithuania
Eurocare supports the intended implementation to ban alcohol advertisement in Lithuania
Lithuania is experiencing an interesting and critical phase in its way towards an intended ban on alcohol advertisement from January 2012
Eurocare follows the policy process in Lithuania with great interest, where a ban on alcohol advertisement can be the reality from January 2012. During the NordAN conference in Vilnius, Lithuania in October, Aurelijus Veryga from the Lithuanian National Tobacco and Alcohol Control Coalition presented the process in Lithuania. From 2007-2009, major policy development in the field of alcohol took place. A partial ban on advertisement (from 6 am till 11 pm) was introduced and also restrictions on opening hours for sale of alcohol were introduced. But maybe the most important thing was that more public discussions about alcohol problems started.
In this context, the Lithuanian National Tobacco and Alcohol Control Coalition was founded, and has later been announced among the top 10 advocacy organisations in the country. Veryga explains the positive impact as a result of a joint effort, where coalition was one of the important factors for success. “We are too small to have effective NGOs for tobacco, alcohol, drugs, so we have joined forces”, explains Veryga.
The Lithuanian process towards a ban on alcohol advertisement got support from the NordAN Annual Assembly, which recommends other countries to learn from the experience in Lithuania and do the same. Read more here.