European Alcoho... / Newsroom / Newsletter / December 2008 / News from EUROC... / DHS's Action plan on alcohol
DHS's Action plan on alcohol
On 19th September, DHS published a new Alcohol Action Plan, the primary objective of which is to reduce alcohol related harm in Germany through a long-lasting decrease of average per capita consumption, together with a change in public attitudes towards alcohol. This can only be brought about by a policy mix of structural and behavioural approaches, as, for example, increasing prices via tax on alcohol and reducing the availability of alcohol, as well as target-group specific information and education among others.
An important means of achieving these objectives is the application of a concept that has long been called for, that of targeted abstinence in various contexts: during pregnancy and breastfeeding, on the roads, at work, when playing sports and while taking medicines. This concept is taken up at various points in the new Action Plan. In addition, the long-standing call for the use of tax revenues - for instance from of a unified tax on alcoholic beverages – to finance effective alcohol policy measures, must be restated.
The document can be viewed at