Please find below the Portuguese Country Report produced by Aires Gameiro.

1. The alcohol consumption per capita is one of the highest in the EU countries even if there is a slight decrease since 1996.

The main consequences are that Portugal is among the four EU countries with the highest alcohol related diseases ratio, such as liver deceases, traffic accidents with alcohol and deaths.

Some sources and researchers (among them, Aires Gameiro) estimate (1997) for Portugal, Azores and Madeira inclusively, 7% of alcohol dependents and 9% of excessive drinkers, which indicates a slight decrease regarding to 1985 and 1991 data researched by the same author.

The first contact with alcohol in the average is at 8-15. The 15-24 youngsters (girls included) drink beer and distilled beverages, 2-3 times a week outside meals.

Patterns of drinking are changing: youngsters drink more beer and distilled beverages while older adults drink more wine.

Youngsters festivals are sponsored by beer industry and very often become drunkness parties with some youths conducted to hospital in alcoholic coma. To be sponsored industry demand sometimes a pledge from the Students Associations to attend industry marketing parties.

Alcohol consumption is increasing steadily also among female youngsters in students and youth festivals and in weekend disco parties.

Maderia Region

The Madeira Region according to Aires Gameiro's inquiry, (2 000) 77% of people over 15 consume alcohol (160.000), 29% smoke (60.000) and 3% (7.000) consume some kind of drugs. In 2003 other sources estimate much more drug consumers.

But 75% of youngsters 15-19 olds consume alcohol; from which 23% more than 12 drinks a week. From the 20-24 olds 87% consume alcohol; and from them 6% between 3 and 12 drinks a day.

Main Landmarks in Prevention (1)

In 1999 an inter ministerial Commission presided by Health Ministry was created to deal and integrate the multiple aspects of fight against the alcohol related problems.

In 2000 (29 Nov) the Action Plan Against Alcoholism (Plano de Acção Contra o Alcoolismo) was published and new legislation was passed.The contents of it are quite advanced. Unfortunately two main points have not been subsequently confirmed: BAC 0,2 -> 0,5 and restricted drinking age 18 -> 16 for wine and beer.

Main Landmarks in Prevention (2)

And so alcoholic beverages except wine and beer are not allowed to be sold and served to youngsters under 18 and even wine and beer to those under 16. This law is now more enforced with heavy penalties but not in a steadily way. Alcoholic comas are still frequent among under sixteens.
Automatic machines with free and public access are not allowed to sell alcohol; this applies to Health Departments too. In Public Services only wine and beer are allowed and only at meals time.

Main Landmarks in Prevention (3)

A Special tax between 0,011 and 0,015 euros will start in Portugal for bottles of beverages with pure alcohol contents over 22%: this tax will apply to whisky, gin, rum, brandy, vodka, cognac and liqueurs. It will start from the 1st October 2003.

Main Landmarks in Prevention (4)

In 2001 the Codigo de Publicidade (Advertising Law) was altered and a set of measures adopted to defend consumers, mainly young people.

• Advertising is prohibited on TV and Radio between 7 and 22:30h
• Advertising cannot be associated with nation symbols
• Advertising cannot be associated with events for underaged

Self regulations were assumed by industry (Código de Autodisciplina na Comunicação Comercial de Bebidas Alcoólicas). But not always complied. Wild advertising and marketing are very common.
There is now a monitoring Commission to apply the new Regulations regarding drinking and driving.

Wild Advertising and Alcohol Presence in Media

While Alcohol Action Plan measures are being carried out, two interesting phenomena are happening.

Advertising strategies are more aggressive with a lot of beer festivals and sponsorships by industry: "festas da cerveja".

Disco and other fashion bars and seasonal events are being occasions for aggressive advertising. In a recent youth festival a paper quoted comments that getting alcohol beverages was easier than getting mineral water.

DRIVING AND ALCOHOL (1)

The main norms are as follows:

• After legal BAC of 0, 2, which last for a short experiment period, was repealed by right wing government,the legal BAC is now 0,5. This repealing was supported by industry and truck drivers campaigns and criticized by health professionals who still propose the 0,2 BAC
  
  
• Penalties for drivers with over 0,5 to 0,79 BAC are fines from 120 to 600 euros plus legal inhibition to drive from 1 to 12 months.
  
  
• From 0,80 to 1,19 BAC penalties go from 240 to 1200 euros and driving license is suspended from 2 to 24 months.
  
  
• For BAC above 1,20 penalties are prison until 1 year or penalty up to 120 days. This case is considered a crime and in case of accident other accessory penalties are imposed upon drivers.
  
  
• Programa Stop. Responsabilidade e Segurança (Responsibility and Safety). Courts are now starting to refer to compulsory treatment periods in special units and centers drivers caught with alcohol. This is an alternative to prison, but many defend this measure should be in addition to other penalties are linked to it.

This Program Stop is coordinated by the Instituto de Reinserção Social (IRS) and Prevenção Rodoviária Portuguesa (PRP). Only a small number however have been sent to units by judges. From 14.000 condemned by this crime in 2001, only 160 have been in treatment.

DRIVING AND ALCOHOL (2)
Enforcing Law

The law is now more enforced than in previous years and so drivers caught by the police in breath test are increasing steadily with consequent legal measures.

(1) – In 2001 2,6% (from Oct to Dec. legal BAC was 0,3).

- In July 2003, 2702 drivers were found by the police with illegal BAC. From them 824 were detained from BAC over 1.20

DRIVING AND ALCOHOL (3)
Peak Age Groups

In the same year (2002) the age groups 21-39, had more penalties (3,6%) due to BAC equal or over 0,5%. Two wheel drivers were 9,7% while car drivers were 3,4%.

By night though, between mid-night and eight, from car drivers controlled 9,5% had illegal BAC while two wheel drivers were as much as 19,6%

Alcohol Day by Day in the Papers

Newspapermen are now more sensible to the excess of alcohol in drivers and youth events, as the following images show.

In Madeira Region it is not unusual drivers caught by the police with 1.2, 2.0, 3.0 and even 4.0 BAC to make headlines.

At the same time, health professionals alert against excesses has been steadily present in media.

More and more activities are being carried out in schools to prevent the excessive comsuption of alcohol. More Health Professionals (doctors, nurses...) are now sensitive to alcohol related problems.