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We currently have information provided by SIPA (Swiss Institut for the Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Problems, for the Eurocare meeting in May 2002.
This year, SIPA is celebrating its 100 anniversary. For our public party (on the 25th of May) more than 1000 persons/guests are expected. In October (28th-29th) we will host an international seminar "Form Science to Action? 100 Years Later - Alcohol Policies Revisited)" in Berne. You will find further information about this seminar on our homepage www.sfa-ispa.ch
In 2001 SIPA received - as one of the first NGOs in Switzerland - the IS0 9001 quality label for our research, prevention and information services.
A National Alcohol Action Plan was presented to the Federal Council.
The strong increase of binge drinking among youth and young adults in the late 1990s is probably still going on (new data will be available at the end of the year).
In addition, we can observe a strong increase in the consumption of cannabis. It can be noticed that an increasing number of persons are suffering from their Cannabis consumption. New care possibilities need to be developed.
After the Alcopops (like Hooch, Wizly) disappeared from the market in 1999, a new wave of premix is sweeping over Switzerland. The sales figures of Smirnoff ICE and Bacardy Breezer have increased dramatically. Like during the first Alcopops-wave, the medias are paying great attention to this development and are publishing critical reports.
For the first time in Switzerland the alcohol industry are stating the legal age limit for buying their products in the advertisements (without legal obligation) -Breezer. The real effect on youth cannot yet be assessed. only for Smirnoff ICE and Bacardy.
Background information
Switzerland is a federal state, with 26 cantons. Health, social welfare, justice and more others important societal rules are under the responsibility of the cantons. There is a joke in Switzerland: "How is . (you can fill in more or less what you like) in Switzerland ? - Answer: Different from canton to canton".
On national level, Switzerland has a Constitution, several Laws and, for every Law, Regulations. The Federal Council is made up of 7 members. They are elected by the Parliament. Each member leads several ministries. The represented political parties in the Federal Council haven't changed in ages. There is no party-political opposition. All big parties are taking part in the Government.
Law proposals can be presented by the Government, by the Members of Parliament or thecantons. All law proposals have to be submitted to and approved by the two chambers of our Parliament. If the Parliament approves a proposal, every Swiss citizen can require a public voting by collecting 50000 signatures against this new law (a procedure called referendum).
In addition, the public has the possibility to propose a change in the Constitution with 100000 signatures (public initiatives). Public initiatives are discussed in the Parliament, but are always submitted to a public vote. It is very rare that an initiative is accepted by the public and that the Constitution is changed.
The choice of the public in these votes (referendum or initiative) is only "yes" or "no" for the new law.
Therefore, lobby work can be and is done at several times during the process of creating a new law: a) when the first proposal from the Government is created, b) during the sessions of the Chambers of the National Parliament and c) by setting up a referendum. As there are only 50000 signatures needed for a referendum, large organisations have a certain political power.
In Switzerland, there are only a few laws on national level concerning alcohol (i.e. the spirit monopoly). Switzerland does not have a specific law for the protection of minors. All topics related to alcohol and tobacco are regulated in the other laws (i.e. drunken driving in the traffic-law, the selling of alcohol in the food-law, advertisement in the law on radio and TV etc.). In these laws, alcohol is always a minor topic.
If someone is against a part of a new law (i.e. against the legal age for buying alcohol) and undertakes a referendum, he can't ask for changing only this paragraph. With the referendum he has to fight the new law as a whole.
Many laws and regulations are now being altered to fit into EU-standard.
Latest political activities in Switzerland
Revision of the regulations of the Law on Food
Since the lst of May 2002, the main regulation of the Law on Food has been altered. The important changes relating to alcohol and tobacco are:
Revision of the Law on Traffic
For over three years, the revision of the Law on Traffic has been discussed. There will be a new proposal from the Federal Council to the Parliament at the end of May 2002. The new Law on Traffic will adopt a lot of elements from the EU-law (driving licence, weights and dimensions of lorries etc.).
Three important changes concerning drunken driving are in the current proposal:
In the Parliament, there is a strong lobby against a legal BAC of 0,5 %o.
Revision of the Law on Radio and Television
In the existing law, the advertisement for alcohol and tobacco is forbidden in radio and television. In the discussions, this regulation came under strong pressure and the first Chamber has accepted an initiative from one of its members which will admit advertisement for alcoholic beverages in private TV.
We will fight against this liberalisation and are even prepared to undertake a referendum if this change in the Law passes the whole Parliament.
In the discussion in the Parliament, the campaigner for a change of this law very often argues that the liberal situation within the EU is penalising the private TV in Switzerland in their competition with the private TVs in Germany.
Revision of the Law on Drugs
The first Chamber has discussed the proposal from the Federal Council for the first time. A depenalisation of the consumption of cannabis products was accepted (today, every year about 28000 persons are denounced because of the consumption (without dealing or smuggling) of cannabis products. Since justice is a cantonal matter, there is no unified criteria regarding whether a denunciation also leads to a penalisation. (Every year, about 3000 persons are going into prison because of Cannabis related crimes). In the revised Law, possession and small traffic of Cannabis shall also be depenalised.
Until now, the depenalisation of the consumption of other substances has not been taken into serious consideration.
This autumn, the second Chamber will discuss this topic. A final proposal, which will be approved by both Chambers, is not expected before 2003/2004. It is expected that the right-wing parties and the extreme religious circles in Switzerland will take up a referendum. Therefore, a change of the existing law will not take place before 2004/2005.
The research department of the SIPA runs three important national studies:
In addition, a lot of other reports have been published by the research department. For example:
Taxation study
Due to the tax harmonisation on spirits (and a tax reduction for the imported spirits) a raise of spirit consumption can be reported. Young men especially are drinking more spirits since the tax harmonisation.
A long run study will begin this year with the support of the Swiss Alcohol Monopoly and NIAAA USA.
Social costs
Regarding health effects of alcohol consumption, a limited protective effect when alcohol is consumed in small amounts has been demonstrated in Switzerland. As a preventive message, the SIPA communicates the following:
WHO-Global Alcohol-Database
The ISPA has been mandated by the WHO to continue the work of the Marin Institute, California (David Jernigan) regarding the Global Alcohol Database. The whole project is financed by the Swiss government.
New Trend
We watch with great interest the findings of the neuro-biological research concerning dependences. Despite the fact that the chemical industry is very interested in this research, we think that there are revolutionary results coming up. Today it is to early to estimate the consequences for the future (especially in the field of treatments).
The SIPA is an important producer of prevention material in Switzerland. This material is used by the local services.
The following list is not complete. It should give an idea of the main direction of the Prevention work in Switzerland.
Workplace: The use of the "golden rules" for high standard EAPs by the bigger companies in Switzerland has been evaluated and promoted. A special guide for persons in charge in small and medium enterprises is being developed.
Children: Booklets for early readers (1 st and 2nd school year) have been developed concerning alcohol and tobacco. Another booklet, concerning medicines, will be published this year.
Parents: Guides for parents "How to talk with my child about alcohol consumption I cannabis consumption" have been developed.
Teachers: Guides for classroom prevention on Cannabis and Alcohol consumption have been developed.
Sales personnel: Information and training material for sales personnel in shops and catering has been created.
Mass media "Alles im Grit?": Mass media campaign to prevent alcohol related damages (binge drinking), by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, the National Alcohol Monopoly and the SIPA. The first evaluation has shown a small positive result, particularly among women.
The practical implementation by Korkel (Nurnberg, Germany) of the research on controlled drinking made by Sobell & Sobell in the 1960s restarted the discussion on this theory among the Swiss professionals. Korkel's programme was met with great interest in Switzerland. The first seminars were held (organised by the National professional organisation A+S). Alcohol abstinence as the only aim of the treatment is once again under pressure.
Quality control in treatment systems has become very popular in Switzerland too (the Government has developed a quality system similar to IS0 9001 for the residential treatment) and, therefore, evaluation and research of the treatment settings are increasingly important.
Alcohol dependence as such is still not accepted as an illness that may lead to a disability pension. Therefore, in the German speaking area of Switzerland, a lot of residential offers have become approved clinics and a medical doctor is responsible for the treatment, so as to be financed by the illness insurances. In the French speaking area of Switzerland, the residential offers are mainly financed by the disability insurance and, therefore, the patients need another diagnosis than alcohol dependence to get the treatment financed.
(for more publications, see www.sfa-ispa.ch.Recherche/allemand/publikationen/neue.htm
2002
Kuntsche, E., & Meyer, M. (2002). Abschreckung oder Ansteckung? Wenn Kinder der Meinung sind, dass ihre Eltern zu vie1 rauchen cder trinken. Sucht Magazin, 1, 20-32.
Rehm, J., & Gmel, G. (2002). Average volume of alcohol consumption, patterns of drinking and mortality among young Europeans in 1999. Letter to he Editcr. Addiction, 97, 105109,
Schmid, H. (2002). Spcrt, Alkonoi, Tabak und 4egaie Drogen in der Entwickiung von Jugendlichen zu jungen Erwachsenen. Eine L%-rgsscnnittuntersuchung. Ze#.schtirI fijr Gesundheifspsycho/ogie, IO(l), 36-48.
2001
Bloomfield, K., Gmel, G., Neve. R., 8 $lustonen, H. (2001). Investigating gender convergence in alcohol consumption in Finland, Germany, The Netheriands, and Switzerland: A repeated survey analysis. Substance Abuse, 22(1), 39-53.
Gmel. G., Heeb. J.-L., & Rehm J. (2001). Is frequency of drinking an indicator for problem drinking? A psychometric analysis of a moditied version of the elcohol use disorders identification test in Switzerland. Drug andA/coho/ Dependence, 64, 151-163.
Gmel, G., Rehm, J., 8 Frick, U (2001'. Methocological approaches to conducting pooled cross-sectional time series analysis: the example of the sssociabon between all-cause mortality and per capita alcohol consumption for men in 15 European States. European Addiction Research, 7(3), 128-137.
Gmel, G., Klingemann, S., Mtiller, R., 3 Brenner, D. (2001). Revising the preventive paradox: The Swiss case. Addiction, 96(2), 273-284.
Gutjahr. E., 8, Gmei, G. (2001). Definirg alcoh&related fatal medical conditions for social-cost studies in Western societies: An tipdate cf the epldemiolcgical evidence, Journa/ of Substance Abuse, 13, 239-264.
Gutjahr. E., Gmel, G., 8 Rehm. J. (2OCl). Reia:ion between average alcohol consumption and disease: An overview, European Adciction Researc,? 7(3), : 17-127,
Heeb, J.-L., & Gmei, G. (2001). lntemiewers' and respondents' effects on self-reported alcohol consumption in a Swiss Health Survey. Joumai of Studies on A/coho/, 62(4), 434-442.
Meyer M. 8 MutIer R. (2001). Eedijrfnisabklarung zur aktuellen Cannabispravention - lnternetbefragung bei 211 Praventionsstelien in cer S&,veiz, SF,A, Lausanne,
Muller R. 8 Meyer M. (2001) Soziale Reprasentationen zum Tabakrauchen - eine Befragung der Schweizer Bevolkerung z.~ den Enstellurgen zurn Rauchen und zu tabakpolitischen Massnahmen, SFA, Lausanne.
Rehm, J., 8 Gmel, G. (2001). Aggregate time-series regression in the field of alcohol. Addiction, 96, 945954.
Rehm, J., & Gmel, G. (2001). Applying principles of comparative risk analysis to substance abuse-related burden. European Addiction Research, 7(3), 95-97.
Rehm, J., Gmel. G., Rwm, R., & Frick. U. (2OCl). Average volume of alcohol consumption, drinking patterns and related burden of mofiality in young people in established market economies of Europe. European Addiction Research, 7(3), 148-151.
Rehm, J., Monteiro, M.. Room, R., Gmel, G., Jernigan, D., Frick, Lt., & Graham, K. (2001). Steps towards constructing a global comparative rise analysis for alcohol consumption: Determining indicators and empirical weights for patterns of dnrking, deciding about theoretical minimun, and dealing with different consequences. European Addiction Research, 7 3), 136-147,
Schmid, H. (2001). Precictors cf cigareze smoqing by young adults and readiness to change. Substance Use and Misuse, 36(11 1519--542.
2000
Eggenberger Ch. 8 Meyer M. (2000). Auswirkungen von aktuellen Veranderungen der Cannabis-Gesetzgebung auf das Konsumverhalten - Eine Literaturanalyse am Beispiel von sieben Landern, SFA, Lausanne.
Galliker, M. (2000). Sozialarbeit und Quaiitatsmanagement. Das Beispiel der Entwicklungen im ambulanten Suchtbereich. Zeitschrift Forschung & Wissenschafi Soziale Arbeit, 2, 6-24.
Gmel, G., Rehm, J., Room, R., 8 Greenfield, T. (2000). Dimensions of alcohol-related social and health consequences. Journal of Substance Abuse, 12, 113-130.
Gmel, G., Bloomtield, K., Ahlstrom, S, Choquet, M., 8 Lecomte, T. (2000). Women's roles and women's drinking: A comparative study in four European countries. Substance Abuse, 21(4), 249-264.
Gmel, G., 8 Rehm, J. (2000). The empirical testability of Skog's theory of collective drinking behaviour. Drug and A/coho/ Review, 19(4), 391-399.
Gmel, G,, & Lokosha, 0. (2000). Self-reported frequency of drinking assessed with a closed-ended versus open-ended question format: A split-sample study in Switzerland. Journal of Studies on A/coho/, 61(3), 450-454.
Rehm, J., & Gmel, G. (2000). Aggregating dimensions of alcohol-consumption to predict medical and social consequences. Journal of Substance Abuse, 12,155-166.
SIPA: www.sfa-ispa.ch
Swiss Federal Office of Public Health: www.bag.admin.ch
Swiss Alcohol Board: www.eav.admin.ch
Alcohol Policy in Switzerland: www.alkoholpolitik.ch
Platform on Drugs and Alcohol Treatment: www.infoset.ch
1996 - 2005 Eurocare