Author: Transform Drug Policy Foundation

Despite the lack of evidence that more punitive drug laws significantly deter drug use, criminalisation remains the primary weapon in the war on drugs. But using the criminal justice system to solve a public health problem has proven not only ineffective, but also socially corrosive. It promotes stigmatisation and discrimination, the burden of which is largely carried by already marginalised or vulnerable populations, many of whom the policy is nominally designed to protect.

Edited by Peter Anderson, Lars Møller and Gauden Galea (WHO Regional Office for Europe)

Alcohol is one of the world’s top three priority areas in public health. Even though only half the global population drinks alcohol, it is the world’s third leading cause of ill health and premature death, after low birth weight and unsafe sex, and greater than tobacco. In Europe, alcohol is also the third leading risk factor for disease and mortality after tobacco and high blood pressure. This report presents the latest literature overview of effective alcohol policies, and includes data from the European Union, Norway and Switzerland in the areas of alcohol consumption, harm and policy approaches. The data presented were collected from a survey in 2011.

Author: Science Group of the European Alcohol and Health Forum

Globally, alcohol is the world’s number one risk factor for ill-health and premature death amongst the 25-59 year old age group, the core of the working age population. It is unsurprising, therefore that lost productivity costs feature as the dominant element in social costs studies arising from the harm done by alcohol (contributing to one half or more of the total social costs). There are positive opportunities afforded through work to address problems due to harmful drinking even if they may not obviously impact on productivity. Those in full-time employment – usually about two-thirds of the population of working age - spend about one-third to one half of their waking lives at work and are open to health and wellbeing influences far more frequently than in, for example, conventional healthcare settings.

Full title: The Relationship between Minimum Alcohol Prices, Outlet Densities and Alcohol Attributable Deaths in British Columbia, 2002 to 2009

Authors: Jinhui Zhao, Tim Stockwell, Gina Martin, Scott Macdonald, Kate Vallance, Andrew Treno, William R. Ponicki, Andrew Tu and Jane Buxton.

The aim of this study was to investigate relationships between periodic increases in minimum alcohol prices, changing densities of liquor stores and alcohol attributable (AA) deaths in British Columbia, Canada. The findings of this research show that increases in the minimum price of alcohol in British Columbia, Canada, between 2002 and 2009 were associated with immediate and delayed decreases in alcohol attributable mortality. By contrast, increases in the density of private liquor stores were associated with increases in alcohol attributable mortality.

Author: Jonathan Gornall (freelance journalist)

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) published an in-depth article on the GAPA-WHO Statement of Concern issued on February 2013. This BMJ piece received a very positive supporting statement in the form of a rapid response from WHO Director General Dr. Margaret Chan, which you can see in the following link:

http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f1889?tab=responses

On October 8th 2012, thirteen of world’s largest alcohol producers issued a set of commitments to reduce the harmful use of alcohol worldwide, ostensibly in support of the World Health Organization’s 2010 Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol.

The Global Alcohol Policy Alliance (GAPA), as an independent coalition of public health professionals, health scientists and NGO representatives, submitted a public Statement of Concern to the WHO Secretariat in response to the activities of the global alcohol producers. Discussions on industry involvement at the AMPHORA project final conference have contributed to this document.