Author: Alex Wodak

The need for reform of drug laws is now growing in many countries, but change is slow because bad policy is still good politics. Thus, many political systems are unable to move forward with reform of drug laws, and change seems most likely to happen through pressure
from civil society.

Author: Science Group of the European Alcohol and Health Forum

The European Alcohol and Health Forum requested scientific advice from the Science Group on the impact of marketing communication on the volume and patterns of consumption of alcoholic beverages, especially by young people. The findings of the review are clear, namely that commercial communications increase the likelihood that adolescents will start to use alcohol and to drink more if they are already using alcohol.

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.

Authors: Craig S. Ross (Virtual Media Resources), Avalon de Bruijn (Dutch Institute for Alcohol Policy) and David Jernigan (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health)

Regulators may attempt to reduce youth exposure to alcohol advertising by restricting times during which alcohol ads may be aired on television or radio. The Netherlands introduced such a policy and found that teenage advertising exposure increased following the time restrictions. This study uses simulation analysis and a comprehensive database of television alcohol advertising to demonstrate that time restrictions are likely to reduce advertising exposure to the youngest viewers while increasing exposure for the high-risk teenage population.

Authors: Romano M, Osborne LA, Truzoli R, Reed P

The study explored the immediate impact of internet exposure on the mood and psychological states of internet addicts and low internet-users. Internet addiction was associated with long-standing depression, impulsive nonconformity, and autism traits. High internet-users also showed a pronounced decrease in mood following internet use compared to the low internet-users. The immediate negative impact of exposure to the internet on the mood of internet addicts may contribute to increased usage by those individuals attempting to reduce their low mood by re-engaging rapidly in internet use.