Editeb by: David V. McQueen (IUHPE), Matthias Wismar (European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies), Vivian Lin (La Trobe University), Catherine M. Jones (International Union for Health Promotion and Education), Maggie Davies (Health Action Partnership International)

The recent Rio Political Declaration on Social Determinants of Health (WHO, 2011), adopted during the World Conference on Social Determinants of Health in October 2011, continues to highlight the importance of the work of global institutions to address HiAP, social determinants of health and governance. This book, produced by the WHO - Regional Office for Europe on behalf of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, in particular echoes and supports themes of the upcoming WHO health policy for Europe, the European Health 2020 policy framework, underscoring the importance of SDoH, HiAP and intersectoral governance (WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2012). These policy developments set the background for the issues to be addressed in this book.

Author: Gerard Hastings (Institute for Social Marketing, University of Stirling and the Open University)

This BMJ article calls for a shake-up to public health, to revitalise the discipline, place the needed emphasis on the commercial determinants of poor health and take the lead in a move away from 'an abeyance to the corporate bottom line', with suggestions for key areas in which organisational and paradigm shifts are needed.

Authors: Tim Lang and Geof Rayner

The authors of this article outline five models and traditions, and argue that public health thinking requires an overhaul, and that ecological public health — which integrates the material, biological, social, and cultural aspects of public health — is the way forward for the 21st century.

Authors: Irmgard Eisenbach-Stangl (European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research) and Betsy Thom (Middlesex University)

Over recent years, media and policy attention has highlightened ‘binge’ drinking as a social problem which had spread across Europe. Viewed predominantly as a youth problem, the focus of concern has been on young people’s drinking and on the behaviours and harms associated with it in relation to public health, public safety and public order.
This emphasis has neglected examination of the wider issue of ‘intoxication’ and ‘intoxicated behaviours’. But to understand youthful binge drinking and associated behaviours, and to find ways of intervening to prevent or reduce harm, it is necessary to understand the prevailing concept(s) of acceptable and unacceptable forms of intoxication and intoxicated behaviours and its/their wider social and cultural determinants.

Authors: Edwin Horlings and Amanda Scoggins (RAND Europe)

The European Commission, Directorate-General Health and Consumer Protection (DG SANCO) has asked RAND Europe to contribute to the Commission’s impact assessment of a proposed Communication on alcohol policy. This Communication presents a comprehensive approach to combat the harmful effects of alcohol use in the European Union. RAND Europe has focused exclusively on the economic impacts of DG SANCO’s options.
This report first examines the nature and extent of the problem posed by alcohol use in Europe, which provides the rationale and focus for the associated policy initiative. Next, it developes a conceptual approach that discusses how alcohol use is linked to macroeconomic development. This approach is then used to examine the future impacts of a successful alcohol policy on a number of macroeconomic aspects.