Eurocare launches call for Comprehensive Alcohol Policy Strategy in European Union

The current EU Alcohol Strategy to support member states in reducing alcohol-related harm was designed for the period 2006-2012. The absence of an up-to-date EU Alcohol Strategy based on the latest evidence and abreast with important societal changes (for example, move of alcohol advertising from traditional to new media) poses a real threat to maintaining and building on the progress made to reduce alcohol related harm in Europe.

With the new European political leadership taking their offices, Eurocare is hoping that a strong and united voice of concerned stakeholders will ensure continuation of work towards improving the health of European citizens, as well as creating future health system savings through prevention of alcohol related harm.

The main Eurocare recommendations for the future EU Alcohol Strategy include:

• Population-level policy instruments, such as taxation and action on physical availability;
• targeted policies such as minimum unit pricing, which has a greater impact on hazardous and harmful drinkers and contributes to reducing health inequalities;
• effective restrictions on alcohol marketing and advertising;
• consumer information including the provision of nutritional and other health related information on alcoholic beverage labels;
• reduction in drink-driving
• health sector responses for early detection, brief interventions and treatment for alcohol-use disorders;
• strategies that alter drinking contexts, backed up by community-based prevention action;
• evidence-based public awareness communication and school-based education to help reduce risks and harm from alcohol;
• prevention with special focus on the workplace, and;
• research, better monitoring of trends in alcohol consumption and harms and further development of the common evidence base.

Call for a comprehensive Alcohol Policy Strategy in the European Union