harmful behaviours

[Joint media reaction] Minimum Alcohol Price: Scottish High Court on the side of public health

Brussels, 3 May – Today, the Scottish Government has won a case on Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) for alcohol (1) in the Scottish High Court - the first legally-binding minimum price on alcohol within the EU. Now the alcohol industry will have 21 days to decide whether it has grounds for appeal. MUP sets a floor price below which alcohol cannot be legally sold and unlike taxation, MUP prices alcoholic beverages based on their strength. Alcohol misuse hits the poor badly, most of whom (...)

[Evening reception, 24 April] Alcohol & cancer: a report from the Royal College of Physicians & the Alcohol Health Alliance UK

You are cordially invited to join Alex Neil, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Health and Well-being & representatives from governments, non-governmental organisations, leading academics and Members of the European Parliament for an EVENING RECEPTION and European launch of Alcohol and cancer: a report from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and the Alcohol Health Alliance UK (AHA). European Parliament (Brussels) 24 April 2013, from 19:00 Co-hosted by Rebecca Taylor MEP (UK, ALDE) (...)

Report finds that advertising junk food continues to undermine children’s health in Europe

On 27 September, the International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO) published a study on self-regulation and its impact on children. It found that the industry’s own figures show that children’s exposure to advertisements for fatty and sugary foods has fallen by barely a quarter over the last six years. According to a new report, A Junk‐Free Childhood 2012: Marketing foods and beverages to children in Europe, advertising junk food continues to undermine (...)

Austerity threatens Portugal’s drug program

The cuts to Portugal’s drug programme, combined with an increase in hard drug abuse, could be the beginning of a serious problem for this south European country. Drug policy in Portugal is a distinct model for many countries across the world. (Norway and Argentina even considered implementing parts of the Portuguese model). Yet, due to budget cuts coupled with an increasing consumption of hard drugs, Portugal’s successful approach to tackle drug abuse may become unaffordable. (...)

EPHA Press Release: MEP hearing to undermine Scottish Minimum Alcohol Pricing

The Scottish Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Struan Stevenson (ECR) is convening today (Sept. 12) an event in Strasbourg to discuss the Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) on alcohol approved by the Scottish Parliament in May (1), and its alleged potential impact on trade. The gathering appears to be an ’industry convention’ and therefore an unbalanced attempt to mislead participants on the legality of the proposal, diverting attention from the benefits that a MUP on alcohol (...)

Reaction to misleading tobacco industry statement - public health NGOs letter to the editor

Following a disingenuous and deceitful press release issued last Sept. 5th by the European Confederation of Tobacco Retailers, a coalition of public health NGOs, of which EPHA is an active member, has sent today a reactive letter to the editor to the main European media outlets. The industry’s press release argues against the revision of the Tobacco Product Directive by putting forward manipulated evidence of the impact that this new directive would have in Europe’s revenue and (...)

Alcohol advertising to be banned in Russia

The Russian Federation has just passed a bill banning alcohol advertising on a broad range of platforms. The public health community strongly welcomes the move. In an attempt to curb Russia’s chronic alcohol abuse problems (the country has double the WHO critical level of use) the State Duma, Russia’s lower house, passed in mid-July a bill restricting alcohol advertising on a wide range of platforms. This measure will be implemented in a two-fold process: Since 23rd July 2012 (...)

EPHA Working Group on Alcohol Policy - June 2012

The EPHA Working Group on Alcohol Policy met on June 14 2012 to discuss EPHA’s future advocacy in the area of alcohol policy. Last June 14 2012, the Secretariat met with its members to discuss EPHA future advocacy strategy in the area of alcohol policy. Members that could not attend the meeting had the opportunity to dial in which brought additional participants to a fruitful meeting. For the convenience of members that could not participate to the EPHA Working Group on Alcohol (...)

Poland: Conference on the harmful success of the tobacco lobby in the country

Coinciding with this year’s World No Tobacco Day (May 31), the Polish Institute of Public Affairs organised a conference addressed at decision-makers and entitled “Protecting public interest from the influences of the tobacco industry.” This was the first conference in Poland where the prevailing conflict of interest between the industry and the public health was presented in such an overt fashion. Besides emphasising the sizable impact that the tobacco lobby has in (...)

EPHA Media Reaction - Scotland backs minimum alcohol price

The Scottish Parliament overwhelmingly passed a bill yesterday introducing a 0.50£ (0.63€) minimum price for a unit of alcohol. Cut-price alcohol beverages will be outlawed in Scotland from as early as April next year. The measure is expected to reduce binge drinking, having a positive impact on the region’s health and crime levels. As Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish health secretary says “it will help Scotland achieve a ’cultural shift’ in its unhealthy (...)