Denmark’s health minister has called for free sterilisation for female alcoholics and drug addicts to help prevent birth defects in children. Bertel Haarder is proposing that the DKK 13,000 (EUR 1,744) fee for surgical sterilisation should be waived for certain vulnerable groups.
Helsinkin Sanomat (Finland) - Government parties clash on restrictions on alcohol advertising
Plans to impose new restrictions on the advertising of alcoholic beverages appear to be stumbling over differences between the two main government partners - the National Coalition Party and the Centre Party.
Norden - Alcohol: the scourge of the North
Alcohol must be made less accessible and more expensive to minimize public health damage, according to Norwegian MP and former Minister of Health Dagfinn Høybråten, speaking at the Second Northern Dimension Parliamentary Forum in Tromsø on February 22nd. The Nordic countries set the agenda in the global fight against alcoholism, he claims.
BNN News (Latvia) - Excise tax rise on alcohol and cigarettes suggested for budget consolidation
One of the proposals for the consolidation of the remaining 11 million lats, which was presented at the Coalition Council’s meeting, stipulates the excise tax increase on strong alcohol and cigarettes, points out the Finance Minister Andris Vilks. At the same time, he adds that the excise duty on diesel will not be raised.
Reuters - Ignition interlocks cut drunken driving: study
Ignition devices that stop drivers from starting their vehicles if they are over the alcohol limit help prevent people convicted of driving under the influence from re-offending, according to a new study.
TopNews New Zealand (New Zealand) - Alcohol Report Indicates Brewing Troubles
As per the findings of the Victorian Alcohol Statistics Report, the number of alcohol-related violence and brawls has experienced a sharp rise over the period between 1999 and 2007.
Scotsman (Scotland) - Cheers as alcohol-related deaths fall across Lothians
THE rising cost of alcohol and GPs challenging patients on their drinking has been credited for a huge drop in drink-related illness in the Lothians.
GlobalPost (Russia) - NEWS FLASH! Beer is alcohol, Russia says
The Russian parliament today finally acknowledged something taken as given the world over: beer is alcohol. The Duma passed a law on second reading (a third, largely ceremonial reading will follow, but the second is the most important) a bill that explicitly acknowledges that fact and bans the sale of beer between 11pm and 8am.
Reuters (UK) - Thousands of UK lives lost to drink, experts warn
Failure to tackle Britain's persistent alcohol problem could lead to hundreds of thousands more people dying from liver disease in the UK than in many other European countries, health experts said on Monday.
TIME - Major Triggers of Heart Attack: Alcohol, Coffee — and Sitting in Traffic
We all know that high cholesterol, obesity and high blood pressure can increase the risk of having a heart attack. On the behavioral side, triggers include getting angry, exerting yourself and feeling stressed. But none of these individual risk factors account for as many heart attacks as population-level influences like the quality of the air we breathe, a new review study finds.
The Press Association (UK) - Drug and alcohol care 'saves money'
Every pound spent on helping teenagers cope with drug and alcohol problems saves the taxpayer up to £8 over a lifetime, economists have said.
Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) - Navy considers alcohol ban after damning report
THE navy will consider banning alcohol in some locations and increasing breath testing as part of a strategy to tackle a drinking problem in the Defence Force.
News & Issues (USA) - Underage Alcohol Use Starts at Home
Almost one-half (44.8%) of the estimated 709,000 U.S. kids ages 12 to 14 who drink alcohol at least once a month do their drinking right in the safe and nurturing environments of their own homes, according to a new report from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
ParentDish UK (UK) - Mums swap fruit and veg tokens for cigarettes and alcohol
A Government report has found that some mums on benefits use their Healthy Start fruit and vegetable tokens for cigarettes and alcohol.
Belfast Telegraph (Northern Ireland) - New Bill tackles under-age drinking
Pubs caught serving drink to under-age customers in Northern Ireland twice will be closed. A Bill has been passed by the Assembly to reduce alcohol consumption.
Doctors Lounge - Teen Drinking May Lead to Adult Alcohol Dependence
Evidence suggests that higher alcohol consumption in late adolescence continues into adulthood and is associated with alcohol-related problems such as dependence, according to a literature review published online Feb. 8 in PLoS Medicine.
Voxy (New Zealand) - Alcohol Should Be Hidden Like Dirty Movies - Committee Told
Displaying alcohol in supermarkets should be treated in the same way as dirty movies are displayed in a video store, the Alcohol Reform Bill select committee was told today.
Toronto Star (Canada) - Price of alcohol sinks hopes for all-inclusive resorts
There’s a big snag with Ontario’s plan to make the province a hotbed for all-inclusive Caribbean-style vacations: booze prices, tour operators and resort owners say. They’re pleased Premier Dalton McGuinty’s government, in a tough fight to win the Oct. 6 election, wants to loosen liquor laws allowing alcohol to be included in package deals with rooms and meals.
Budapest Times (Hungary) - Hungarians third-highest alcohol consumers on the planet
Central and Eastern Europe is home to the hardest-drinking nations in the world, a report from the World Health Organisation made abundantly clear this month.
Guardian (UK) - Drinks companies spread liver disease as surely as mosquitoes do malaria
Food and alcohol firms are obliged to maximise profit. To include them in health policy planning is a recipe for disaster.
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