Key Recent Milestones:
· Worldwide: The International Center for Alcohol Policies has announced that registration is now available for the international conference Global Actions: Initiatives to Reduce Harmful Drinking in Washington, D.C. on October 8 and 9, 2012. The event will feature presentations of industry-sponsored initiatives from around the world in support of reducing harmful drinking. Register online at event.global-actions.org.
· Mexico: Global Actions participated in a health fair at Universidad de las Americas de Puebla. View photos from the event on our Facebook page.
Global Actions in Focus: Progress in Vietnam
Global Actions made significant progress in Vietnam with self-regulation and drink driving initiatives in March 2012.
Self-Regulation Code
Global Actions and the Vietnam Beer Alcohol Beverage Association (VBA) announced the establishment of an marketing code for wine and spirits with a workshop in Hanoi on March 20. This follows the launch of a marketing code for the beer sector in May 2010. These codes are meant to serve to reinforce responsible brand communications for members of VBA.
Road Safety & Bus Drivers
Six months have passed since Global Actions launched the bus driver project to educate inter-city bus drivers about the risk of drink driving. The pilot project included training of transit safety officers and breath testing of bus drivers for alcohol. At the March meeting in Nha Trang, stakeholders met to discuss the direction, implementation, and plans to expand inspection of drivers. Representatives from government agencies, research institutions, transport companies, and the beverage alcohol industry were there to exchange ideas.
"This project is designed in accordance with the focus on traffic safety outlined in Resolution 88/NQ-CP” said deputy general director of Directorate for Roads of Vietnam (DRVN) Mr. Nguyen Van Quyen. “Practical solutions are being implemented to ensure traffic safety in Vietnam.”
“Based on performance evaluation and criteria for expanding projects, ICAP is cooperating with the Ministry of Transport to develop phase 2 of the bus driver project,” said Global Actions country manager Lan Huong Nguyen. “Implementation is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2012.”
Situation Assessments: Traffic Injury Prevention
In addition to worldwide press coverage of Global Actions projects in Vietnam, a series of papers associated with the drink driving initiative was published in the March issue of Traffic Injury Prevention. The papers describe and analyze the drink driving situations in China, Colombia, Nigeria, and Vietnam. Read more of the announcement from ICAP.
What’s Happening Next:
· Vietnam: The findings of a qualitative survey on noncommercial alcohol in Vietnam will be presented at a workshop to be held on April 27 in Hanoi.
