In this issue: Poland to tighten marketing laws; EU health commissioner vetting imminent; UK alcohol prices fall; Voluntary labels fail; Industry apps misinform, and more. Plus annual event discount and shareable messages.
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News:
Poland to tighten marketing laws: The Polish government plans to tighten regulations on marketing products. It is expected to make it compulsory to check documents to verify customers’ age and ban the sale of alcohol between 10pm and 6am at petrol stations. The move came after a furore over vodka drinks packaged in colourful sachets similar to those used for children’s fruit mousses. They have since been withdrawn. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said such products would be banned. In lightly markets like the UK producers use outrage at provocative packaging to generate publicity, knowing there will be no meaningful consequences.
EU health commissioner vetting imminent: EU parliament members will grill the health and animal welfare commissioner-designate, Oliver Varhelyi, on the evening of November 6th. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in her nomination letter that Verhelyi will have to: take a “comprehensive approach to health promotion and disease prevention” to reduce the burden on healthcare systems; and “ensure the implementation of the European Beating Cancer Plan”, which is behind the EU’s stalled alcohol labelling efforts. Some see Varhelyi’s appointment as a blow to the health portfolio. His native Hungary is a loose cannon within the EU. Varhelyi also has no track record in health and gained a reputation for combative behaviour during his stint as enlargement commissioner.
UK alcohol prices fall: The prices of beer, wine and spirits have fallen in real terms during the cost-of-living crisis that started in 2021, according to analysis by alcohol expert Colin Angus.
Voluntary labels fail: One-in-six alcohol product labels in the UK fail to give the official 140ml per week low risk drinking guidelines eight years after their introduction, according to the alcohol industry’s own figures. Half fail to give calorie information. There is a shareable message on this.
Research focus:
Industry apps misinform: Alcohol industry funded mobile apps misinform users about their alcohol consumption and could ‘nudge’ them towards increasing their intake, says a new study.
Calorie labelling may cut consumption: A sizeable proportion of hazardous drinkers indicated] they would change their consumption practices if mandatory calorie labelling was introduced, says a new study.
Alcohol-free drinks could cut consumption: Heavier alcohol drinkers may experience a reduced benefit from a non-alcoholic drink intervention in terms of alcohol consumption reduction, according to a Japanese study.
Teenage IQ predicts midlife alcohol intake: People with higher IQ scores as teenagers were significantly more likely to be moderate or heavy drinkers in mid-life compared to abstaining.
Prenatal DNA damage: The harmful effects of alcohol on foetal development are not directly attributable to placental abnormalities, says a new paper. Molecular changes could play an important role, particularly gene expression due to changes in DNA methylation profiles.
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Chronic labelling failure: Around one-in-six alcohol labels in the UK fail to give the official 140ml per week low risk drinking guidelines eight years after their introduction, according to the alcohol industry’s own figures.
Alcohol risk made simple: The chance that alcohol causes our death increases rapidly with the amount consumed. Drinking under 140ml a week is estimated to keep the chances of an alcohol death below 1/100. The only way to make the risk zero risk is to not drink any.
Alcohol can cause brain damage and dementia: Drinking more than a small amount of alcohol increases the risk of developing dementia in later life and can cause early-onset dementia and brain damage.
Full list of shareable alcohol messages…
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