Workshop: Alcohol policy reforms in European countries – challenges and solutions

Abstract

Abstract Alcohol-related harm is a major public health concern in Europe, with levels of alcohol consumption and associated health harm among the highest worldwide. According to the European Commission, premature deaths linked to alcohol account for over 7% of all European morbidity, and alcohol is a major avoidable risk factor for neuropsychiatric disorders, cardiovascular diseases, cirrhosis of the liver, cancer and unintentional and intentional injuries. Even moderate use of alcohol raises long-term risks of certain heart conditions, liver disease and cancers, and frequent use can lead to dependence. There is extensive research on efficient strategies to reduce alcohol-related harm, alongside high-level policy recommendations. Examples are the WHO’s global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol and the WHO European office’s European action plan to reduce the harmful use of alcohol 2012-2020. The European Union (EU) strategy to support member states in reducing alcohol-related harm expired in 2012. Since then, the Committee on National Alcohol Policy and Action (CNAPA) has drawn up a non-binding Action Plan in relation to alcohol and EU countries have the main responsibility for their national alcohol policy. Despite strong evidence bases supporting alcohol policy, the implementation of potentially effective alcohol policy is often challenged by companies with commercial interests seeking to undermine evidence and advocate for less effective alternatives. These alternatives, such as education or voluntary industry action, are often favoured by politicians and the public. This opposition to evidence-based alcohol policy represents a challenge to public health. In this session, we will discuss recent developments in alcohol policy reform in Estonia, Finland and Scotland; reflecting on the outcomes of policies and the challenges faced in implementation. We invite commentaries from national experts and from the DG Sante and WHO Euro. Among these the French commentary will address the influence of the alcohol industry in circumventing effective public health policies, with discussions concerning the new strict French low-risk guidelines on alcohol use as one example. The objective of this workshop is to share experiences of the challenges faced in applying effective alcohol policies, to discuss ways to tackle those challenges, and to invite the EU and the WHO to share their views on ways to overcome these barriers in future policy advocacy. Key messages Commercial determinants of health are a powerful force in preventing effective public health policy on alcohol-related harm. The public health community need to work in a persistent and coordinated manner to bring in a suite of effective alcohol policy interventions across Europe.