Alcohol and Health Forum
The Forum
Harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption is a key health determinant and one of the main causes of premature death and avoidable disease. It is a net cause of 7,4 % of all ill-health and early death in the European Union, and has a negative impact on labour and productivity.
For this reason, responding to a European Commission initiative, more than 40 representatives of economic businesses and non-governmental organisations founded the "European Alcohol and Health Forum", in June 2007. This new initiative will support the European Commission's strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol and its negative consequences within Europe.
EU Press Release on establishing the Forum
Charter establishing the Forum
Members of the Forum
Although the Forum is dominated by stakeholders of the international alcohol industry and marketing sector, European non-governmental organisations of the health and alcohol control policy sector and their national partners take part in the Forum as well and try to balance the industry's influence. (s. Link founding members)
updated list of members as of 12 November 2009
Boards and Committees
Two multi disciplinary Task Forces on "Youth Specific Aspects of Alcohol" and "Marketing Communication" will work towards agreed objectives on the basis of specified mandates.
They report to the Forum. A Science Group of international, independent experts will be established. At the request of participants, the Group provides scientific advice and guidance on matters under discussion by the Forum.
As a member of EUROCARE, a European alcohol policy NGO, the German Centre for Addiction Issues (DHS) is the only German NGO represented in the Forum and the Task Force "Marketing Communication". Government representatives of the EU member states participate as observers and have the right to inquiries.
Plenary Meetings
Plenary Meetings are directed by DG SANCO and are held in Brussels twice a year. Forum members are invited to participate.
Reports of the Plenary Meetings
Commitments
All businesses and NGOs represented in the Forum committed themselves to relevant actions to prevent alcohol related harm, particularly in the following scopes:
- Strategies aimed at curbing under-age drinking
- information and education programmes on the effect of harmful drinking and on responsible patterns of consumption
- possible development of efficient common approaches throughout the Community to provide adequate consumer information
- actions to better enforce age limits for selling and serving alcohol
- interventions promoting effective behavioural change among children and adolescents
- cooperation to promote responsibility in and prevent irresponsible commercial communication and sales.
Commitment by the DHS
The German Centre for Addiction Issues has committed itself to publish a Fact Sheet series about "Alcohol and Youth", "Binge Drinking", "Alcohol and Advertising", and "Foetal during Pregnancy” targeted to social workers in the area of youth welfare services, public health, medical staff, consumer protection, addiction counsellors and the alcohol consumers themselves.
Organisation Chart of DHS Commitment
Activities by the DHS:
The main objective of the DHS commitment was to prepare the four above mentioned Factsheets and disseminate them between January 2008 and January 2010. The Factsheets should reach the above mentioned target groups, inform them and build capacity (-> giving useful information) for professionals, working in different sectors. Initially, a planning chart was designed, where indicators for the achievement of the objectives and therefore a successful implementation of the commitment were defined. Subsequently, a feedback questionnaire for the Factsheets was designed, to evaluate the accomplishment of the objectives.
The Factsheets were produced between January 2008 and January 2010. They were published on the DHS website and disseminated through the DHS Newsletter.
Alcohol and Pregnancy (German Language) PDF
Alcohol and Advertisement (German Language) PDF
Binge-Drinking and Intoxications (German Language) PDF
Alcohol and Youth (German Language) PDF
The Factsheets and the online feedback questionnaire are also available under “Informationsmaterial”:
DHS Informationsmaterial: Factsheets on Alcohol
In January 2010, the evaluation of the feedback was conducted and is available on this website. The evaluation of the feedback serves the purpose of assessing the achievement of the DHS commitment.
Evaluation Report of the Feedback PDF
Related News and Documents
EU strategy to support Member States in reducing alcohol related harm
Council Conclusions on Alcohol and Health
Contact details
"European Alcohol and Health Forum"
Gabriele Bartsch
Westenwall 4
59065 Hamm
Tel.: 02381 - 901517
Fax: 02381 - 901530 
bartsch@dhs.de
"Task Force Marketing Communication"
Walter Farke
Westenwall 4
59065 Hamm
Tel.: 02381/901522
Fax: 02381/901530
"DHS Factsheets on Alkohol"
Peter Raiser
Westenwall 4
59065 Hamm
Tel.: 02381 - 901521
Fax: 02381 - 901530 raiser@dhs.de