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IP/07/322
Brussels, 14th March 2007
Europeans support alcohol health warnings to
protect vulnerable, Eurobarometer reveals
Almost eight out of ten Europeans (77%) agree with putting warnings on
alcohol bottles and adverts in order to warn pregnant women and drivers of
the dangers of drinking alcohol, according to the results of the special
Eurobarometer on Alcohol presented by the European Commission today.
The survey reveals that European public opinion is, in general, supportive of
measures aiming to protect vulnerable groups in society and to reduce
alcohol-related road accidents. According to the data, men drink more than
women, and one in ten Europeans usually drink five or more drinks in one
session, which is the widely used definition of binge drinking. Binge drinking
is a particular problem among young people, with 19% of the 15-24 age group
usually binge drinking when consuming alcohol.
EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said: "It is evident from this survey that
EU citizens support measures crafted to protect specific groups in society, such as
pregnant women, drivers and young people from the harmful effects of alcohol abuse
and misuse. I am deeply concerned about the data showing that one in five young
Europeans regularly binge drink."
Protective measures
It is estimated that alcohol abuse and misuse kills 195,000 people a year in the EU.
Harmful alcohol consumption is responsible for one in four deaths among young men
aged 15-29. The vast majority of Europeans would welcome measures to protect
vulnerable groups in society and to reduce deaths by road accidents. Only 21%
disagree with putting health warnings on alcohol bottles and adverts in order to warn
pregnant women and drivers of the dangers of consuming alcohol. 76% approve of
banning alcohol advertising which targets young people.
Almost three quarters of Europeans (73%) surveyed would agree to the introduction
of a lower blood alcohol level for young and novice drivers of 0.2 g/l, and 80% of
respondents believe that random alcohol testing by police would reduce people's
alcohol consumption before driving.
Men drink more, one in ten Europeans binge drink
More men than women drink alcohol and men also tend to consume more alcoholic
beverages than women. According to the survey, 84% of male respondents said they
had drunk alcohol in the past year. Among women, that percentage stood at 68%.
Two thirds of Europeans said they had drunk alcohol in the past month. 35% of men
admitted to having more than three drinks in one sitting and 79% of women noted
they had less than two drinks on a day when they drink beer, wine or spirits.
One in ten Europeans usually drink five or more drinks in one session, which is the
widely used definition of binge drinking for men. This is the same figure as in 2003
and is particularly high among the youngest respondents. Almost one in five young
people in the 15-24 age group (19%) drink five or more alcoholic beverages in one
session.
Among the population as a whole, there are considerable national variations, with
34% of Irish respondents saying they usually binge drink, and about one in four
respondents from Finland (27%), the UK (24%) and Denmark (23%). On the other
hand, only 2% of respondents in Italy and Greece and 4% in Portugal usually binge
drink.
Price matters for young people
The survey indicates that higher prices would not reduce alcohol consumption for
most people. 62% said they would not buy less alcoholic drinks if the price went up
by 25%. One third (33%), though, claimed they would purchase less alcohol in case
of such a price increase. However, younger respondents react more sensitively to
alcohol price increases: 44% of the youngest respondents believe that they would
buy less alcohol with a 25% price increase. Most Europeans (68%) believe that
higher prices for alcohol would not discourage young people and heavy drinkers
from consuming alcohol.
Background
On October 24 2006, the European Commission adopted a Communication setting
out an EU strategy to support Member States in reducing alcohol related harm. The
priorities identified in the Communication were: to protect young people and children;
reduce injuries and deaths from alcohol-related road accidents; prevent harm among
adults and reduce the negative impact on the economy; raise awareness of the
impact on health of harmful alcohol consumption; and help gather reliable statistics.
The Commission identified areas where the EU can support Member States' actions
to reduce alcohol related harm, for example by financing projects through the Public
Health and Research Programmes, exchanging good practice on issues such as
curbing under-age drinking, exploring cooperation on information campaigns or
tackling drink-driving and other Community initiatives.
The Communication also mapped out actions already in place in some Member
States, with a view to promoting good practice, and proposed an Alcohol and Health
Forum of interested parties setting out areas where industry can make a contribution,
notably in the area of responsible advertising and marketing. The European
Commission is holding preparatory meetings with interested parties with a view to
convening the first meeting of the Forum on 7 June.
The special Eurobarometer on Alcohol is available at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_publication/eurobarometers_en.htm
For more information, please visit:
http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_determinants/life_style/alcohol/alcohol_com_en.htm
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