Austria: One million Austrians have a drinking problem

Around one million people in Austria consume too much alcohol. The initiative "Alkohol ohne Schatten" (Alcohol without Shadows) criticises that the extensive medical treatment is not enough rewarded.

Michael Musalek, medical head of the Anton Proksch Institute and founder of the initiative said: "Alcohol is part of our society. Therfore, we have to learn how to deal with it correctly. We need consciousness raising and education.

"The starting age is between eleven and thirteen years. The earlier the disease is recognized the better is the prognosis", Mr Musalek went on.

Johannes Steinhart, head of the resident doctors in the Austrian Medical Association, emphasised the significance of the problem: "Around 340,000 Austrians are alcoholics; 760,000 people drink amounts of alcohol that are not healthy any more. The direct costs are 375 million Euros per year.

Read more: One million Austrians have a drink problem - Panorama News - Austrian Times Online News - English Newspaper

Turkey: Turkish PM vows harsh action against alcohol - by Sevim Songün Demirezen

 Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed today to introduce new measures in the fight against the consumption of alcoholic beverages including price increases. However, he also said this should not be considered an “obstacle” to particular lifestyles or secularism.

“If the prices are increasing, excuse us, but we have to. In the ÖTVs [the Special Consumption Tax], this [taxation on alcoholic beverages] is our most important source of income, as we don’t have any oil wells. That’s why we are working on this,” Erdoğan said, speaking at the Global Alcohol Policy Symposium held in Istanbul on April 26.

He also revealed that the government was working on increasing the penalties for those who cause death by drink driving, increasing the prices of alcoholic beverages, introducing warning signs on alcoholic beverages, and limiting alcohol advertising.

“We are working on measures to limit the advertisement of alcoholic beverages in newspapers. It will soon be accomplished,” said Erdoğan, adding that such advertisements were “misleading for the youth.” He said the 58th article of the Constitution ordered such measures to be taken, saying that the state must take the necessary measures to protect youth from alcoholism, speaking at the Haliç Congress Center.

The prime minister said the government was working on a study to implement warning signs on alcoholic beverages similar to those already implemented on tobacco products in Turkey.

Read more: POLITICS - Turkish PM vows harsh action against alcohol

Britain: Is Alcohol England's Most Dangerous Drug

Professor Nutt has amplified his views on the dangers of alcohol. It was alcohol, he says, that was the ‘gateway drug’ and it remained the greatest threat to society. The Government’s failure to address the problem epitomised its disregard for scientific evidence. Professor Nutt said that the comparison he made between the harm caused by alcohol and Ecstasy, which led to his dismissal as Head of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, ‘was incontrovertible’.

“When I say alcohol is more dangerous than Ecstasy, cannabis and LSD, I mean it, and the council means it,” Professor Nutt said. “The Government has to wake up to this time bomb and the health risks of alcohol. Across the political spectrum everyone knows that alcohol is the biggest killer.” He added: “If alcohol was discovered tomorrow it would definitely be illegal. It’s a dangerous drug — there’s no doubt about that. There is an issue about understanding that it’s alcohol that will kill people’s kids, not Ecstasy.”

Professor Nutt advocated the tripling of alcohol prices, with taxation the most obvious way of achieving this.

For additionalinformation : Is Alcohol England's Most Dangerous Drug | Gov Monitor

BBC NEWS:Britain - 'Vodka, homework and me - by Jamie Berry'

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Vodka, homework and me - by Jamie Berry'

Childhood should be "alcohol-free", according to England's chief medical officer. Sir Liam Donaldson says the medical advice shows it is safest for under-15s not to drink. The BBC Three documentary 'Vodka, Homework & Me' has followed 11-year-old Reece and Charlie, 15, over the last three months as they try to give up drinking and overcome its damaging effects.The World Health Organisation has identified excessive alcohol use as one of the most important risks to health and Britain has the fourth highest levels of underage drinking in Europe. The North West of England has the highest number of underage drinkers in the country. The latest statistics show that 90% of 15-16 year old school children drink alcohol.

Chron.com: Across Europe, teens' alcohol abuse worsens - by Veronika Oleksyn

For the complete report from the Houston Chronicle click on this link

Across Europe, teens' alcohol abuse worsens - by Veronika Oleksyn

A 13-year-old schoolgirl in southern Austria celebrated the start of her spring break with a bottle of schnapps. She ended up in intensive care. In other countries across Europe, adolescents are making similar headlines for drinking themselves into a stupor, often passing out in the process. And they're getting younger: A June 2006 European Union-commissioned report says nearly all 15- to 16-year-old European students have had alcohol at some point in their lives and, on average, now start when they're just 12 1/2 years old.Supermarkets sell alcohol and, unlike in the U.S., bottles and cans are seldom stashed away in areas that are off-limits to underage customers. Carding is uncommon.

In Austria — where binge drinking is known as "Komatrinken," or "coma drinking" — a new law prohibits the sale of alcohol to anyone under either 16 or 18, depending on the region, and requires cashiers and establishments to card customers if they have any doubt about their age.

Failure to do so can result in fines of up to euro3,500.00 (US$5,610) and loss of a liquor license.