Reducing alcohol harm to young people: Europe's Health Ministers say "the time to act is now!"
Press release EURO 03/01
Copenhagen and Stockholm, 21 February 2001
Today, in a landmark declaration, European health ministers and other participants including young people, gathered at the WHO Ministerial Conference on Young People and Alcohol in Stockholm, agreed on actions to reduce harm from alcohol and protect public health.
The declaration calls on governments, intergovernmental and nongovernmental agencies and other interested parties to urgently address evidence of growing harm due to alcohol across Europe. New studies show that one in every four deaths among young males (15-29 years) in Europe is attributable to alcohol. The declaration calls for the protection and promotion of young people's health and well being. Importantly, the declaration identifies young people as a resource and urges that they be empowered to take responsibilities in resolving alcohol-related problems. The declaration was unanimously adopted by representatives of all the 51 countries that make up the European Region of WHO.
"The over 57 000 deaths of young people due to alcohol in Europe calls for urgent action. This declaration sets out clear ways to stop suffering and premature deaths of young people due to alcohol," stated Dr Marc Danzon, WHO Regional Director for Europe in his closing remarks to the meeting. " It identifies specific actions to reduce alcohol consumption and counter dangerous heavy drinking patterns promoted aggressively by the alcohol industry."
Representatives of all 51 countries in the WHO European Region agree on ten specific common targets to be achieved by 2006. All countries, as appropriate in their differing cultures and social, legal and economic environments, will aim to:
- reduce substantially the number of young people who start consuming alcohol;
- delay the age of onset of drinking by young people;
- reduce substantially the occurrence and frequency of high-risk drinking among young people, especially adolescents and young adults;
- provide and/or expand meaningful alternatives to alcohol and drug use and increase education and training for those who work with young people;
- increase young people’s involvement in youth health-related policies, especially alcohol-related issues;
- increase education for young people on alcohol;
- minimize the pressures on young people to drink, especially in relation to alcohol promotions, free distributions, advertising, sponsorship and availability, with particular emphasis on special events;
- support actions against the illegal sale of alcohol;
- ensure and/or increase access to health and counselling services, especially for young people with alcohol problems and/or alcohol-dependent parents or family members;
- reduce substantially alcohol-related harm, especially accidents, assaults and violence, and particularly as experienced by young people.
As part of the programme of the Swedish presidency of the European Union (EU), the Conference debated recommendations on future EU action on alcohol. “All EU member states declared their support for the Swedish Presidency’s initiative concerning an EU strategy in the alcohol policy field,” declared Lars Engqvist, Swedish Minister for Health and Social Affairs. (see http//www.eu2001.se)
The Swedish Government, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Council of Europe, the European Forum of Medical Associations and WHO (EFMA) and the European Commission were all active partners with WHO in organizing the Conference.
The Conference Declaration will inform the policy agenda for the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children, to be held in September 2001, with UNICEF serving as secretariat.