From the Wires
"There is no Single European way to Consume Alcoholic Beverages"
- Understanding Different Drinking Patterns Across Europe key to Successful Alcohol Policies
Oct. 23, 2009 04:59 AM
BRUSSELS, October 23 /PRNewswire/ -- EU-level policy to reduce alcohol-related harm must be
tailored to respond to diverse, complex realities in the different Member
States. This is the conclusion of experts meeting in Brussels today at a
scientific conference, organised by the Wine Information Council.
The Council of Ministers is currently developing conclusions
on the EU Strategy on alcohol and health, under the guidance of the Swedish
Presidency. It is important that these take into account the fact that not
all types of alcoholic beverages are consumed in the same amounts, in the
same contexts or for the same purposes across Europe.
There is no single European drinking pattern, according to
experts. European adolescents are a good example: Greek teenage girls drink
almost three times less than their Danish counterparts. Young Spanish
consumers drink less alcohol, but more regularly than British youngsters, who
drink in greater quantities, but less often (source: ESPAD). Overall
consumption trends are also going up or down, depending on the EU Member
State.
"What drives people to drink is very complex, it runs from age
and gender to education and socio-cultural environments; family and the
parental model play a fundamental role," said Dr Marie Choquet,
epidemiologist with the French Institute for Health and Medical Research
(INSERM).
Analysing these sociological and cultural differences is
fundamental to inform policy-making. Different patterns of drinking and their
impacts need to be understood in their context, so that appropriate measures
to curb alcoholic beverages misuse, such as consumer education programmes,
can be developed and implemented. To be effective, solutions must be adjusted
to local needs and cultural specificities, experts agreed.
"It is only by understanding fully the drivers and dynamics of
consumption in different cultures that we can develop appropriate alcohol
education programmes tailored to individual drinking constituencies", said
Prof. Adrian Furnham, Professor of Psychology at University College, London,
and moderator of today's conference. "Pan-European policies are
insufficiently sensitive to have a significant effect in different drinking
cultures. Furthermore, the literature suggests that the regulatory approach
is simplistic, and sometimes counter-productive, punishing moderate drinkers
and leaving problem drinkers unhelped."
Drinking patterns also depend on the type of product in
question. "Wine is a product that can only be appreciated in moderation. When
it comes to wine, the key to promoting responsible consumption is to educate
consumers to enjoy wine slowly and in moderation," said José-Ramon Fernandez,
Secretary General of the Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins. "The EU Wine
sector is committed to promote responsibility and moderation in the
consumption of wines and to educate the public about the social and health
risks of misuse". He added "This is the fundamental objective of our Wine in
Moderation programme. The Wine Information Council seeks to guide this effort
by bringing together informed stakeholders and scientific experts to develop
a sound evidence base on which to build best practice for the promotion of
responsible drinking patterns. This is why we hosted this conference today".
Notes for editors:
About the Wine Information Council (WIC,
http://www.wineinformationcouncil.eu) brings together scientific and academic
experts from across Europe devoted to research on health, social and cultural
aspects of drinking wine. Supporting all stakeholders of the wine sector, as
well as consumers, it aims to gather sound science-based information on the
wine sector and to disseminate all "best practice" initiatives successfully
promoting responsible drinking patterns. It was developed in the context of
the Wine In Moderation (WIM) programme, the European wine sector's
contribution to promoting moderation and responsibility in wine consumption
and preventing harmful consumption of alcoholic beverages in Europe
(http://www.wineinmoderation.eu). The WIM Programme and its related
activities (including WIC) are part of the commitment of the Committee of
European Wine Companies (CEEV) to the EU Alcohol and Health Forum. The WIM
programme is also supported by the European federation of independent wine
growers (CEVI) and by COPA-COGECA, the trade body for farming and farmers'
cooperatives. By establishing the WIM Programme and disseminating it across
Europe, the European wine sector and its partners aim to make a meaningful
contribution to the EU's commitment to reduce alcohol related harm.
For all enquiries contact: Jose Ramon Fernandez, Secretary
General, Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins (CEEV) +32-4-95-28-18-42
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