Brussels, 11/06/2007 (Agence Europe) - European public health bodies regard alcohol and health matters with great concern. A few days before the launch of a new forum on this theme by the European Commission (EUROPE 9441) during their most recent respective plenary sessions, European advisory assemblies adopted their opinions on the Commission's communication, “A European Union strategy for helping member states reduce alcohol related damages”. To prevent damage related to alcohol, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the Committee of the Regions (CoR) have jointly formulated concrete recommendations for educating young people on responsible attitudes to excessive drinking, and reducing the economic costs caused by alcohol abuse. The two committees agreed on how to prevent and tackle damage caused by alcohol abuse but presented different opinions on the mandate for action on the matter: the EESC, as explained to EUROPE by its vice president and rapporteur, Jillian van Turnout (Ireland), wanted a more European strategy “even if member states remain responsible” for the issue. It is calling on the Commission to make sure that Community action completes national policies. CoR rapporteur, Volker Hoff, minister for federal and European affairs in the Hesse region, does not share the Commission's view point, “according to which, problems probably still exist in a similar way in member states and imperatively require a European solution, firstly from a subsidiarity point of view but also in the context of different cultural habits regarding alcohol consumption, which the Commission recognises in its communication”.
The two rapporteurs highlight the need to warn against harmful alcohol consumption among young people (“binge drinking”), more protection for children by reducing their exposure to products, to advertising and to special offers linked to alcoholic products, informing, educating and raising awareness among the public about these issues, preventing alcohol abuse among adults and in the workplace and examining the economic consequences of these questions (absenteeism, road accidents, hospital charges etc). The two opinions are available at: http: //http://www.eesc/europa.eu (EESC) and http: //http://www.cor.europa.eu (CoR). (gb)