The two days workshop was facilitated by Professor Sally Casswell, Director of The Centre for Social and Health Outcomes, Research and Evaluation of Massey University in Auckland New Zealand and Asia Pacific Alcohol Policy Alliance representative, Ms Sally Hoggins and Ms Jeanie Mackinzine of SPC.Among participants at the workshop is Dr. Bruce Yates of the faculty of Law School in Suva Fiji.
Seeing the importance of alcohol-related issues, the country is in need of a policy to guard this country into the future. This workshop is the first of its kind and is purposely to develop an effective alcohol policy for this country. It aims to reducing alcohol-related harm which is a global issue and necessary measures must be taken into account to combat this global problem which is affecting us today.
It is the role of our national government to prevent social, cultural and health problems linked to substance abuse which can be hardly overestimated. This is the same for both alcohol and related illicit drugs which are harmful to us.
This workshop provides a forum for participants to discuss and share information relevant to our country’s situation on alcohol-related issues. It is a great opportunity for participants representing various sectors in the country to come together to disseminate information on alcohol policies and policy advocacy relating to our county’s situation.
Involvement of various sectoral groups and relevant authorities at this workshop is very encouraging and important for drawing up such an important policy for this country.
The workshop covers some of these following key areas;
- Regional Context: WHO global and regional strategy to reduce alcohol related harm: Asia pacific Alcohol Policy Alliance(APAPA)
- Effective base for effective policy
- Pricing and taxation
- Alcohol and young people
- Regulation on advertising and marketing activity
- Tackling under-age drinking(selling, buying and using alcohol)
- Regulations on availability
- Regulations on places where alcohol sales are banned/restricted
- Information-education-communication to improve knowledge and awareness on alcohol related harms
- Community action to change behavior
- Role of alcohol industry in alcohol-related harm reduction and
- Drinking driving legislation
Thus it is very important for our citizens to know about the harmful effects of alcohol. Below is some very important information for us to take serious note of:
Alcohol has been consumed since ancient times. Throughout history, the drinking of alcoholic beverages has played an important role in social and cultural events in many societies. Social norms and values have always surrounded the use of alcoholic beverages. In our country we have some traditional alcoholic drink such as kaleve/todi, of which is part of our traditions and is used in traditional occasions only. In some societies it is banned on religious grounds (Islamic).
However, alcohol use remains deeply embedded in many societies. Globally, some 2 million people consume alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is a source of pleasure to many and a source of income for governments. But the cost of health is high-76.3 million people experience alcohol-use disorders, according to conservative estimates.
This Strategy focuses on reducing the harmful use of alcohol, in particular its impact on public health and well fare. It has been developed on the basis of a review of the literature on alcohol- related harm, experience from countries and areas within and outside the region, and consultations with technical experts and other stakeholders, such as nongovernmental organizations and the alcohol beverages industry. It aims to provide guidance for action to reduce alcohol-related harm in member states in the Western Pacific Region.
PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACT OF ALCOHOL USE
The impact on public health attributes to alcohol
The harmful use of alcohol is one of the most significant risks to health globally. The harmful use of alcohol is responsible for 4% of total diseases burden and 3.2% of all premature deaths according to The World Health Report 2002. This translates into 58.3 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and 1.8 million deaths.
The risk is on approximately the same order as tobacco, which is responsible for 4.1% of disease burden globally. Harmful use of alcohol is the foremost risk to health in low-mortally developing countries, where it is responsible for 9.2% of DALYs.
Harmful use of alcohol is associated with more than 60 types of diseases and other health conditions, including mental disorders and suicide, several types of cancer, and other non communicable diseases such as cirrhosis, as well as intentional and unintentional injuries.
It is also associated with other high risk behaviors, including unsafe sex and use of other psychoactive substances. Recent studies suggested an association between alcohol-use disorders and risk for HIV/AIDS and other sexual transmitted diseases.
Alcohol –related problems not affect the individual drinker, they have a significant effect on others, including family members, victims of violence and accidents associated with alcohol use, and the community as a whole.
The harmful use of alcohol is a cause of considerable expense through lost productivity and costs to the health and welfare, transportation, and criminal justice systems. Studies show that in Australia for instance, have estimated the cost of alcohol-related problems to be around 1% of their gross domestic product (GDP)
Drinking to intoxication, including binge drinking, is a significant cause of alcohol-related harm, accounting for the greatest proportion of DALYs in low income countries with low mortality. Drinking to intoxication also typically affects non-drinkers. It is strongly associated with unintentional injuries, including injuries and fatalities as a result of driving while intoxicated, and the negative social consequences such as aggressive behavior, family disturbances and reduced industrial productivity.
Young people in developing countries like Solomon Islands are increasingly drinking in the same harmful patterns as young people in developed countries. Young people are more likely to suffer from alcohol-related traffic accidents, violence and family disruptions related to harmful use of alcohol than other age groups. For instance, In the WHO European Region alone, alcohol consumption was responsible for the deaths of 63,000 young people age 15 to 29 years in 20202.
It is understood that men traditional drink more frequently and more heavily than women. However, the patterns of drinking for men and women are beginning to converge. While men may still experience more drinking- related harm than women, women are often the victims of harmful use of alcohol by men. Furthermore, the harmful use of alcohol by women can have gender-specific negative consequences, such as unwanted pregnancies, harm to fetus, and increased risk to breast cancer.
Positive effects
In health terms, the availability evidence suggests that very low alcohol consumption may have a slight positive effect on mortality associated with the coronary heart disease in older age groups. This evidence does not in itself constitute a reason to drink or to recommend drinking alcohol, as these potential positive effects are far outweighed by the negative health consequences of alcohol consumption.(continue in our next issue)
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