Health
MEPs to call for stronger EU alcohol strategy
3.3 million premature deaths worldwide
USPA NEWS -
Requiring alcoholic drink producers to state calorie content and ingredients on the label should be considered as a possible aim for the new EU “alcohol strategy“, suggests a draft resolution to be voted on Wednesday April 29.
The text calls for more effort to reduce alcohol consumption by minors, and EU-wide labelling warnings against drink driving or drinking while pregnant. The European Commission is urged to table the new strategy in 2016 at the latest. The resolution, drafted by the Environment and Public Health Committee, calls on the European Commission to “immediately begin work on the new EU Alcohol Strategy 2016-2022,“ in order to help national governments to deal with alcohol-related harm. The strategy´s aims should include collecting reliable data, improving prevention and treatment, reducing accidents caused by drink driving and differentiating more clearly within drinking patterns, it says.
It also suggests that the European Commission should assess whether alcoholic drinks should be labelled with information on ingredients and nutritional content. Alcohol abuse causes 3.3 million premature deaths worldwide each year, i.e. 5.9% of the total. In the 20-39 age group, roughly 25% of all deaths can be attributed to alcohol abuse. These deaths are often due to accidents, acts of violence or liver disease.
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