Renewing alcohol policies are indispensable, such as those being defined at community level with an action plan on young people and binge drinking or those already approved through the European Action Plan on Alcohol, EAAP 2012-2020 of the WHO.
This plan specifies an effective alcohol policy in the event
- integration of alcohol policies into broader economic and welfare policies, contributing to the real development of the social, health and economic well-being of society;
- coherence and “joint” action between different ministries and government sectors, identifying and implementing the necessary incentives that provide benefits to individual sectors and to society as a whole;
- coherence and participation of both public and private subjects, also by identifying and implementing incentives that benefit the respective public and private actors;
- integration of alcohol policy measures into all actions that promote well-being and healthy lifestyles and that reduce the burden of non-communicable and communicable diseases;
Capacity and possibility for municipalities
Local communities and civil society to implement effective alcohol policies and programs that are standardized at all levels of society;provision of incentives, as well as disincentives, for individuals and families to make healthier choices in terms of alcohol consumption;
Address the question aspect, and respond to the role that alcohol plays together with other factors in people’s lives;
- recognition that each of us has a role to play, whether it is individuals, or communities, local health care and social welfare organizations, non-governmental organizations, the alcoholic beverage industry or the government.
- As pointed out by the WHO, “Countries that are most active in implementing evidence-based and cost-effective alcohol policies and programs will have substantial benefits in terms of health and well-being, productivity and social development.”
Alcoholism is a pathological syndrome characterized by dependence on alcohol consumption.
Alcoholism is medically defined when two or more conditions arise including: drinking alcohol for a long period of time, difficulty in stopping use, irresistible desire to drink alcohol, non-fulfillment of one’s responsibilities, social problems , health problems, risk situations, withdrawal symptoms when trying to stop drinking and alcohol tolerance.
- Risk situations include driving under the influence of alcohol and unprotected promiscuous sex.
- The risk of addiction begins when alcohol intake progressively increases, to the point of developing greater tolerance and, therefore, greater consumption.
- Added to this is the physical dependence on alcohol, which leads the individual to feel the need to drink alcohol.
A symptom that unites alcoholics is the strong state of depression in which they find themselves; alcoholism can in fact have undesirable effects on mental health, causing psychiatric disorders that can lead to the risk of suicide.