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YEŞiLAY
•
The Turkish Alcohol Policy Platform (TAPP), founded with the participation of 50 members
institutions and organizations, organized an international panel titled "European Alcohol Policy
and the Scotland Example."
TAPP HOSTED AN INTERNATIONAL PANEL
T
he Turkish Alcohol Policy Platform
(TAPP), which aims to contribute to
development of alcohol policies de-
velopment of scientific and evidence-based
alcohol policies organized in Turkey a panel
titled,"EuropeanAlcoholPolicyandtheScot-
landExample."Thepanel held at GreenCres-
cent Headquarters at the Sepetçiler Pavilion
was attended by TAPP President Dr. Necmi
Sınanmış, European Alcohol Policy Alliance's
(EUROCARE) Paul Nunes de Moura, Scottish
Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP)
Director Eric Carlin and public health experts.
EUROCARE's role during the alcohol policy
development process and the minimum unit
price practice example in Scotland's alcohol
policies were among the matters discussed
at the panel moderated by Green Crescent
Scientific Committee member Ass. Dr. Peri-
hanTorun.
Paul Nunes de Moura, the policy adviser
for EUROCARE, which is continuing opera-
tions with 60 organizations from 25 diffe-
rent countries pointing out that the leading
companies of the alcohol industry have a
center in Brussels, where EUROCARE's sec-
retariat and the European Commission are
also located, said this brings alongwith it ris-
ks. Moura, saying that the alcohol industry
wants to be included in the alcohol policy
development procedures, stated that these
establishments selling and marketing alco-
hol products are aiming to obstruct the po-
licy development processes. "The European
Union Alcohol Strategy that determines how
alcohol policies aredeterminedbyEU-mem-
ber countries was terminated in 2012 and a
new alcohol strategy is yet to be prepared
and approved by the European Commission.
EUROCAREputtogetherasuggestiondocu-
ment in 2014, aimed at a possible European
Commission strategy development project,
but the European Commission has not yet
carriedoutanywork.This isariskysituation,"
Mourasaid inhispanel speech.
"Littleaccess leads to littleconsumption"
Eric Carlin, director of SHAAP, set said they
produced publications aimed at the alcohol
industry, the government and government
agencies that reveal the link between alco-
hol consumption and alcohol-related harms
and stated that their aim is the accessibility
and licensing of alcohol and taking precauti-
ons against illnesses caused by alcohol con-
sumption. He added: "Cheap and unlicensed
alcohol consumption is quite excessive in
Scotland, especially in the poor segment.
The less accessible alcoholic beverages are,
the less they will be consumed. This will also
lead toa reduction inproblems resulting from
alcohol. Starting from this point of view, we
introduced the minimum unit price practice
and it was approved by the Scottish Parlia-
ment in2012withnovotesagainst it.”
European alcohol policies, sales, marketing
and advertising were also among the topics
discussed at the panel coordinated by TAPP,
as a result of which consensus was reached
on the need to conduct strategic work to
counter sucheffortsmadeby the industry.
Paul Nunes deMoura- EUROCARE
Eric Carlin
Director of
SHAAP
Ass. Dr. Perihan Torun, Dr. Necmi Sınanmış