Page 38 - DIVA_2_2008_No.33

To drink or not to drink?
Interview with Marjana Martinic, ph.o.
Vice-President for Public Health, International Center for Alcohol Policies

from those in Northern
Europe, for exmnple, is that
alcohol beverage consump-
tion is generally very much
integrated into everyday life
and is part of the culture.
Drinking and meals go
together. There is an emphasis
on social interaction, and drm-
king generally follows a pat-
tem of moderation, ratherthan
rapid consumption and intoxi-
cation. Yet even the dg
patterns in these countries
have been chang'ng in recent
years. As elsewhere, the aim
in Mediterranean countries is
to ensure that g pat-
terns remain moderate and
well integrated, that there is an
You are the Vice-President real world. We have placed by ICAP in May 2008. emphasis on responsible
for Public Health at the particular emphasis on assis- consumption and that the
International Center for ting to build feasible Your centre is financed potential for hami is minimi-
Alcohol Policies (ICAP). approaches in developing by the main actors in the zed.
Could you tell us about countries and emerging beverage industry. Do
the centre and what markets. Specifically, ICAP's they have an influence on In Noiway, we have very
exactly you do? work includes analysis of what you say and what strict legislation when it
policies that are in place you do? comes to alcohol, but it
ICAP is an alcohol policy around the world and through does not prevent people
think tank. We are a not-for- published periodic reports on Clearly, ICAP is an industty- from drinking and having
profit organization funded by a range of topics. All of these funded organization. How- problems with alcohol.
11 of the major global produ- can be found on our website ever, we do not represent the What is your opinion?
cers of beverage alcohol, (www.icap.org). beverage alcohol indushy, nor
representing beer, wine and do we lobby on its behalf. Our Evidence shows that strict
distilled spirits, dedicated to We also engage in workshops role is to stimulate dialogue regulation on alcohol does not
promoting understanding of and consultations at the and encourage public private reduce problem drinking -
the role of alcohol in society regional and countg level - parh'ierships. ICAP's Board of education and prevention
and to helping prevent the for example, we recently held Directors is composed of measures are better tools for
misuse of alcohol worldwide workshops on industry self- representatives of our sponsor changing the long-term
through dialogue and part- regulation of alcohol beverage companies, but we are expec- culture around alcohol and
nerships. ICAP's work is advertising and marketing in ted to challenge the indumy raising awareness around
devoted to developing feas- Africa, Asia and Latin as much as other groups. We harm. Despite their strict
ible and pragi'natic approaches America. Finally, we produce have worked to develop a legislation, Scandinavian
to alcohol policy and preven- scholarly books, written by reputation forbalance on alco- countries also have some of
tion; in practice, we bring distinguished experts in the hol issues and for taking into the highest rates of extreme
together the diverse interlocu- alcohol field that explore account a range of voices and drinking and getting dnink by
tors in the alcohol policy topics as diverse as non-com- perspectives. young people. Dealing effecti-
arena - govemments, NGOs, mercial alcohol, corporate vely with problems also
civil society, the public health social responsibility, and alco- In many European requires paying particular
and research communities, as hol education. Their aim is to countries, the culture is attention to those people
well as the beverage alcohol broaden the general unders- heavily linked with the whose drig is problematic

industry. tanding of the role of alcohol use of alcohol. What and who may be at risk, but
in society. Our new book, would you like to achieve also to those settings and
The goal of ICAP is to prov- Sg with Crocodiles, in these countries? venues where problems may
ide thought leadership on sus- which addresses extreme drin- arise.
tainable policy development, king among young people in What sets the traditional
based on the best available different cultures around the g patterns in countries In some cases, stringent poli-
evidence of what works in the world, has just beenpublished like France and Italy apart cies may actually increase the

36 2 2008 Djva

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