Good practice principles low rik drinking EU RARHA

Recommendations for basic level action in the alcohol prevention package focus on:
• adopting alcohol policies for the municipality and in workplaces and institutions linked with
the municipality, including schools and various services;
• promoting responsible serving as part of the municipality’s alcohol licensing policy;
• early identification risk and harm by professionals in health care and social services, and
provision of brief counselling for hazardous and harmful drinkers and their families;
• differentiating alcohol treatment services according to the needs of specific groups.
In 2013, 18% of the municipalities reported they live up to the recommendations on the basic level. In
2015 the share had increased to 38%, and 72% intended to develop their policy and action on alcohol to
meet the basic level.[ 6 ]
Alcohol campaigns and drinking guidelines
The other line of action is anchored in the alcohol campaign conducted yearly since 1990, always in
week 40 in the autumn, with information about alcohol related harm and drinking guidelines as the
main message but with varying target groups. The campaign is a norm-setting initiative which seeks to
raise public debate on themes such as:
• the health and social consequences of drinking too much;
• how to talk to a partner who is drinking too much;
• drinking to drunkenness as the most risky pattern;
• how to reduce alcohol consumption;
• how to resist pressure to drink.
The alcohol campaign is implemented in collaboration between the national Health Authority and
municipalities. Meetings are organized with municipal health promotion professionals to discuss the
evaluation of the preceding campaign, the plans for the coming campaign and how its theme could be
used to promote activities on the local level. Information materials are produced centrally taking into
account municipalities’ preferences, and a generic press release is drawn up which can be adjusted to
raise the interest of the local press.
The nature of local initiatives depends on the campaign’s theme. If the campaign focuses on the
consequences of a alcohol problems for the partner and children, municipalities would use the
campaigns to promote family-oriented treatment. If the focus is on alcohol as a risk factor for cancer
and other illnesses, municipalities would promote possibilities to get free counselling in health services.
If the focus is on young people, municipalities could facilitate local discussion on how to manage night
life to reduce alcohol related harm.
From 1989 the guideline regarding alcohol consumption for women was no more than 14 units per
week, and for men no more than 21 units. From around 2000 it was underlined that this was a guideline
to reduce high risk from alcohol. Starting from 2007, the advice to limit drinking on any occasion to five
units was added to the guideline based on a review of epidemiologic evidence by an expert group.[ 7 ]
In 2010 the National Board of Health introduced a low risk guideline, advising no more than 7 units
a week for women and 14 for men. The change was motivated by alcohol being recognized as a
carcinogen, therefore basically unhealthy, and as a contributory factor in a widening range of illnesses.
While the extensive work done for the revision of the Australian guidelines in 2009 served as an
important source of information[ 8 ], the low risk level was set lower for women in Denmark to
emphasize their greater vulnerability. An equally important motivation for the shift in focus was to
improve public communication as there were findings showing that around 25% of the population
interpreted 14/21 units per week as healthy level of alcohol consumption. In parallel with the low risk
levels, the high risk levels still stand as reference for health personnel to identify clients who might
benefit from brief intervention.
A comparison of the reception of the week 40 campaigns from 2008 to 2013 indicates that:
• Except for one campaign, 50–91% of the population have seen the campaign.
• Between 50% and 85% know the message concerning the drinking guideline.
• Between 18% and 40% think the campaign has given new knowledge.
• Between 12 % and 22% intend to change their habits due to the campaign.[ 9 ]
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Good practice principles for low risk drinking guidelines