Written by: Francesco Zambon, Belinda Loring

This policy guidance aims to support national, regional and local policy-makers in Europe to prepare, implement and follow up policy actions and interventions to reduce inequities in unintentional injuries. Unintentional injuries, including road traffic injuries, falls, burns, drownings and poisonings still constitute a major public health problem, killing almost half a million people in the WHO European Region each year and causing many more cases of disability. The burden of unintentional injuries is unevenly distributed in the WHO European Region. Steep social gradients for death and morbidity exist across and within countries. Reducing health inequities is a key strategic objective of Health 2020 – the European policy framework for health and well-being endorsed by the 53 Member States of the WHO European Region in 2012. This guide seeks to assist European policy-makers in contributing to achieving the objectives of Health 2020 in a practical way. It draws on key evidence, including from the WHO Regional Office for Europe’s Review of social determinants and the health divide in the WHO European Region. It sets out options and practical methods to reduce the level and unequal distribution of unintentional injuries in Europe, through approaches that address the social determinants of unintended injuries and the related health, social and economic consequences.

Author: European Comission

On 23 October 2012, the European Commission adopted the Communication “Towards a comprehensive European framework on online gambling”. Based on an in-depth public consultation, this Communication sets out an action plan which is seeking to enhance clarity throughout the EU for the benefit of national authorities, operators, consumers and related industry such as payment service or media service providers.

Author: EUCAM

Beers with a high alcohol content are prevalent throughout Europe. They are also easily accessible, relatively inexpensive and often packaged in ‘super-sized’ containers (up to bottles of three litres). This research was conducted by EUCAM in 16 European countries.

Author: Eleanor Winpenny, Sunil Patil, Marc Elliott, Lidia Villalba van Dijk, Saba Hinrichs, Theresa Marteau and Ellen Nolte (Rand Europe)

Evidence strongly suggests that alcohol advertising will increase the likelihood that adolescents will start to drink alcohol at a young age and may increase alcohol use among those who already consume alcohol.
It is against this background that the European Commission Health and Consumer Directorate-General (DG SANCO), by way of the EAHC, commissioned RAND Europe to carry out an assessment of young people’s exposure to alcohol marketing through television and online media. The overall aim of the work presented in this report was to use novel approaches to measure alcohol advertisement exposure among young people in Europe through audiovisual and online media.

Author: Robin Room (Stockholm University, University of Melbourne and Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre)

Article by Professor Robin Room from the Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre (Australia) in response to the publication "An international legal strategy for alcohol control: not a framework convention—at least not yet" by authors Allyn L. Taylor and Ibadat S. Dhillon.