"There is no Single European way to Consume Alcoholic Beverages"

Brussels (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Understanding Different Drinking Patterns Across Europe key to
Successful Alcohol Policies

EU-level policy to reduce alcohol-related harm must be tailored
to respond to diverse, complex realities in the different Member
States. This is the conclusion of experts meeting in Brussels today
at a scientific conference, organised by the Wine Information
Council.

The Council of Ministers is currently developing conclusions on
the EU Strategy on alcohol and health, under the guidance of the
Swedish Presidency. It is important that these take into account the
fact that not all types of alcoholic beverages are consumed in the
same amounts, in the same contexts or for the same purposes across
Europe.

There is no single European drinking pattern, according to
experts. European adolescents are a good example: Greek teenage girls
drink almost three times less than their Danish counterparts. Young
Spanish consumers drink less alcohol, but more regularly than British
youngsters, who drink in greater quantities, but less often (source:
ESPAD). Overall consumption trends are also going up or down,
depending on the EU Member State.

"What drives people to drink is very complex, it runs from age
and gender to education and socio-cultural environments; family and
the parental model play a fundamental role," said Dr Marie Choquet,
epidemiologist with the French Institute for Health and Medical
Research (INSERM).

Analysing these sociological and cultural differences is
fundamental to inform policy-making. Different patterns of drinking
and their impacts need to be understood in their context, so that
appropriate measures to curb alcoholic beverages misuse, such as
consumer education programmes, can be developed and implemented. To
be effective, solutions must be adjusted to local needs and cultural
specificities, experts agreed.

"It is only by understanding fully the drivers and dynamics of
consumption in different cultures that we can develop appropriate
alcohol education programmes tailored to individual drinking
constituencies", said Prof. Adrian Furnham, Professor of Psychology
at University College, London, and moderator of today's conference.
"Pan-European policies are insufficiently sensitive to have a
significant effect in different drinking cultures. Furthermore, the
literature suggests that the regulatory approach is simplistic, and
sometimes counter-productive, punishing moderate drinkers and leaving
problem drinkers unhelped."

Drinking patterns also depend on the type of product in question.
"Wine is a product that can only be appreciated in moderation. When
it comes to wine, the key to promoting responsible consumption is to
educate consumers to enjoy wine slowly and in moderation," said
José-Ramon Fernandez, Secretary General of the Comité Européen des
Entreprises Vins. "The EU Wine sector is committed to promote
responsibility and moderation in the consumption of wines and to
educate the public about the social and health risks of misuse". He
added "This is the fundamental objective of our Wine in Moderation
programme. The Wine Information Council seeks to guide this effort by
bringing together informed stakeholders and scientific experts to
develop a sound evidence base on which to build best practice for the
promotion of responsible drinking patterns. This is why we hosted
this conference today".

Notes for editors:

About the Wine Information Council (WIC,
http://www.wineinformationcouncil.eu) brings together scientific and
academic experts from across Europe devoted to research on health,
social and cultural aspects of drinking wine. Supporting all
stakeholders of the wine sector, as well as consumers, it aims to
gather sound science-based information on the wine sector and to
disseminate all "best practice" initiatives successfully promoting
responsible drinking patterns. It was developed in the context of the
Wine In Moderation (WIM) programme, the European wine sector's
contribution to promoting moderation and responsibility in wine
consumption and preventing harmful consumption of alcoholic beverages
in Europe (http://www.wineinmoderation.eu). The WIM Programme and its
related activities (including WIC) are part of the commitment of the
Committee of European Wine Companies (CEEV) to the EU Alcohol and
Health Forum. The WIM programme is also supported by the European
federation of independent wine growers (CEVI) and by COPA-COGECA, the
trade body for farming and farmers' cooperatives. By establishing the
WIM Programme and disseminating it across Europe, the European wine
sector and its partners aim to make a meaningful contribution to the
EU's commitment to reduce alcohol related harm.

For all enquiries contact: Jose Ramon Fernandez, Secretary
General, Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins (CEEV)
+32-4-95-28-18-42

ots Originaltext: Wine Information Council (WIC)
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
For all enquiries contact: Jose Ramon Fernandez, Secretary General,
Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins (CEEV) +32-4-95-28-18-42