|
Policy options outlined in the strategy
(a) Increasing capacity of health and social welfare systems to deliver prevention, treatment, and care for alcohol-use and alcohol-induced disorders and co-morbid conditions, including support and treatment for affected families and support for mutual help or self-help activities and programs
(b) Supporting initiatives for screening and brief interventions for hazardous and harmful drinking at primary healthcare and other settings; such initiatives should include early identification and management of harmful drinking among pregnant women and women of child-bearing age
(c) Improving capacity for prevention of, identification of, and interventions for individuals and families living with fetal alcohol syndrome and a spectrum of associated disorders
(d) Development and effective coordination of integrated and/or linked prevention, treatment, and care strategies and services for alcohol-use disorders and co-morbid conditions, including drug-use disorders, depression, suicides, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis
(e) Securing universal access to health including through enhancing availability, accessibility, and affordability of treatment services for groups of low socioeconomic status
(f) Establishing and maintaining a system of registration and monitoring of alcohol-attributable morbidity and mortality, with regular reporting mechanisms
(g) Provision of culturally sensitive health and social services, as appropriate
Brief comments from an industry perspective
Most of the above policy options fall within the remit of government and healthcare providers. However, there are some areas where the beverage alcohol industry can show its support for this area of the strategy—e.g., by working through independent third parties in the healthcare community to promote the use of screening and brief interventions (SBI) for hazardous and harmful drinking. There is a well-established evidence base that demonstrates the effectiveness of such interventions. Some industry members have also supported activities that focus on raising awareness about the risks associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The potential exists for such activities to be applied in a broader range of settings and taking into account different cultural contexts.
How can industry members support the above policy options?
- Providing consumers with messages about alcohol and pregnancy, e.g., on label and/or online
- Establishing partnerships with FAS research nongovernmental or NGOs
- Supporting substance use helplines
- Supporting SBI initiatives, in partnership with independent third parties
What ICAP tools are available to support this work?
|