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In this issue: Starmer fumbles prevention promise; Kenya moves forward; WHO sets tax target. Starmer should showcase change with effective labelling; The beer gardens of Bulawayo. Public health double-think
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News
Starmer fumbles prevention promise: The UK government infuriated alcohol harm advocates by omitting the strongest evidence-based policies from its plans amid an ongoing alcohol harm crisis. Campaigners continued their calls for minimum pricing in England, among the ignored measures. Delivering effective mandatory alcohol health labelling–which miraculously survived the alcohol policy cull–would be a good way to come good on cleaning up government, argues Alcohol Review.
Fourth biggest cause: Alcohol-specific disorders and poisonings was the fourth biggest preventable cause of death in the EU in 2022, after lung cancer, heart disease and covid, according to Eurostat figures.
Kenya moves forward: The Kenyan cabinet signed a national alcohol strategy, including plans to raise the legal drinking age from 18 to 21, ban online alcohol sales and ban celebrity alcohol endorsements. It was a “big milestone”, head of the Nairobi-based NGO International Institute for Legislative Affairs Celine Awuor told Alcohol Review.
WHO sets tax target: The WHO launched the “3 by 35” initiative to persuade countries to use taxes to increase the price of alcohol, tobacco and sugary drinks by 50% by 2035, cutting health harm and raising $1trn in tax revenue.
Features
Opinion: Labour should showcase change with labelling: Sir Keir Starmer’s government could find much-needed focus by committing to policymaking process reform, with the delivery of effective mandatory alcohol health labels being an excellent place to start.
The beer gardens of Bulawayo
Many of the western suburbs of Bulawayo contain an intriguing industrial-era institution, the beer garden. Development researcher Maurice Hutton explores their century-long history of pursuing the conflicting aims.
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