Honourable Chair, Distinguished delegates,
The World Heart Federation, supported by Movendi International, applauds your efforts to address the global health challenge of alcohol and encourages adoption of the plan. Even small amounts of alcohol can increase the risk of CVD, and contrary to popular belief, no reliable relationship has been found between moderate consumption and lower overall risk of heart disease.
Our policy brief summarizes this evidence, breaks down the “harm/benefit” debate, and presents recommendations:
- Strengthening restrictions on availability
- Advancing drink driving countermeasures
- Facilitating access to screening, interventions, and treatment
- Implementing bans on advertising
- Raising prices through taxes
- Discouraging uptake
- Establishing a minimum legal drinking age, and
- Mandating prominent health warnings
We reaffirm support for the plan and your endeavours to reduce the global burden of alcohol use.
