Alcohol Harm Reduction?

Readers,

In the harm reduction movement, there's an effort to develop strategies to reduce the harms realted to alcohol. The WHO is active in this effort, and has released a draft strategy, viewable at the website below:

http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/activities/msbwden.pdf

Many PSI countries are considering how to get more involved in lifestyle diseases or health problems more common in developing economies - alcohol certainly falls in that category. There are many ways PSI could get involved. Here's one section from the report, below, showing some possible interventions:

Possible policies and interventions

(1) regulating the drinking context to minimize violence and disruptive behaviour
(2) serving alcohol in plastic containers or shatter-proof glass
(3) enforcing laws against serving to intoxication
(4) legal liability for consequences of harm resulting from intoxication caused by the serving of alcohol
(5) management policies relating to responsible serving of beverage on premises
(6) training staff in relevant sectors how better to manage intoxicated and aggressive drinkers
(7) reducing the alcoholic strength of different beverage categories
(8) social welfare care and support programmes
(9) providing necessary care or shelter for severely intoxicated people
(10) providing consumer information and labelling alcoholic beverages on the harm related to alcohol
(11) fortifying alcoholic beverages or food products with vitamins in order to prevent nutritional deficits among heavy drinkers