Introduction by Michael Martin, Irish Health Minister and the Chair of the EU Council of Health Ministers

Delegates attending this conference will know that inappropriate alcohol consumption is one of the most important public health issues in the European region. Levels of alcohol consumption, harmful drinking patterns and related harm are a major concern among the public health community in Member States.

European countries rank as the world’s biggest drinkers and a total burden of disease, injury and premature death attributable to alcohol is estimated to be in the region of 10 per cent. Across the European Union deaths and the range of problems experienced in Member States reflects in large part the drinking culture and drinking patterns. Harmful drinking such as binge drinking is not just a feature of youth drinking but is also very common among young adults, especially males. In fact most of the alcohol-related harm across Europe is caused amongst the adult population. Because alcohol has so long been part of our many social and cultural traditions and because many of us can enjoy a drink sensibly I think that we have all been slow at recognising the real cost of alcoholrelated harm and as such are paying catch-up in terms of developing strategies to tackle the problem. However, I do believe that there is a real and determined effort to catchup. This is borne up by developments at European Union Ministerial level. The Health Council in June 2001 unanimously decided on the need for a comprehensive European Union community strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm. This important issue was again made a focus of considerations during the Irish European Union Presidency. Conclusions adopted at the Health Ministers conference, which I chaired, on June 2nd include support, for example, for the Commission’s ongoing work to develop a comprehensive strategy for alcohol which would highlight a more balanced approach where more attention is given to public health aspects in other policy areas, an invitation to the Commission to put forward at an early date such a strategy and at reducing alcoholrelated harm which shall compliment national policies, and set a timetable for the different actions. Special attention should be given to young people and alcohol within such a strategy. I know that across Europe there is a growing awareness of the harm caused by alcohol; the social and cultural acceptance of inappropriate alcohol consumption is beginning to be questioned. This I hope is beginning to see change which will ultimately aid the work of both the policy maker and the programme implementer. It is however the beginning of a very long road and every effort proceeding along it is very valuable.