TEN YEARS OF GAPA HONOURED

The Global Alcohol Policy Alliance was formed in Syracuse in August 2000. The international conference drew 240 representatives from 28 countries. It was sponsored by WHO, Institute of Alcohol Studies and Marin Institute and financially supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Alliance House Foundation.

At a ceremony launching the New York Alcohol Policy Alliance in Syracuse 2010 Joanne M. Mahoney, County Executive of the County of Onondaga and Stephanie A. Miner, Mayor of the City of Syracuse, honoured GAPA by issuing a Proclamation that the fourth day of August, two thousand ten be Global Alcohol Policy Alliance Community Recognition Day in the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County.

The Proclamation (view here) pays tribute to the work and development of GAPA during its first decade.

In receiving the Proclamation, Derek Rutherford, Chair of GAPA, said “There is no corner of the world that remains unaffected by the present alcohol epidemic and the harm that results from its abuse. Almost 2.5 million people worldwide die every year of alcohol-related causes and a large number of these happen to be young people.

Of note are the conference proceedings ‘Towards a Global Alcohol Policy’ published by The Globe in 2000 after the conference (http://www.globalgapa.org/ regions/usa/events/syracuse_2000. html)

For the past five years GAPA has supported the WHO initiative for a Global Alcohol Strategy through its contact with Member States and the publication of The Globe. GAPA was delighted when, in May 2010, the World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA63.13 - Global Strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol. GAPA will continue its support and advocacy of the Strategy.

GAPA’s mission is to reduce alcohol-related harm worldwide by promoting evidence-based policies independent of commercial interests.

The celebration coincided with the launch of the New York Alcohol Policy Alliance initiated by Robert S. Pezzolesi of the New York Center of Alcohol Policy Solutions.

The New York Alcohol Policy Alliance (NYAPA) is a new coalition working towards evidence-based alcohol policies in New York State. In its first few months, NYAPA has signed on organizations representing 41 of New York’s 62 counties.

New York, with a population of about 20 million, is the third-largest state in the US. State rates of adult heavy and binge drinking are higher than the US national average. Underage drinking alone costs the state about $3.5 billion per annum.

As with many other states, New York faces a flurry of deregulatory pressures, as alcohol industry and related interests seek to dismantle regulatory structures and expand alcohol access and availability.

NYAPA member organizations are committed to the most effective alcohol policies as determined by the most authoritative public health research, such as that from the US Task Force on Community Preventive Services, the US Institute of Medicine, and the World Health Organization.