Public health: drinking of alcohol by children and adolescents. Recommendation

PURPOSE : to adopt a Recommendation on the drinking of alcohol by young people, in particular children and adolescents. COMMUNIY MEASURE : Council Recommendation 2001/458/EC on the drinking of alcohol by young people, in particular children and adolescents. CONTENT : the text recommends that in formulating their strategies and taking action in the framework of a common approach across the Community, with the respect to young people and consumption of alcohol, Member States, with the support as appropriate of the Commission should inter alia: - promote research into all the different aspects of problems associated with alcohol consumption by young people, and disseminate to interested parties evidence-based information on the factors which motivate young people to start drinking; - support measures to raise awareness of the effects of alcohol drinking and foster a multi-sectoral approach to educating young people about alcohol, in order to help prevent the negative consequences of its consumption; - increase young people's involvement in youth health-related policies and actions; - further develop specific initiatives addressed to young people on the dangers of drink-driving; - take action as a matter of priority against the illegal sale of alcohol to underage consumers and, where appropriate, require a proof of age; - support notably the development of specific approaches on early detection consequent interventions at preventing young people becoming dependent. Member States should also: - encourage in cooperation with the producers and the retailers of alcoholic beverages and relevant non-governmental organisations, the establishment of effective mechanisms in the fields of promotion, marketing and retailing, to - ensure that producers do not produce alcoholic beverages specifically targeted at children and adolescents; - ensure that alcoholic beverages are not designed or promoted to appeal to children or adolescents; - develop specific training for servers and sales persons with regard to the protection of children and adolescents and with regard to existing licensing restrictions on the sale of alcohol to young people; - allow manufacturers to get pre-launch advice, in advance of marketing a product or investing in a product, as well as on marketing campaigns before their actual launch; - ensure that complaints against products which are not being marketed in accordance with the principles set out in the recommendation can be effectively handled, and that such products can be removed from sale and the relevant inappropriate marketing or promotional practices can be brought to an end; - urge the representative producer and trade organisations of alcoholic beverages to commit themselves to observe the principles described above.�