4010.0: Tuesday, October 23, 2001 - 9:46 AM

Abstract #24939

Alcohol policy in public health perspective

Robin Room, PhD, Centre for Social Research in Alcohol and Drugs, Stockholm University, Sveaplan, Stockholm, S-10691, Sweden, , robin.room@sorad.su.se and Thomas F. Babor, PhD, MPH, Dept of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030-6325.

Ideally, research evidence should be able to provide a scientific basis for public debate and policymaking. The purpose of this presentation is to describe the implications of recent advances in alcohol research for the development of alcohol policy on the local, national and international levels. The presentation summarizes the findings and conclusions of the Alcohol and Public Policy Project (APPP), an international collaborative effort sponsored by the World Health Organization. Robin Room and Thomas Babor will bring together the evidence reviewed in the entire report and discuss the changing nature of alcohol problems and alcohol policy. Policy recommendations will be summarized on the basis of the current knowledge base, and a broader vision of the policy making process is articulated. That vision takes into account the complex relationships among drinking patterns, problem levels, public attitudes, economic interests and evidence-based policies directed at prevention and treatment.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to: 1) describe the relative effectiveness of different alcohol policies; 2) assess the adequacy of research on different policy-relevant preventive interventions; and 3) summarize the conclusions of the Alcohol and Public Policy Project

Keywords: Alcohol Problems, Public Health Policy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

The 129th Annual Meeting of APHA