Cheaper alcohol undermines efforts to combat abuse

Binge drinking among young Swiss has doubled in the past four years Keystone

A nationwide campaign to combat alcohol abuse in Switzerland has been undermined by cheaper prices, according to the Institute for Alcohol Prevention. The IAP said it was particularly concerned about a huge rise in binge drinking among young people.

In the two years since the IAP’s prevention campaign was launched, the number of people abusing alcohol has declined by three per cent, with most of the improvement being accounted for by women.

However, the figures mask worrying trends in drinking patterns, especially among men and young people.

The executive director of the IAP, Richard Müller, told swissinfo that cheap alcohol had encouraged men to drink more and that binge drinking among young people had doubled in the past four years.

“We were able to prove that the [recent] fall in the price of spirits – by as much as 50 per cent – led to a 20 per cent increase in alcohol consumption among men.”

He said “Drinking is deeply rooted in Swiss culture”, and that alcohol is and has always been the country’s “main drug”.

Statistics back up this view. Alcohol kills more people in Switzerland than any other drug, with some 2,000 people dying every year from drinking too much.

Müller said that, despite the limited success in reducing alcohol abuse, a coherent policy was needed at a government level, if the problem was to be tackled successfully.

“On the one hand we are trying to convince people to drink in moderation. On the other, we are decreasing prices. We need a coherent approach and to combine it with educational measures.”

swissinfo with agencies