This short brief describes the main findings and the key lessons learned from the research project "Evaluation of the impact of alcohol control policies on morbidity and mortality in Lithuania and other Baltic states", funded by the United States National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism fo...r the period 2000–2025. The WHO-backed project aims to assess the effects of alcohol control policies implemented in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and to investigate the impact they have had on both people's health and the countries' economies, based on concrete actions taken. The key findings of the project demonstrate that alcohol control policies such as taxation and availability measures decrease all-cause mortality and reduce inequalities, and that dismantling alcohol control policies has the opposite effect on population health. They also highlight that consumption of unrecorded alcohol will not necessarily go up if taxation is increased and that specific countermeasures can be taken to prevent an increase in unrecorded consumption.
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The OECD's "Alcohol Consumption" indicator measures the annual sales of pure alcohol in liters per person aged 15 and older. This metric helps assess long-term trends in alcohol consumption across countries. It's important to note that the methodology for converting alcoholic beverages to pure alcoh...ol may vary between nations. Additionally, official data typically do not account for tourist consumption or unrecorded alcohol intake, such as homemade or illegally produced alcohol. While this indicator provides insight into overall consumption patterns, it does not capture harmful drinking behaviors like heavy episodic drinking.
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The study analyzes the global burden of cancer in 2020 attributable to alcohol consumption. Using data from the GLOBOCAN 2020 database and alcohol consumption patterns, it estimates that 4.1% of all new cancer cases globally (approximately 741,300 cases) were caused by alcohol. The most affected can...cers include esophageal, liver, and breast cancer, with heavy drinking contributing the most cases, followed by risky and moderate drinking. The study highlights regional differences, with the highest attributable fractions in Eastern Asia and Central and Eastern Europe. It underscores the need for policies to raise awareness about alcohol-related cancer risks and reduce alcohol consumption globally.
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The report provides an overview of alcohol consumption, related health harm, and policy responses in 30 European countries (EU Member States, Norway, and Switzerland). It highlights the high levels of alcohol consumption in the WHO European Region, which contribute to a significant disease burden co...mpared to other regions. The report covers trends in alcohol consumption and harm between 2010 and 2016, noting some progress in reducing alcohol-attributable mortality but stagnation in consumption reduction and heavy episodic drinking.
The assessment of alcohol policies shows variability in implementation across countries, particularly in areas like pricing and reducing the negative consequences of drinking. It emphasizes the need for stronger evidence-based policies, such as better regulation, taxation, and accessibility restrictions, to further reduce alcohol-related harm and achieve health-related Sustainable Development Goals.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the SAFER initiative in 2018 to address the global health and societal challenges posed by alcohol-related harm. The initiative outlines five key strategies aimed at reducing alcohol consumption and its associated consequences. These include strengthening... restrictions on alcohol availability by implementing and enforcing policies to limit its accessibility and advancing drink-driving countermeasures, such as low blood alcohol concentration limits and random breath testing, to reduce alcohol-impaired driving incidents.
Additionally, SAFER emphasizes facilitating access to screening, brief interventions, and treatment for individuals with alcohol use disorders, ensuring that healthcare systems are equipped to provide effective support. Another core strategy is enforcing comprehensive bans or restrictions on alcohol advertising, sponsorship, and promotion to minimize its influence, particularly on vulnerable populations such as youth. Finally, the initiative advocates raising alcohol prices through excise taxes and pricing policies to make it less affordable and thereby reduce consumption.
By implementing these evidence-based, cost-effective measures, the SAFER initiative aims to reduce the global burden of alcohol-related deaths and disabilities, fostering healthier societies worldwide.
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The document is a summary report by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, focusing on a capacity-building workshop held in Abu Dhabi in 2019. The workshop addressed the management and care of substance use disorders, aiming to improve technical and manage...rial capacities in areas such as policy development, treatment services, prevention, monitoring, and international collaboration. Participants included representatives from 12 countries, WHO collaborating centers, and other UN agencies.
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The webpage by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) discusses strategies for preventing drug misuse and addiction. It highlights the importance of early intervention, education, and support systems to reduce risk factors and strengthen protective factors. The content emphasizes the role of fa...milies, schools, and communities in promoting healthy behaviors and minimizing the likelihood of substance abuse, offering evidence-based prevention programs and practical tips.
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The pamphlet "What is Addiction" explains addiction as a chronic, relapsing brain disease characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. It highlights the dangers of different drug categories, including sedatives, stimulants, and hallucinogens, and their potential he...alth and behavioral impacts. The document emphasizes the importance of combined medication and behavioral therapy in the treatment process, including detoxification, ongoing therapy, and relapse prevention. Additionally, it provides contact information for addiction treatment resources.
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The pamphlet "Marijuana" explains the effects and risks of cannabis use. It describes THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis, which binds to cannabinoid receptors in the brain, causing effects like relaxation, altered perception, and euphoria. Short-term effects include red eyes, hunger, and anx...iety, while long-term effects may involve memory loss, lung problems, and slowed brain development, especially with early and frequent use. It highlights the potential for negative impacts on mental and physical health while noting there are no direct deaths solely from marijuana use. The pamphlet provides links to resources for further information and recovery options.
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The pamphlet "Alcohol and Depressants" explains the effects of depressants, including alcohol. Depressants slow brain activity by increasing the release of inhibitory neurotransmitters like GABA, leading to effects such as sedation, decreased anxiety, and reduced heart rate. Alcohol, a legal depress...ant, causes short-term effects like impaired judgment, vomiting, and blackouts, while long-term use can result in alcoholism, liver disease, strokes, and cancer. Alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening, causing seizures and heart complications. The pamphlet emphasizes the importance of safe usage and provides resources for treatment and further information.
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The pamphlet "ADHD Medications" provides an overview of medications commonly used to treat ADHD, such as Adderall, Vyvanse, and Ritalin. It explains that these medications do not enhance intelligence and affect individuals differently based on dosage and medical history. Potential dangers of misuse ...include insomnia, appetite changes, increased heart rate, and reliance on the drugs for studying. Combining ADHD medications with alcohol or sleeping pills is particularly dangerous. The pamphlet emphasizes the importance of proper medical supervision and provides resources for addiction support.
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The document reviews strategies for community-based physical activity promotion among older adults, focusing on capacity-building approaches such as coalition building, professional training, raising awareness, and allocating resources. It highlights the importance of community involvement to promot...e sustainable health behaviors but notes inconsistent results regarding the effectiveness of these strategies. More rigorous research is recommended to optimize community capacity-building efforts for older populations.
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The video titled "Guidelines for Physical Activity" provides an overview of government recommendations for maintaining an active lifestyle. It outlines the recommended amount of physical activity and suggests various types of exercises to help individuals achieve these goals. The guidelines aim to p...romote overall health and well-being through regular physical activity.
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The “ActiveAge Handbook” is an outcome of the “ActiveAge Project, which was carried out from January 2013 until June 2014 in the frame of “2012 Preparatory Actions in the Field of Sport” of the European Commission Directory General Education and Cul-
ture (DG EAC) in cooperation with 13 E...uropean partners under the leadership of the German Gymnastic Federation (DTB). “ActiveAge” was set up as a transnational project that fosters the exchange of knowledge and experience to counteract the physical inactivity of elderly people through capacity building for physical activities and sport programs of aging people in well-
structured and wide-spread settings, with the starting point in sport-organizations.
The handbook is intended to be used as a guideline for further activities of the “European Platform Active Aging in Sport” (EPAAS), which will continue the mission of the ActiveAge Project. Furthermore the handbook should serve as well for any other stakeholder interested to promote physical activities and sport for elderly people.
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The uploaded document explores the Mediterranean diet and physical activity as effective strategies to prevent and manage non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It discusses the diet's nutritional components, such as olive oil, fruits, and vegetables, and their health benefits, including reduced risk of ...cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. The paper also highlights the importance of regular physical activity for improving overall health, including its role in weight management, aging, and metabolic functions, while emphasizing a combined approach to achieve optimal health outcomes.
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The World Health Organization's fact sheet on physical activity emphasizes its critical role in maintaining health and well-being. It outlines the benefits of regular physical activity, such as reducing the risk of noncommunicable diseases like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers. T...he document provides specific recommendations for different age groups, detailing the amount and intensity of physical activity needed to achieve health benefits. It also addresses the global prevalence of physical inactivity, highlighting the need for policies and interventions to promote active lifestyles.
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The video titled "Physical Activity and Chronic Disease Prevention" emphasizes the importance of regular physical activity in reducing the risk of chronic diseases. It discusses how engaging in consistent exercise can help prevent conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. The ...video also provides practical tips for incorporating physical activity into daily routines to enhance overall health and well-being.
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The webpage discusses workforce nutrition programs and their potential to improve health, nutrition, and business outcomes. It highlights interventions such as access to healthy foods, nutrition education, health checks, and breastfeeding support, emphasizing their role in addressing malnutrition an...d promoting employee well-being. The focus is on leveraging workplaces to enhance public health and productivity while identifying evidence gaps for further research and policy development.
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One in three people globally suffers from at least one form of malnutrition, leading to poor health outcomes and low productivity in the workplace. The workplace offers an important, relatively unexploited opportunity to address malnutrition in all its forms. This narrative literature review aims to... understand the impact of workforce nutrition programmes on nutrition, health, and business outcomes, based on high-strength-of-evidence studies. We used PubMed as our primary research database, complemented by Google Scholar, to identify systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomised controlled trials published between January 2010 and October 2021. In total, 26 records were included. We found that comprehensive workforce nutrition programmes, including a variety of intervention areas, and/or programmes targeting high-risk categories of workers (overweight/obese or (pre-)diabetic) were more likely to be effective on nutrition, health, and business outcomes. Within comprehensive and targeted programmes, individualised counselling and worksite environmental modifications were often mentioned as the most effective components. However, a high degree of heterogeneity in outcome measures and programme designs made it difficult to draw strong conclusions on the impact of workforce nutrition interventions. Limited evidence was found on business outcomes, longer-term effects of interventions, and programme implementation in LMICs. Therefore, further research is needed to address these evidence gaps.
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The document systematically examines dietary and lifestyle factors influencing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the Western Pacific region. It highlights regional nutrition transitions, including dietary improvements like increased fruit and vegetable consumption and reduced salt intake, alongsid...e challenges like rising ultra-processed food consumption. The findings stress the need for stronger national policies, tailored interventions, and international collaboration to reduce NCD risks and improve public health outcomes.
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