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Sep 27 '16
Public Health Policy and Alcohol-Related Harm Seminar
WHEN:
September 27, 2016 at 10am
WHERE:
Permanent Representation of Ireland to the EU, Rue Froissart 50, Brussels
RATIONALE:
Europe has the highest levels of alcohol consumption in the world (WHO European Health Report 2015). Alcohol-related harm is a major public health concern, accounting for over 7% of all ill health and early deaths in the EU. According to WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol, 2014: “The harmful use of alcohol is a component cause of more than 200 disease and injury conditions in individuals, most notably alcohol dependence, liver cirrhosis, cancers and injuries.”
This seminar will discuss possible measures that EU Member States are contemplating in the fight against alcohol-related harm, such as minimum unit pricing, health labelling and regulation of advertising, and also to examine possible action at EU level.
REGISTRATION:
If you wish to attend please register with Catherine.Cogan@dfa.ie by 20 September 2016. Places are limited so early registration is recommended.
PROGRAMME
10am
Registration and coffee
10.30am
Minister Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, Minister of State for Health Promotion will outline the current plans for tackling alcohol-related harm in Ireland
10.40
Commissioner Andriukaitis, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety will set out the possible actions that the Commission may take to further assist Member States in addressing alcohol-related harm.
10.50
Open discussion
11.20
Coffee
11.40
Professor Nick Sheron, Professor and Head of Clinical Hepatology within Medicine at the University of Southampton will provide an overview of the alcohol-related harm crisis in the EU
11.50
Dr Barry Doherty, Barrister at Law, will explain the current legal position in light of ECJ judgements, EU legislation and Member States’ public health policy
12.00
Concluding remarks
12.30
Light lunch
SPEAKERS
Minister Marcella Corcoran Kennedy
Marcella Corcoran Kennedy TD was appointed as Ireland’s Minister of State for Health Promotion in May 2016. Over the coming months she will, on behalf of the Government, lead the passage of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill through the Irish Parliament.
Commissioner Andriukaitis
Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis is European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, where his responsibilities include the protection and improvement of public health. A former Heart Surgeon, Commissioner Andriukaitis was also Lithuanian Minister for Health from 2012 to 2014.
Professor Nick Sheron
Professor Sheron is an academic hepatologist at the University of Southampton. He has a particular interest in the potential for evidence-based alcohol policies to reduce alcohol-related harm and has worked with the Alcohol Health Alliance, Royal College of Physicians, EU Commission, the British and European Societies for the Study of Liver Disease and the British Society of Gastroenterology to advocate for strategies to turn the rising tide of liver and alcohol deaths. He is currently Scientific Advisor to EPHA on alcohol, Clinical Advisor on alcohol to Public Health England, RCP Representative on European Alcohol Policies and advises EASL, BSG and BASL on alcohol policy.
Dr Barry Doherty
Dr Barry Doherty, LL.B., LL.M., Ph.D, is a barrister practising in Ireland. He specialises in European and competition law and represented Ireland in the Scotch Whisky Association case before the Court of Justice of the European Union.
