Alcohol Policy Timeline Database

The Alcohol Policy Timeline Database provides access to information on major steps taken or milestones reached in each Member State in the development of policy and action to reduce alcohol-related harm from 2006 to present. The timelines were developed based on the responses of national experts participating in the WHO global surveys on alcohol and health, WHO global questionnaire on progress in alcohol policy, and joint WHO European Region and European Union surveys on alcohol and health.

The main purpose of the Alcohol Policy Timeline Database is to facilitate networking between Member States and to provide a tool to assist Member States when they are revising, updating and drafting new policies on alcohol.

Timeline entries include, for instance, new legislation/schemes for better enforcement of existing legislation; revision/launch of new alcohol strategies/action plans; publication of major reports on alcohol; issuing of national guidelines on community action, prevention, screening and brief interventions or treatment; revisions of training on alcohol use (disorders) for health professionals; government funding for major alcohol research projects or nationwide action projects on the prevention and reduction of harm from alcohol; nationwide information campaigns to reduce alcohol-related harm; and regular surveys on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm.

Activities are categorized according to the 10 action areas of the European action plan to reduce the harmful use of alcohol 2012-2020. These areas are: leadership, awareness and commitment; health services' response; community and workplace action; drink-driving policies and countermeasures; availability of alcohol; marketing of alcoholic beverages; pricing policies; reducing the negative consequences of drinking and alcohol intoxication; reducing the public health impact of illicit alcohol and informally produced alcohol; and monitoring and surveillance.

This database was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.