European Parliament
President.
Question No 40 by Yvonne Sandberg-Fries 
Subject: Common alcohol policy
In June 2001, on an initiative by Sweden, the Member States' Health Ministers decided to call on the Commission to draw up a Community strategy to reduce the harmful effects of alcohol. At the present time, we are witnessing increasing regular consumption of alcohol and an increasing amount of 'binge-drinking' among young people in certain Member States. The links between starting young and heavy alcohol consumption, drug abuse and crime are an established fact. Alcohol-related problems are also severe in several of the accession countries. What progress has the Commission made in drafting a global Community strategy to reduce alcohol-related damage and in setting a timetable for the various measures?

