The Regional Director for Prevention and Control of Dependencies stated that the Regional Forum on Alcohol and Health will have another ally in the reduction of alcohol-related problems.
 
"The Action Plan for the Reduction of Alcohol-Related Problems involves partnerships with the civil society, namely the public administration and economic operators. In this regard, the Regional Forum on Alcohol and Health is an essential tool in the implementation of this plan," said the government official.
 
Suzete Frias spoke during the First Meeting of the Regional Forum on Alcohol and Health, highlighting the adherence of 36 entities that have joined this platform as evidence of social responsibility and commitment to a priority cause.
 
The Regional Forum on Alcohol and Health is a platform that includes a various entities that have signed a letter of commitment. This is one of the proposals of the Action Plan for the Reduction of Alcohol-Related Problems and an operational tool of the Regional Health Plan for the 2014-2020 period.
 
The initiative is primarily aimed at the prevention, deterrence and reduction of problems related to alcohol consumption in order to ensure that the sale and consumption of alcohol be done in a safe manner.
 
"A company linked to the sale and distribution of beverages may, nonetheless, contain messages on their pages and labels promoting health messages and teaching people how to drink in a healthy way," said the Regional Director.
 
The entities that join this forum commit themselves to develop a series of relevant actions in this area and to provide a space for sharing, discussion and reflection on contents related to harmful alcohol consumption.
 
The Forum includes entities such as "casas de saúde" (mental institutions, private social solidarity institutions, "casas do povo" (community centres), governmental departments and private companies that will meet once a year.
 
 "According to the 2016 Annual Report issued by the Intervention Service on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies (SICAD), there are significant differences in alcohol consumption. The Azores register higher figures in excessive consumption, as in Binge Drinking, with rates standing at 39.5% in the 15-74 age group while the prevalence of intoxication stands at 32%," pointed out the government official.
 
For the Regional Director, it is important to understand the differences between islands, risk factors and the protection for the consumption of psychoactive substances.
 
"The Life + Study Project, carried out on each island, will allow us to provide responses specifically tailored to the needs of each territory as well as to implement measures in accordance with the actual needs of populations," explained the government official.
 
By 2020, the Regional Forum on Alcohol and Health, which already includes 36 entities, proposes as goals a reduction of two percentage points in alcohol consumption prevalence, a reduction in the number of drivers killed in road accidents and the reduction of the rate of potential years of life lost due to alcohol-related diseases.