The Regional Secretary for Health announced today that the first meeting of the Regional Forum on Alcohol and Health will take place on the island of São Miguel on July 27.
"We are already in a position to bring together a wide range of entities that have expressed their interest in being part of this forum and that will sign the letter of commitment for the 2018-2020 biennium," stated Rui Luís. He spoke on the sidelines of the seminar celebrating the 10th anniversary of the National Forum on Alcohol and Health taking place in Lisbon.
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.
"So far, about twenty institutions have joined this forum, namely mental health institutions, private social solidarity institutions, "casa do povo" (community centres), governmental departments and private institutions, which demonstrates the pertinence of the creation of this platform," stressed Rui Luís.
The Regional Forum on Alcohol and Health was approved in January by the Council of the Government, taking into consideration the growing responsibility and involvement of citizens in policies towards health promotion and disease prevention.
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 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.
By 2020, this joint platform proposes the reduction of alcohol consumption in percentage points, the decrease of binge drinking (consumption of five or more alcoholic beverages on a single occasion) by 8%, the reduction of the number of drivers killed in road accidents and the decline of the rate of potential years of life lost due to alcohol-related diseases.
The Regional Forum on Alcohol and Health, chaired by the Regional Director for Prevention and Control of Dependencies, is composed of the entities that have signed to the Letter of Commitment.
Individual companies or non-governmental associations willing to make specific commitments in this area may join this forum as long they are members of a national or regional association.