The Regional Committee,
Appreciating the efforts already made by WHO to alleviate the problems related to alcohol consumption;
Taking into account the deliberations in relation to the Technical Discussions on "Alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems" at the Thirty-fifth World Health Assembly;
Recalling previous resolutions, particularly WPR/RC26.R11, WPR/RC27.R5 and WHA32.40, concerning the development of programmes on alcohol-related problems;
Concerned about the widespread and increasing alcohol-related problems in the developed and developing countries or areas of the Region;
Recognizing alcohol consumption to be a major public health problem, requiring an effective national policy as an integral part of the strategy for health for all by the year 2000;
- CALLS the attention of Member States to the importance of alcohol-related problems and to the need to take all appropriate measures to all alleviate those problems;
- URGES Member States:
- (1) to formulate comprehensive, continuous and long-term national policies on alcohol-related problems. with prevention as a priority, as integral parts of their national "health for all" strategies;
- (2) to establish mechanisms for coordination on alcohol-related problems among the various sectors concerned, with a view to ensuring effective and concerted implementation of measures to reduce alcohol consumption and alleviate alcohol-related problems, in particular those arising from excessive alcohol consumption;
- (3) to introduce or intensify activities related to alcohol problems in such programme areas as school health education, training of general health workers and promotion of health research;
- REQUESTS the Regional Director:
- (1) to cooperate with Member States in giving full support to their efforts to reduce alcohol consumption and alleviate alcohol-related problems, in particular those arising from excessive alcohol consumption;
- (2) to cooperate with and support Member States in their efforts in the promotion of health research or alcohol-related problems;
- (3) to intensify WHO's programme on alcohol-related problems as an integral part of the regional strategy for health for all through primary health care;
- (4) to draw the contents of the present resolution to the attention of the Director-General so that he may, in turn, draw it to the attention of the Executive Board and the World Health Assembly, with a view to the adoption of a resolution similar to that appearing as a draft in document A35/Technical Discussions/7.