State Secretary Blokhuis responsible for alcohol policy

26 October 2017

Today the new Dutch government has been sworn in. Mark Rutte’s new cabinet is the first Dutch government in 40 years to draw its members from four different parties: People's Party Freedom & Democracy, Christian Democratic Appeal, Democrats 66 and Christian Union. The inclusion of four parties in the coalition has forced Rutte to abandon his small-government principles and appoint a larger team than before.

State Secretary Paul Blokhuis (53) will be responsible for - among others - alcohol, tobacco and obesity prevention and mental health care. Blokhuis is active within the Christian Union for years and a provincial councilor from 2003 to 2006. Until now he was alderman with responsibility for healthcare in Apeldoorn.

In the Coalition Agreement (below) the following intention is included in the section Preventive healthcare and health promotion: "We support the goal of creating a smoke-free generation and will therefore increase excise duty on tobacco. Problematic alcohol use will also be addressed."
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Source: dutchnews.nl.

coalition-agreement-2017-confidence-in-the-future.pdf (1,08 MB)

News

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• Extra corona measures for three weeks: catering venues closed at 8 PM (12 Nov 2021)
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