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Cabinet Rutte III targets problematic alcohol use alongside obesity and smoking

7 February 2018

State Secretary Paul Blokhuis, responsible for - among others - prevention and mental health care, told parliament yesterday in a letter, that the Cabinet decided the National Prevention Deal should target problematic alcohol use alongside smoking and obesity. All three, Blokhuis says, are highly detrimental to health, cause premature deaths and are associated with problems such as poverty and debt.

The National Prevention Deal is also aimed at narrowing the health gap between the highly skilled and lower skilled people on low incomes. People on low incomes have a far greater incidence of behaviour-related illnesses than higher earners.

"I am not a teetotaller and I like a beer just as much as the next person. But I am convinced we are strongly underestimating the risks of problematic alcohol use", Blokhuis said.

It is unclear which measures will be implemented. However, those brought to the table were: increasing the price of alcohol, reducing the number of sales points, restricting advertisements, setting up campaigns targeted at specific groups, increasing awareness for alcohol in the health industry and at Dutch schools, as well as striving for a culture of soberness in sports.

Sources: dutchnews.nl and iamexpat.nl.

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