The Ministry of Health and its new vision on alcohol
The Ministry of Health, led by Minister Mónica García, of the Spanish government’s Sumer branch, has taken a firmer stance towards alcohol. The aim is to change the social perception of this substance as a ‘fundamental part of our leisure’. According to García, this vision is not adequate and work must be done to modify it.
A necessary change of mentality
Minister García expresses her concern that quitting drinking is not seen in the same way as quitting smoking. According to her, someone who stops smoking is considered a hero, but someone who stops drinking is questioned. This demonstrates the need to change the mentality and social perception around alcohol (https://www.softcatala.org/resum-de-textos-en-catala/).
A bill to regulate the consumption of alcohol
The Ministry of Health is working on a bill to more strictly regulate the sale, advertising and marketing of alcoholic beverages. The aim is to put a stop to alcohol consumption among young people. This regulation will go beyond the current restrictions that already sanction the purchase of alcohol by minors. It will also seek to protect them from misleading messages, especially through social networks, and address the ease of access to substances (https://www.softcatala.org/resum-de-textos-en-catala/) .
The importance of changing social perception
Minister García recognizes that the Ministry of Health will receive pressures similar to those they received with the anti-tobacco plan. However, he points out that alcohol has a different social connotation than tobacco. That is why it is necessary to change the social perception of alcohol as a fundamental part of leisure. This change in mentality is essential to adequately address health problems related to alcohol consumption (https://www.softcatala.org/resum-de-textos-en-catala/).
Alcohol as a risk factor for health
The Ministry of Health highlights that alcohol is the most consumed psychoactive substance in Spain and that the average age at which consumption begins is 14 years. In addition, alcohol contributes to the development of more than 200 health problems, increases the risk of chronic diseases and can cause certain types of cancers. These health problems have a particularly strong impact on disadvantaged groups in society (https://www.softcatala.org/resum-de-textos-en-catala/).