The rise in excise duties on alcoholic beverages and ban on selling such beverages to persons younger than 21 are among the measures examined by the authorities for combating alcoholism. Under the chairmanship of the Deputy Prime Minister Gheorghe Brega, members of the council for coordinating the national alcohol control program for 2012-2020 met to examine relevant proposals, IPN reports, quoting the Government’s press service.
“The Republic of Moldova is among the countries with the highest alcohol consumption rate per capita. The social costs associated with alcohol consumption represent about 1% of the GDP. We also have deficiencies in the normative framework that stop the implementation and harmonization of the national legal framework with the EU’s legislation in the field,” stated Gheorghe Brega, who heads the Council.
Angela Ciobanu, the representative of the World Health Organization, said the policies to fight alcoholism can be efficient only by increasing taxes (excises) on alcoholic beverages, including beer, and by banning adverting and restricting sales of such products.
According to the participants in the meeting, the situation in the field is alarming and entails the elaboration of policies and concrete actions, urgent amendments to the legislation and its adjustment to the EU legislation on alcohol control. These formulated recommendations about the manufacture and circulation of ethyl alcohol and alcoholic products, education and promotion of a healthy lifestyle, especially among the youth, etc.
Gheorghe Brega ordered constituting a working group under the aegis of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry for starting working out the mentioned legislative amendments.
According to the latest data, Moldova ranks second in the world by alcohol consumption per capita.
