The Ministry of Health’s “Alcohol? Less is Better!” campaign against excessive alcohol consumption, which ran from 13 to 21 May, was judged a success by the Ministry and the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Infrastructure and Road Safety who partnered in the project. The aim was to familiarise Luxembourg residents with the dangers surrounding excessive alcohol consumption.
More than 40% of Luxembourg residents report drinking at least once a week, though not every day, compared to an average of around 30% in the EU, and excessive weekly consumption of at least five standard drinks on the same occasion are reported twice as frequently in Luxembourg as across the EU — 11% of residents, compared to 5.5% across the EU.
"This prevention campaign is unique in that it focuses on citizen engagement and participation," said Health Minister Lydia Mutsch. "With more than 60 participants from all walks of life, this is a great success for this first edition, and I am particularly pleased that there are eighteen medical offices and three hospitals, eleven pharmacies, eleven municipalities and seven high schools."
Alcohol consumption is considered a normal part of Luxembourg society, and most people are aware that it can be addictive. However, health risks, such as cardiovascular diseases, cirrhosis of the liver, cancers and mental disorders, tend to be marginalised, as are other consequences, such as accidents.
The harmful use of alcohol is responsible for 3.3 million deaths in the world each year.
More information is available on: www.aktionswoche-alkohol.lu
Image: Anne Marx, Stéphanie van Rijswijck, Marisa Ferreira, Isabelle Medinger, Lydia Mutsch, Paul Hammelmann, Dany Franck, Anne Calteux, Sneja Dobrosavljevic, Dr Simone Steil. Photo supplied.
