Alcohol, diabetes, and public health in the Americas / Alcohol, diabetes y salud pública en las Américas

This article describes epidemiological evidence on the association between alcohol use and diabetes, and the implications for clinical management and public health policies in the Americas. Heavy alcohol use is a risk factor for both diabetes and poor treatment adherence, despite evidence that moderate drinking can protect against type 2 diabetes under some circumstances. The burden of disease from diabetes associated with excessive alcohol consumption warrants both clinical and public health measures. On the clinical level, research on early interventions to prevent hazardous drinking shows that new screening, brief intervention, and referral techniques are effective ways to manage hazardous drinking in primary care settings. On the population level, restrictions on alcohol marketing and other alcohol control policies reduce the frequency and intensity of alcohol consumption in at-risk populations. These policy actions are recommended within the context of the World Health Organization's global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol

Este artículo describe las pruebas epidemiológicas de la asociación entre el consumo de alcohol y la diabetes, así como sus implicaciones para el manejo clínico y las políticas de salud pública en las Américas. Aunque existe evidencia de que, en determinadas circunstancias, el consumo moderado de alcohol puede proteger contra la diabetes de tipo políticas de control reducen la frecuencia y la intensidad del consumo de alcohol en las poblaciones en riesgo. Estas acciones de política se recomiendan en el contexto de la estrategia mundial de la Organización Mundial de la Salud para reducir el consumo de alcohol nocivo

Thirsting for the African Market

The overall per capita consumption of alcohol in the African continent remains low though rates in some countries are among the highest in the world. Africa; therefore; is one of several untapped markets in the world that have attracted attention from the alcohol industry in recent times. This paper reviews the prospects for global alcohol companies in the continent; examining the value of the African market to the industry as well as a range of political; social and economic factors which are associated with the growth of the market for commercial alcoholic beverages. To highlight and illustrate the activities of the industry; two case studies are presented focusing on marketing and promotional activities of key industry players in South Africa and Nigeria. The paper concludes with a call to African governments and the alcohol industry to become more aware of the public health and social dangers posed by alcohol consumption and to respond through prevention efforts aimed at limiting the exposure of young people to alcohol advertising and promotion