#policy making

We don’t actually know how many abortions occur in the United States each year.

Well its exciting stepping foot into the place of policy making and change The European Parliament. Todays topic: Responsible Alcohol Consumption: The Danish model. I’m excited to learn what this means and how the Danish Model is better than other models so far elsewhere. Here in this meeting you have the good guys and the enemy come to meet and discuss how they can project a more responsible consumption of alcohol that would ultimately benefit the society while at the same time profit the alcohol industry. Wait a minute... did I write that correctly??? Profit the public? as well as the industry? Say what????

So, what does Denmark do better than the rest of the world? They talk to their private industries. They come to common agreements and harmonise a common approach to tackle the issues on alcohol consumption and public health concerns. A Private Public Partnership has been established to collaborate on how alcohol can be advertised and distributed across the country in which vulnerable populations and young people (especially young people) will be less exposed to binge drinking and peer pressure on consuming vast amounts of it [alcohol].

Okay so when I first listened to this I was fascinated that we could have matured as humanity to discuss these big issues together between policy makers and profit makers. I mean when you think about it, this is creating a partnership between the people who have money and people who don’t?!?!?! I guess you can imagine how this could end up working? Publicising all the bells and whistles of a partnership all the while perhaps only a few get the better end of the deal. This is the assumption, and a path that this partnership could so easily take to. However, believing the best in people (especially the Danes) I hang tight to my innocence of the money-making business. I’m gona go with them truly wanting to make a dint in the 1/3 or all injuries in Denmark that are alcohol related. They definitely made a case for themselves. Well... it got them here to the European Parliament discussing how they will work together on this.

Me being me I don’t just ask the person next to me the questions I want to know answers to, but I want to know how this will work right from the people who designed the idea. So, the first person I decided I would approach was Niels Hald the Chairman of the Public Private Partnerships. I introduce myself and proceed to tell him that I, myself have travelled from Australia to reside in Denmark and study public health and would like to learn more about the type of activities they would engage to promote this and how they wish to achieve the lowering of irresponsible alcohol consumption? Essentially all he told me is through various campaigns and access of alcohol. I was a little flustered because I realised I came somewhat unprepared in asking him the questions that matter. As it was a short coffee break we were soon called in to sit down and continue the discussion and then a flood of questions came to me… ‘how would you ensure that the partnership doesn’t favour the profit of alcohol? How does this effect the lower socioeconomic sector? how will you limit alcohol to them? being Danish are you even aware that alcohol is cheaper than coffee?” … the questions just flooded through and as I intently listed to Xavier Monne the Director General of the European Food Safety Authority about his elaborate views on the collaboration of the private and public sector and the benefits this can eventually bring to the society. I found myself nodding to everything he said. Hoping to receive a moment for questions. I realised we ran out of time but as my luck had it, we had some networking to do and well… I’m good at that! ;) So, I approached the next person who held a seat at the speakers corner Paul Skehan Director of Spirits Europe (essentially the alcohol guy). So I asked the alcohol guy all of my burning questions, quite shamelessly in fact. I told him I was a public health student and if I was going to work in public health I need to know more answers.

Alcohol guy and I proceeded to have a fascinating conversation. His stand was over education. He told me about the type of programs they have created to educate young people on this topic and his passionate belief that our schools should have accountability on providing this sort of teaching. We spoke about the lower socio economic factor and honestly this was one aspect I was a little disappointed with as he really, didn’t have a concrete answer for me except for ‘education’ in which case basically this generation would be long forgotten and the hope is that the next generation would be better informed. He had a long-term vision on alcohol consumption and the lower socio economic society wasn’t really a focus point not just for the alcohol guy neither for the public Dane or the European health guy. I felt a little disappointed as this was a rather large aspect of the people the consumed alcohol and hold quite a large portion of our public health money for all the treatments they are receiving. 

High off a good and insightful conversation with people who influenced so much of our society I ran back to the office and spoke to my internship supervisor at EPHA Nikolai and he made me realise that well although the idea appears to work for now, we need to strive for a world where policy makers are left to make policies that positively affect society and the money makers should be left to making the money.

Especially, more streamlined and robust vetting processes, with human and tech working in tandem.

We shouldn't be afraid to look to other countries that actually have well based immigration policy, and learn from (and emulate) them where possible and reasonable.

This shouldn't even be a partisan issue, this should be a "What is best for THE NATION as a whole" issue.

Furthermore, If we can let go of petty squabbles, things would be so much better.