III-ROSEA NEWSLETTER | Issue1

III-ROSEA
Newsletter

March 2014
VOLUMN 2, ISSUE 1 IN THIS ISSUE

Team Editors Note

In order to set up the right strategies to deal with alcohol related problems, it is needed to understand the real situation of alcohol in the areas targeted by partners. As there is a lack of scientific information to describe the real situation in SEA, the IOGT-NTO regional office in SEA therefore conducted the survey during 2013 with the primary aims; 1) to understand the real situation of alcohol in partners targeted areas, 2) to utilize information from the survey to plan, monitor, and evaluate partners projects, and 3) to follow up on progress of change after project implementation. In the first quarter, our newsletter publishes the results of this survey. Therefore, we hope that our article can help partners to better understand the alcohol situation in their target areas. However, please noted that this survey is not a representation of the alcohol situation in the whole Southeast Asia region, but a spot check of the areas where partners will be implementing their projects for the period 2014-2016. By the way, we are listening to your ideas for improving our newsletter and will continue to look at ways to improve the design and accessibility. Thank you to all comment and suggestion for further improvement. Best Regards and hope you will enjoy reading,

Alcohol Situation in Target Area of Southeast Asia

This article presents results of baseline survey conducted during 2013 by 9 partners of IOGT-NTO MOVEMENT in Southeast Asia.

Page 2

Marissara K.
Going On
Marissara Kummool
Whats been going on in our South East Asia Region? We wrap it all into this column, so that you can receive information of news and activities of your friends.

Page 5

III-ROSEA NEWSLETTER | Issue1

Alcohol advertisement in Cambodia

Alcohol Situation in target area of Southeast Asia

By

Johan Bengtsson & Marissarsa Kummool,

The harmful use of alcohol is a global problem which compromises both individual and social development. It results in 2.5 million deaths each year worldwide and is responsible for 4.5% of the global burden of disease. It also causes harm far beyond the physical and psychological health of the drinker (WHO). A causal relationship between alcohol use and over 60 types of diseases and injury has been documented.

Unintentional injuries account for around one-third of the 1.8 million deaths due to alcohol. These data clearly point to a huge burden of harm (IAS). Many studies show evidence that alcohol has a negative effect on health as well as social and economic development all over the world. This burden falls heaviest in developing countries, e.g. in Southeast Asia. As the European market decreases, alcohol industries have changed their target to Asia for new opportunities for growth. One reason for this is that only one country in Southeast Asia has alcohol control policies to limit accessibility. During 2013, the 9 partners of the IOGT-NTO Movement in Southeast Asia carried out baseline surveys in preparation

for a new three year project period. The objective of the survey was to get a better understanding of the alcohol situation in partners target areas in order to utilize this information for planning, monitoring, and evaluation of the projects. The survey is therefore not a representation of the alcohol situation in the whole Southeast Asia region, but a spot check of the areas where partners will be implementing their projects for the period 2014-2016. A quantitative questionnaire was developed, translated into local languages, and distribute to the respondents in Cambodia, Lao PRD, Myanmar, and Thailand. Random sampling method was applied in partners target area, which included urban, university in urban, sub-urban, rural,

III-ROSEANEWSLETTER | Issue1

broader, and mountainous areas. The sample size was 11,182 people in the age range of lower than 15 to more than 60 years of ages. The proportion of male and female was balanced in order to gain both genders perspective. Out of the total sample 55.29% had drunk alcohol within the last 12 months, current drinkers. The number of male current drinkers is double the number of female. The average consumption in the targeted areas is 10.82 lit. pure alcohol per person divided on the total sample and 19.87 lit. pure alcohol per person for current drinkers. Compared to WHOs and CAS findings on consumption the order of the countries is the same, but the figures of consumption are higher in this study; Thailand (20.45 lit.) was ranked at the highest on alcohol consumption, followed by Lao PDR (9.11 lit.), Cambodia (6.05 lit.), and Myanmar (1.90 lit.) respectively. Thailand however showed a much higher consumption compared to the other three countries because out of the total Thai sample of 3,887 persons, 77% are university students with a high consumption. With the university student disaggregated from the sample the consumption level a little bit higher than Lao PDR and Cambodia.

Artwork: Inspired by Frederic Janssens

Beer is the most common choice of alcoholic beverage whether in rural, urban, or mountainous areas. White spirit, the second choice, is most common in rural and mountainous areas. One assumption is that it is very easy to access due to high availability from household production. On average, current drinkers in the targeted areas spend 91 USD per month on alcoholic beverages. Its interesting that out of the total sample only 6% are hazardous drinkers, which is an unexpectedly low number. But on the other hand, this small group drank 39% of all alcohol consumed in the target areas. Within this group, there were2.4 times male (71%) more female (29%). According to the sample groups perception, alcohol is not only causing harm to the drinkers, but

also to others and put all at risk. Its noteworthy that abstainers scored higher than the drinkers on these questions highlighting the negative effects alcohol has to people around the drinkers, such as traffic accidents, violent behavior like fighting, low work performance, or negative affect on relationship with family and friends. In the targeted areas, all types of alcoholic beverages are readily available in the communities and nearby schools. 75% of the total group of respondents reported that it is every easy access alcohol as there are 1-5 alcohol shops which are less than 100 meters from their homes. This means that they decide to buy alcohol and in 2 minutes by motorbike, 5 minutes by bicycle, and 7 minutes by walk they can be back home again and start to drink. Not only is the distance between the homes and alcohol shops of concern. In some areas

III-ROSEANEWSLETTER | Issue1

the respondents estimated that there were 40 60 alcohol shops in the communities. This means that alcohol is always available within a few minutes walk. Beer is the most readily available alcoholic beverage in 3 of the 4 countries, In Myanmar white spirit is dominating. At the same time, advertisement for beer is the most common alcohol advertisement by the alcohol companies and perhaps one of the major factors to stimulate higher consumption. A majority of the respondents reported that they received alcohol advertisement through television, radio and on billboards respectively. Alcohol advertisement is normally imageoriented to create perception that the product is linked to high social and economic status and makes the drinker attractive, fun, glamorous and sexy. The alcohol industry also uses other tactics to promote their products such as selling smaller volumes in cheap

affordable package, buy 1 get 1, or having pretty girls (beer girls is the most common) to attract customers. However, only 58% of the respondents have ever received information about negative effects from alcohol, and if they have they are mainly aware of harm related to their health and finance. In terms of limitations for drinking, In Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar, where national alcohol control policies have not been launched yet, there are some other mechanisms such as entertainment law, alcohol licensing law, alcohol restriction on local level (commune notification), religious precepts, and cultural beliefs that can be very useful tools to limit access of alcohol. Thailand is the only country that has a National Alcohol Control Act. In spite of this, the trend in consumption seem to be that it is slowly increasing, and it is the

country with the highest alcohol consumption among the 4 countries in this survey. There are two assumptions to explain this phenomenon: 1) ineffective law enforcement and 2) that the National Alcohol Control Act cannot practically control production and selling of homemade white spirit. Finally, the implementation to reduce harmful use of alcohol will require collaboration between all stakeholders: GOs, NGOs, authorities, private sector, as well as civil society. SEA regional office need to ensure improving methods to achieve overall regional goal by cooperation with partner organizations

FOR MORE INFORMATION

IOGT-NTO MOVEMENT, SEA REGIONAL OFFICE

Miss Marissara Kummool Email : marissara@iogt.se Web : www.global.iogt.se/sea

Alcohol advertisement in Cambodia

III-ROSEANEWSLETTER | Issue1

Going On
by Regional Office, SEA

Consultative Workshop
27 January 2014 - Consultative Workshop on Mechanism towards the National Alcohol Policy Development was held in Cambodia. Participants were from National Assembly, Senate, Relevant Ministries, NGOs, Monks, and 14 Universities in Phnom Penh Capital.

Meet Chiang Mai Governor

11 February 2014 T-CEF and University student networks gave a letter in support of recent alcohol control campaign to the governor of Chiang Mai, Thailand. The group asked for serious law enforcement on drink driving and illegal alcohol ads.

CNC Television Programme

13 February 2014 - Mr. Yong Kim Eng, President of PDP-Center and HE. Pum Sichan, Deputy of Commission 8 of Senate were invited by CNC Television to discuss about direction of alcohol policy development in Cambodia.

Love without Alcohol

14 February 2014 - T-CEF and University student networks ran Love without alcohol campaign to encourage condom use and stop drinking on Valentines Day at Maya Cinema Complex and Central Shopping Mall in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The activities were included condom distribution, pantomime, and music from Chiang Mai University Symphony Orchestra.

Community Talk
February-March 2014 PDP conducted community Talk on negative impact of alcohol consumption in the target areas in Cambodia. There were 20 participants for each course. The effect of alcohol on women and children rights, gender role, environment, and climate change, and as well as non-communicable diseases were highlight topics.

Village Forum Discussion

February-March 2014 - PKKO organized village forum discussion with 28 villages of 3 targeted communes in Cambodia. The forum focused on alcohol related harms and safety community. By this, villagers had opportunity to meet each other and share problems they are facing, so the groups can brainstorm how to deal with problems together.

Village Orientation
February-March 2014 - KBC organized village orientation in targeted villages in Thailand to gain mutual understanding between project staffs and villagers.

Schools Orientation
February-March 2014 Head of LSDA, Mr. Phoxai visited 14 directors of target schools in Lao PDR to discuss about activities that will be done in schools during phase 20142016.

III-ROSEANEWSLETTER | Issue1

Up Coming
by Regional Office, SEA

III-ROSEANEWSLETTER | Issue1

Social Media Campaign to Stop Alcohol Related Harms and Stop Violence Against Women Created by Student Network in Chiang Mai, Thailand Supported by T-CEF

III-ROSEA
Newsletter

63 Patan Road, Muang, Chiang Mai, 50300 Thailand