The National Prevention Programme in the Netherlands will no longer target only smoking and obesity. Alcohol abuse has a great impact on one’s health and it has therefore been included in the themes which are to be targeted.

Dutch National Prevention Agreement

In his letter to the House of Representatives, State Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, Paul Blokhuis, announced plans to focus on alcohol abuse, smoking and obesity in the Dutch National Prevention Programme. These particular themes have been chosen as they all have an extremely negative impact on one’s health and cause illness.

Talks with large societal organisations have revealed a link between health problems and problems such as poverty and debt. Health problems which stem from smoking, drinking, or obesity, tend to be more prevalent amongst those with a low level of education and a low income.

Alcohol use in the Netherlands

The Health Council of the Netherlands advises either abstaining from drinking or only drinking one glass of an alcoholic beverage per day. Drinking more than one glass of an alcoholic beverage per day increases one’s risk of a stroke, liver disease, cancer and diabetes. 

The opinions of the effects of drinking one glass per day are split. Whilst the risk of contracting certain illnesses seems to be reduced by this behaviour, the same behaviour increases the risk of breast cancer. Blokhuis believes that we, as a society, underestimate the risks that alcohol abuse brings.

Alcohol abuse prevention proposals

It is unclear which measures will be implemented. However, those brought to the table were: increasing the price of alcohol, reducing the number of sales points, restricting advertisements, setting up campaigns targeted at specific groups, increasing awareness for alcohol in the health industry and at Dutch schools, as well as striving for a culture of soberness in sports.