Alcohol Conference In Edinburgh

An international conference on alcohol policy will be held in Scotland's capital next year. About 500 delegates from around the world are expected to attend the Global Alcohol Policy Conference (GAPC) in Edinburgh, which will look at ways to reduce alcohol misuse and tackle the harm it causes. The event will be co-hosted by the The Global Alcohol Policy Alliance (GAPA) and Alcohol Focus Scotland, and supported by Scottish Government. The GAPA board highlighted the Government's pursuit of minimum unit pricing in its venue selection. Public Health Minister Maureen Watt said: Scotland has an excellent reputation for taking decisive and bold action to reduce the harm that excessive alcohol consumption can cause. It is testament to our ambitious alcohol strategies that the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance have chosen to host the 2015 conference in Edinburgh."The Scottish Government is proud to be supporting GAPC 2015 and I look forward to sharing our experiences with advocates from around the world.'' Dr Evelyn Gillan, chief executive, Alcohol Focus Scotland said: Across the world, alcohol causes so much damage to people's health, to the lives of their families, and to the communities we live in. Harmful use of alcohol causes around 3.3 million deaths every year."I would like to extend a warm invitation to researchers, non-governmental organisations, policymakers, and health professionals to join us at GAPC 2015 in Edinburgh. The conference offers a unique opportunity to share knowledge and inspire each other to advocate for the policies that will work to reduce the significant harm that alcohol causes in our countries.''