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26.02.2026
Slovenian press conference highlights: Young people can too easily access alcohol and tobacco products
A recent mystery shopping monitoring study in Slovenia has revealed concerning levels of accessibility of alcohol and tobacco products to minors. At the end of February, the findings from the Health in all Policy (WP9) subtask on mystery shopping were presented at a press conference addressing youth protection and compliance with age-restriction legislation. The results demonstrated that 70% of underage mystery shoppers were able to purchase alcohol in physical stores, nearly 90% successfully purchased alcohol through online retailers, and more than 40% managed to purchase tobacco or nicotine products. Another concerning fact is that the selling points were frequently located in the vicinity of schools. Protecting young people from early exposure to harmful substances thus remains a critical public health priority. As early exposure to alcohol and nicotine significantly increases the risk of addiction, long-term health consequences, and the development of non-communicable diseases, these findings underline the urgent need for stronger enforcement of existing legislation and coordinated prevention efforts.
https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/news-updates/slovenian-press-conference-highlights-young-people-can-too-easily-access-alcohol-and-tobacco-products/
24.01.2026
Cantabria, Spain Reiterates: No Alcohol Sales to Minors
Despite clear regulations prohibiting the sale of alcohol to minors, underage drinking continues to be a public health concern. While there is a general belief that these rules are widely respected, recent data suggest that this is not always the case, underlining the need to strengthen prevention, control and awareness efforts within the community. After a series of workshops held in schools, the JA PreventNCD team at Instituto de Investigación Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), together with the Directorate General of Public Health of the Cantabria Regional Ministry of Health, analysed surveys completed by students. The findings were significant and concerning: 13% of the minors surveyed reported having purchased alcohol in commercial establishments while underage. This result raises an important question: if the regulations are clearly established and well known, why are they not always complied with? In response to these findings, the campaign “We Do Not Sell Alcohol to Minors. Don’t Even Try, the Answer Is No” was launched by the working team in Healthy Living Environments. The initiative aims to prevent alcohol consumption among minors and to reinforce compliance with existing legislation. Its main objective is to involve retail establishments directly by placing clearly visible posters that remind customers and staff that selling alcohol to minors is strictly prohibited by law. The campaign has already been implemented in the municipalities of Santa Cruz de Bezana, Novales, Argoños and Castro Urdiales, with the collaboration of supermarkets, local businesses and town councils. This coordinated approach reflects a strong institutional and community commitment to protecting the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents.
https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/news-updates/cantabria-spain-reiterates-no-alcohol-sales-to-minors/
29.09.2025
Alcohol as a cross-cutting theme in preventing NCDs in Europe
The European Union is the heaviest drinking area in the world. Alcohol has been ingrained in European societies for generations, and is still an important part of traditions, celebrations, and social rituals1. Unfortunately, the health impacts and risks associated with and caused by alcohol consumption, are eventually well documented. In the WHO European Region, one in every 11 deaths is due to alcohol consumption. Alcohol can cause over 200 diseases, including seven types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neuropsychiatric disorders, liver diseases and several infectious diseases2. Cancer is the leading cause of deaths due to alcohol in the EU, and there is no "safe level of consumption". Even moderate use of alcohol increases the long-term risk of diseases and harm3. Alcohol harms individuals, families, and communities, including those who are affected by other people's drinking, particularly children. The burden of diseases is also unequally distributed across socioeconomic groups. Individuals with low socioeconomic status (SES) experience disproportionately greater alcohol-attributable health harm than individuals with high SES from similar or lower consumption4. As alcohol is integrated in culture and social life, effective prevention strategies need to be implemented across sectors, at all levels, and adopt a life-course approach. This requires multiple stakeholders and actors engaging in coordinated and joint action considering alcohol as a cross-cutting issue.
https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/cross-cutting-themes/alcohol-as-a-cross-cutting-theme-in-preventing-ncds-in-europe/
03.06.2024
Filtered: Challenging Big Industry Narratives: Alcohol, Tobacco, Unhealthy Food and Drinks Population Measures and Policies
The "Challenging Big Industry Narratives: Alcohol, Tobacco, Unhealthy Food and Drinks Population Measures and Policies" conference, organized by the Filtered project, will take place on 27-28 June, 2024, in Ljubljana, Slovenia, at the Hotel Intercontinental. This event will delve into critical discussions on public health policies and the role of industry narratives in shaping health outcomes. The conference aims to provide a platform for policymakers, advocates, researchers, patients, youth, and health practitioners to collectively address the challenges of reducing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by effectively managing their main risk factors, with a special focus on alcohol, tobacco, and unhealthy food and drinks. The conference will feature speakers from the World Health Organization, the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, and other organizations. JA PreventNCD and Filtered The JA PreventNCD and Filtered projects are closely aligned in their mission to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Europe. JA PreventNCD focuses on supporting strategies and policies to mitigate personal risk factors and address societal determinants, consistent with the objectives of Europe's Beating Cancer Plan and the "Healthier Together – EU NCD Initiative." The Filtered project, an action grant complementing JA PreventNCD, specifically targets the dismantling of industry narratives that contribute to unhealthy behaviors and environments. Filtered aims to stimulate collaborative advocacy to support effective EU regulation for the prevention of NCDs. By collaborating, these projects can develop more robust and sustainable approaches to health promotion and disease prevention. Insights from Key Leaders Javiera Muñoz, Communications and Policy Officer at Eurocare, organisation leading the Filtered Consortium, emphasizes the importance of this collaboration: "The conference will provide a unique platform to challenge prevailing industry narratives that negatively impact public health. The conference will bring together experts and policymakers who work on different risk factors, mainly alcohol policies, tobacco control, policies related to unhealthy food and drinks, and the Commercial Determinants of Health to build on the successes in population measures in the past 10–20 years and foster a comprehensive understanding of how policies can be shaped to ensure healthier environments." Knut-Inge Klepp, the Scientific Coordinator of JA PreventNCD, highlights the conference's significance: "This conference will contribute to our broader mission of reducing NCDs in Europe. It allows us to integrate scientific research with practical policy measures, ensuring that our strategies are evidence-based and effectively address the root causes of these diseases. Collaborations like this enhance our capacity to implement impactful health policies across member states." Registration and More Information The conference is open to public health professionals, policymakers, researchers, and anyone interested in NCD prevention. Registration with a reduced fee is open until June 4, 2024. Late registration fees apply starting with 5 June. For more details and to register for the event, please click here. About the Filtered Project The Filtered project is one of four action grants under the EU4Health program designed to prevent cancer and other NCDs by stimulating advocacy, health promotion, action, and accountability at European and national level linked to the reduction of alcohol related harm, tobacco control and the reduction of the consumption of unhealthy foods and drinks. These projects work together to support the implementation of public health guidelines, pilot innovative practices, and develop comprehensive strategies for health promotion and disease prevention, exemplifying the EU's commitment to creating a healthier future by tackling the systemic factors that contribute to NCDs. The collaboration between Filtered and JA PreventNCD promotes synergies between various health initiatives and projects to streamline efforts and prevent duplication. The upcoming Filtered conference represents a significant step forward in the fight against NCDs. By challenging harmful industry narratives and promoting evidence-based policies, this event will contribute to the ongoing efforts of JA PreventNCD and other aligned projects. Join us in this important discussion and be part of the movement towards a healthier Europe.
https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/partnerships-collaborations/filtered-challenging-big-industry-narratives-alcohol-tobacco-unhealthy-food-and-drinks-population-measures-and-policies/
29.05.2026
New campaign to make prevention clearer and more accessible
JA PreventNCD is preparing to launch a new campaign aimed at policymakers, professionals, communities and the wider public, helping more people understand what prevention is about and why healthier choices must be made easier, fairer and more accessible for everyone. The campaign will be presented during the JA PreventNCD General Assembly in Rome, taking place from 9–11 June 2026 at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità. The General Assembly will bring partners together to share project achievements, reflect on progress and discuss the way forward for strengthening prevention across Europe. The launch session, “Campaigns as a Strategic Tool in Today’s Attention Economy: Premiere of JA PreventNCD’s New Campaign,” will be presented by Live Bøe Johannesen from the Norwegian Directorate of Health. The campaign focuses on four major shared risk factors for cancer and other non-communicable diseases: alcohol, tobacco and nicotine, nutrition and physical activity. It uses clear, accessible and motivating messages to show how prevention is connected to everyday life, from what people eat and how active they are to the environments, products, policies and communities that shape health. To learn more about the thinking behind the campaign, we spoke with Thea Nørgaard Breili from the Norwegian Directorate of Health, project leader of the campaign, about its aims, messages and development process. Can you briefly introduce the new JA PreventNCD campaign and explain what it aims to achieve? "The campaign aims to put prevention of NCDs on the agenda for both stakeholders, policymakers and general public. We aim to increase awareness of the benefits of prevention, highlight accessible measures that can be implemented, and strengthen public support for potential interventions. Non-communicable diseases are often discussed using specialised public health terminology, but many of the risk factors are closely connected to everyday life. What people eat, how active they are, whether tobacco, nicotine or alcohol products are widely available, and how communities are planned all influence health. The campaign shows that prevention is not only about telling individuals to change their behaviour. It is also about creating healthier environments through policy, regulation, planning, services and community action." What are the campaign’s key messages? "The key message shared across the campaign is that through small changes, whether structural or personal, we can all contribute to better health, both in the short and long term. This applies to stakeholders, policymakers and the general public. The campaign shows that everyone has a role to play, from those shaping policies and environments to individuals and communities taking practical steps in everyday life." The campaign was developed in close collaboration with participating member countries. How did that collaboration shape the final concept and messaging? "The collaboration helped us see prevention from many different perspectives. JA PreventNCD brings together partners from across Europe, and that diversity has been important in shaping a campaign that can appeal to a broader audience. At the same time, the collaboration pushed us to define and prioritise a shared direction that all partners could support and work towards together. Through this process, we identified a set of unifying and important messages that strengthen both the collaboration and the overall communication of the project." How did you balance the need for a shared European campaign with different national contexts, languages and public health priorities? "JA PreventNCD has chosen to focus on four shared risk factors: alcohol, tobacco and nicotine, nutrition and physical activity. This gives us a common starting point that all partners can recognise and build from. Based on this, and in close cooperation with the thematic coordinators, we developed simple and important messages that are aligned with research and evidence, while still being easy to understand and motivating for the audience. Creating messages that are relevant across different countries and public health priorities can be challenging. But this process helped us lift our gaze and focus on the overarching messages that apply across contexts. To make the material more inclusive, we included different ethnicities, personalities and characters while keeping one clear storyline. The animated world also gives us more freedom in how we show the setting. It does not have to be one specific real place, or it could be anywhere. The film includes elements such as a city, suburban areas, trees, roads, parks and houses, with the idea that it should not be too clear whether we are in Northern or Southern Europe."
https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/interviews/new-campaign-to-make-prevention-clearer-and-more-accessible/
29.05.2026
Unmasking the appeal of tobacco and nicotine products: JA PreventNCD and JA-SAFE in conversation on World No Tobacco Day
World No Tobacco Day is marked every year on 31 May. In 2026, the World Health Organization’s theme is “Unmasking the appeal: countering nicotine and tobacco addiction.” The campaign focuses on how tobacco and nicotine products continue to be reinvented, repackaged and marketed in ways that appeal to new generations, particularly children and adolescents. Tobacco remains one of the most important preventable causes of disease and premature death in Europe. At the same time, public health efforts are facing a changing landscape, with new nicotine products, cross-border trade, digital marketing, industry influence and regulatory gaps creating new challenges for tobacco and nicotine control. This remains a major priority for public health in Europe and for the European Commission’s wider prevention agenda. It is also reflected in two EU co-funded Joint Actions: JA PreventNCD, which addresses tobacco as a key cross-cutting theme in the prevention of cancer and other non-communicable diseases, and JA-SAFE, which focuses specifically on health promotion and disease prevention, including smoke- and aerosol-free environments. To mark World No Tobacco Day, we spoke with Hanna Ollila, Cross-cutting Theme Coordinator for Tobacco in JA PreventNCD; Taija Voutilainen, who leads JA PreventNCD work on alcohol- and tobacco-related perspectives in all policies; and Constantine Vardavas, Professor at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Coordinator of JA-SAFE and Head of the Technical Group of Chemical and Sensory Assessors for Tobacco Product Flavours of the European Commission, about the current state of tobacco and nicotine control in Europe, the challenges ahead, and why international collaboration is essential. While the two Joint Actions have distinct roles, they are closely connected by a shared prevention agenda. JA-SAFE supports European action on smoke-free and aerosol-free environments, tobacco reduction, cessation, steps towards a tobacco-free generation, and wider health promotion and disease prevention. JA PreventNCD complements this work by addressing tobacco as part of a broader prevention agenda, recognising its role in cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases, while also working to reduce inequalities and strengthen action on the wider conditions that shape people’s health.
https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/interviews/unmasking-the-appeal-of-tobacco-and-nicotine-products-ja-preventncd-and-ja-safe-in-conversation-on-world-no-tobacco-day/
20.05.2026
Putting Europe in motion
This article will be included in the Healthy Living Environment Newsletter. You can subscribe here to stay updated. Across Europe, a growing movement is redefining how physical activity is understood in public health. No longer seen simply as an individual lifestyle choice, movement is increasingly being approached as a collective, environmental and lifelong issue –shaped by schools, neighbourhoods, workplaces, families and local communities. Within the European Joint Action JA PreventNCD, innovative pilot actions that aim to make active living more accessible, inclusive and sustainable across all stages of life are being developed. From digital tools helping adolescents discover enjoyable forms of movement, to community walking initiatives for older adults, workplace challenges promoting team-based activity and local platforms connecting citizens with healthy opportunities in their area, the initiative reflects a shared European ambition: embedding movement into everyday life. Between 2010 and 2022, around 25% of the population in the WHO European Region was insufficiently active. Prevalence varies widely between countries, ranging from 8.4% to 51.6%, reflecting strong territorial and social inequalities in access to opportunities for physical activity. While progress has been uneven, 17 countries - mostly within the EU14 - have already achieved early the target of a 15% reduction in inactivity by 2030.
https://www.preventncd.eu/newsroom/news-updates/putting-europe-in-motion/