GERMAN MINISTERS DECLARE WAR ON ALCOHOL

Winegrowers and Brewers Up in Arms

Saarbruecken/Trier (dpa/ed). The Ministers of Health of the 16 German
states are demanding that the government in Bonn impose stricter sanctions
against alcohol abuse and addiction to illegal drugs.

The Ministers view alcohol as demonstrating "the greatest danger of
addiction by far" due to its being responsible for 2.5 million German
addicts and for 6% of the country's deaths. In a unamimous decision at a
conference in Saarbruecken legal measures to reduce the amount of alcohol
at cantines, petrol stations and supermarkets as well as in advertisements
have been demanded. In addition a threshhold value of 0% for beginner
drivers and a check on the prices and distribution of alcohol are being
asked for.

Prospective price and tax increases on alcohol are intended to benefit
prevention and research on addiction. The intended "Action Plan Alcohol",
which proposed putting health warning labels on beer, wine and spirits
bottles similar to those on cigarette packages, was passed in this respect,
however, in a milder form by the Health Ministers.

Richard Weber, president of the European Brewers' Association and head of
the Karlsberg Brewery, criticized the decision in the sharpest manner. He
said "politics is criminalizing the enjoyment of drinking beer", while at
the same time the alcohol tax assists in filling the holes in the budget.

The secretary of the Riesling Wineries in the BernkastelWineRing on the
River Moselle, Karl Kirch, criticized the proposals as well: "Intoxication
is not the fault of the wine, but rather the drinker." Politics would
better improve the social environment and go to war against unemployment.
In any case raising the wine tax would bring many winegrowers to ruin, but
not keep anyone away from alcohol.