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Underage drinking is a major public health problem. Youth drink more heavily than adults and are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of alcohol. Previous research has demonstrated the connection between alcohol advertising and underage drinking. Restricting outdoor advertising in general and transit ads in particular, represents an important opportunity to reduce youth exposure. To address this problem, the Marin Institute, an alcohol industry watchdog group in Northern California, conducted a survey of alcohol ads on San Francisco bus shelters. The survey received sufficient media attention to lead the billboard company, CBS Outdoor, into taking down the ads. Marin Institute also surveyed the 25 largest transit agencies; results showed that 75 percent of responding agencies currently have policies that ban alcohol advertising. However, as the experience in San Francisco demonstrated, having a policy on paper does not necessarily mean it is being followed. Communities must be diligent in holding accountable government officials, the alcohol industry, and the media companies through which advertising occurs.

America's communications infrastructure is stuck at a copper wall. For the vast majority of homes, copper wires remain the principal means of getting broadband services. The deployment of fiber optic connections to the home would enable exponentially faster connections, and few dispute that upgrading to more robust infrastructure is essential to America's economic growth. However, the costs of such an upgrade are daunting for private sector firms and even for governments. These facts add up to a public policy challenge. Our intuition is that an innovative model holds unrealized promise: household investments in fiber. Consumers may one day purchase and own fiber connections that run from their homes. They would then be able to connect to a variety of service providers, including today's Internet, television, and telephone services, as well as ultra-bandwidth intensive services of the future. Consumers would have the opportunity not only to get a fast broadband connection, but also benefit from greater competition and lower prices in the retail service market.

The Executive Committee met by teleconference on February 21 and the Minutes have been circulated in draft to the Committee. The main agenda matters discussed were: an update on preliminary work on the 2009-2012 Three-Year Plan, noting the organisation of the regional meetings of focal points that will seek input from Member States; agreement that COL management will redraft the Terms of Reference for Board Committees, incorporating members' views, for consideration by the Board at its meeting in June; and a discussion of potential and emerging strategic issues that led to a decision to put the rotation policy for international staff on the next Board agenda. The Acting Chair confirmed that the process of selecting a new Chair is under way. The Secretary-General has written to Heads of Government and Board members inviting them to propose names of suitable candidates but the process will not be completed before the current SecretaryGeneral demits office on March 31, so the Secretary-General-elect, H.E. Mr. Kamalesh Sharma, will bring it to a conclusion

Исследуются причины, специфика и возможные последствия российской инфляции в 20072008 годах. Дается анализ ценовой политики государства в области естественных монополий. Прогнозируется тренд инфляции, финансов малого и среднего бизнеса на 2008-2010 годы. Предлагается комплекс мероприятий по антиинфляционной политике и развитию экономики в 2008-2010 гг. Объективная оценка и учет высказанных предложений по финансовой политике государства и регулированию инфляции будут значительно способствовать позитивному социально-экономическому развитию страны. ; Possible causes, peculiarities and probable consequences of inflation in Russia in 2007-2008 are considered. Government price strategy concerning natural resource monopolies is analyzed. A forecast is given regarding the inflation trend as well as financing of small and medium-sized businesses for the period from 2008 to 2010. The authors propose a set of measures to curb inflation and their economy development strategy for the period of 20082010. An objective assessment of the proposals concerning the financial policy of the State and inflation-reducing measures would contribute to a positive socio-economic development of the country.

AbstractThis paper discusses organized economic interest groups in the Czech Republic placed in the context of the development of interest group activity in the post communist era and how this bodes for the consolidation of Czech democracy. After a brief overview of Czech political and economic developments since the end of communist rule, the origins, evolution and present state of interest groups are outlined. There has been a proliferation of economic interest groups, particularly in the business arena. However, there are some concerns about interest groups activity, which are examined next. The paper then moves to its main focus—the examination of economic interests. It does this by explaining the interaction among business, labour and government in the policy‐making arena and explaining apparent contradictions in the perceived influence of business. This is followed by a similar look at Czech agriculture. The paper concludes with some speculation about the likely future development of interest groups and what this might mean for the nature of Czech democracy. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Associated with innovation in both democratic practice and service design, neighbourhoods are high on policy agendas across Europe. Drawing upon classic debates about size and devolution, the article identifies four distinct rationales for neighbourhood governance: civic, social, political and economic. In England, the 'new localism' agenda gets near to developing a comprehensive case for neighbourhood governance, drawing upon all four rationales. Options for institutional design are explored with reference to four ideal types: (1) neighbourhood empowerment; (2) neighbourhood partnership; (3) neighbourhood government; (4) and neighbourhood management. Key challenges for neighbourhood governance are analysed in terms of capacity, competence, diversity and equity. The article argues that the classic democracy/capacity trade-off associated with small units needs to be re-thought in the context of the 'new governance' (multi-level, multi-actor and e-enabled). Rather than confronting one big trade-off, institutional designers face a series of questions about the underlying purposes and priorities of neighbourhood governance. Adapted from the source document.

This article argues that to advance the struggle for access to essential medicines, it is necessary to identify the global and local regimes that shape the rules that give impetus to particular policy options, while undermining others. In exploring the role of law and politics in this process, the author first outlines the globalization of a standardized, corporate-inspired, intellectual property regime. Second, the author uses the example of the HIV/AIDS pandemic to demonstrate how the stability of this new regime came under pressure, both locally and globally. Finally, it is argued that while the global HIV/AIDS pandemic and the social movements that emerged in response to government inaction have effectively challenged the TRIPS regime, this complex contestation has reached an unsustainable stalemate in which development aid, corporate, and non-governmental philanthropy is simultaneously providing increased availability to drugs while precluding a more lasting solution to the crisis of access to essential medicines in developing countries.