Unrecorded alcohol: what the evidence tells us

Overview

An estimated 25% of worldwide alcohol consumption is unrecorded, meaning not taxed and is outside the usual system of governmental control, such as home or informally produced alcohol -legal or illegal, smuggled alcohol, surrogate alcohol which is alcohol not intended for human consumption or alcohol obtained through cross-border shopping, which is recorded in a different jurisdiction. The usually lower price of this type of alcohol, its appeal to consumers from low socioeconomic status and people with underlying alcohol use disorders, irregular labelling and thus often unknown ethanol percentage by volume and the presence of potentially toxic compounds, as well as a complex interplay of these factors, is what can make unrecorded alcohol potentially more harmful than regulated alcohol. 

Recent evidence highlights that effective measures exist to regulate recorded and unrecorded alcohol production and consumption and do not indicate possible substitution effects. The policy options for regulating unrecorded alcohol require tailoring to a given context to consider the cultural and social aspects involved.

This Snapshot is part of a series of briefs tackling critical issues related to the determinants driving the acceptability, availability and affordability of alcohol consumption and how it affects people and their communities. The briefs result from a quick scanning of the recent evidence on the topic, insights from leading experts, consultation with selected countries and discussions during webinars convened to create a platform to match evidence, practice and policies. It is intended for a broad audience, including professionals working in public health and local and national alcohol policy focal points, policy-makers, government officials, researchers, civil society groups, consumer associations, the mass media and people new to alcohol research or practice.