Addressing and managing conflicts of interest in alcohol control policies

Overview

Overwhelming evidence indicates that industry producing and selling unhealthy commodities have defeated, delayed, or weakened public policies’ design, implementation, and evaluation worldwide. Strategies used include interference in policy development, litigation, coalition-building through front groups and misusing knowledge or propagating misinformation. There are irreconcilable differences between governments’ goals, which include protecting and promoting people’s health and well-being and the goals of economic operators, which are to pursue private profit maximisation through increased alcohol consumption. Corporate social responsibility initiatives, narratives related to individual choices, moderate and responsible drinking and the co-option of public health researchers and universities to collaborate with alcohol industry-funded organisations may undermine the effectiveness of alcohol control policies. Evidence points to opportunities to reduce conflicts of interest, including using evidence to inform the development of alcohol control policies, disclosure of research funding and implementing national and regional policies that capitalise on opportunities presented through trade law and negotiations.

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 scan of 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, policymakers, government officials, researchers, civil society groups, consumer associations, the mass media and people new to alcohol research or practice.