Exposing the tactics of alcohol companies

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Moore AM
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
World Market ◽  
Alcohol Policy ◽  
Alcohol Industry ◽  
Members Of Parliament ◽  
The World ◽  
Prime Objective ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract Background The alcohol industry has taken a page from the tobacco industry play book in an attempt to resist regulation through delay, self-regulation and effective lobbying. The global alcohol industry is constantly seeking to increase sales of harmful products through widespread marketing, the targeting of young people, and resisting regulatory action. Methods An assessment of the number of lobbyists engaged in one form of another to influence members of Parliament in Australia is being conducted to provide an insight into the attempts to influence alcohol policy. This follows a scan of the lobbyists' register by Daube et al in 2018 that found the while the tobacco industry had 20 direct lobbyists and 14 indirect, the junk food industry 33 direct and 13 indirect, the most dominant was the alcohol industry with 43 direct and 23 indirect. A careful re-examination of the register in 2020 is expected to reveal an increase in these numbers. There will also be an examination of the State and Territory registers in an attempt to understand the overall numbers of people specifically attempting to influence governments. Discussion This particular examination is focussed on the Australian Parliament/s. However, the message will be similar world-wide. Companies such as Diageo have a significant share of the world market with net sales, for example, being 25% of scotch, 16% of beer and 11% of vodka. Their “Drinkiq” website claims “Diageo is committed to preventing and reducing alcohol abuse around the world”. However, other business websites illustrate that their prime objective is to sell more alcohol. Presentation The presentation will focus on the importance of countering the efforts of industry in increasing availability of alcohol. It will also provide a series of steps that public health advocates can take in order to persuade governments of the importance of protecting community health through appropriate regulation of the marketing and sales of alcohol. Key messages The alcohol industry seeks to increase sales while arguing it is protecting health. Public health advocates do have the tools to counter approaches by alcohol companies.

scholarly journals Junk food advocacy. Countering the industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Moore AM
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Corporate Responsibility ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
World Wide ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Regulatory Reform ◽  
Junk Food ◽  
Members Of Parliament

Abstract Background The junk food and alcohol industries have taken a page from the tobacco industry play book in an attempt to resist regulation through delay, self-regulation and effective lobbying. The junk food industry internationally is constantly seeking to increase sales at a time when the obesity crisis continues to grow. The industry thrives through widespread marketing with a particular focus on children. Methods An assessment of the number of lobbyists engaged to influence members of Parliament in Australia is being conducted to understand attempts to influence policy. This follows a scan of the lobbyists' register by Daube et al in 2018 that found the junk food industry had 33 direct and 13 indirect lobbyists. A re-examination of the register in 2020 is expected to reveal an increase in these numbers as international junk food companies become more concerned about regulation by government in areas such as front of pack labelling and marketing. There will also be an examination of the State and Territory registers in an attempt to understand the extent of influence in all governments across Australia. Discussion This examination is focused on the Australian Parliament/s. However, the message will be similar world-wide. Many companies have been challenged about their approaches to marketing and the sales of junk food. However, despite some attempt at corporate responsibility (Ronald McDonald House), they continue to sell their products to the detriment of community health. Presentation The presentation will focus on the importance and methods of countering the efforts of industry to increase availability of junk food by opposing regulation. It will also provide a series of steps that public health advocates can take in order to persuade governments of the importance of protecting community health through appropriate regulation of the marketing and sales of junk food. Key messages Junk food industry employs multiple lobbyists to resist regulatory reform. There are tools available for public health advocates to counter this influence.

A Framework Convention on Alcohol Control: Getting Concrete about Its Contents

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Robin ROOM ◽  
Jenny CISNEROS ÖRNBERG
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
Alcohol Industry ◽  
Alcohol Control ◽  
The World ◽  
Draft Convention ◽  
History Of ◽  
Supplementary Material ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Narcotic Drugs

This article proposes and discusses the text of a Framework Convention on Alcohol Control, which would serve public health and welfare interests. The history of alcohol’s omission from current drug treaties is briefly discussed. The paper spells out what should be covered in the treaty, using text adapted primarily from the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, but for the control of trade from the 1961 narcotic drugs treaty. While the draft provides for the treaty to be negotiated under the auspices of the World Health Organization, other auspices are possible. Excluding alcohol industry interests from the negotiation of the treaty is noted as an important precondition. The articles in the draft treaty and their purposes are briefly described, and the divergences from the tobacco treaty are described and justified. The text of the draft treaty is provided as Supplementary Material. Specification of concrete provisions in a draft convention points the way towards more effective global actions and agreements on alcohol control, whatever form they take.

Management of Conflicts of Interest in WHO’s Consultative Processes on Global Alcohol Policy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
June YY Leung ◽  
Sally Casswell
Keyword(s):  
Policy Development ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Global Strategy ◽  
Alcohol Policy ◽  
World Health ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Alcohol Industry ◽  
State Actors

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) has engaged in consultations with the alcohol industry in global alcohol policy development, including currently a draft action plan to strengthen implementation of the Global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol. WHO’s Framework for Engagement with Non-State Actors (FENSA) is an organization-wide policy that aims to manage potential conflicts of interest in WHO’s interactions with private sector entities, non-governmental institutions, philanthropic foundations and academic institutions. Methods We analysed the alignment of WHO’s consultative processes with non-state actors on "the way forward" for alcohol policy and a global alcohol action plan with FENSA. We referred to publicly accessible WHO documents, including the Alcohol, Drugs and Addictive Behaviours Unit website, records of relevant meetings, and other documents relevant to FENSA. We documented submissions to two web-based consultations held in 2019 and 2020 by type of organization and links to the alcohol industry. Results WHO’s processes to conduct due diligence, risk assessment and risk management as required by FENSA appeared to be inadequate. Limited information was published on nonstate actors, primarily the alcohol industry, that participated in the consultations, including their potential conflicts of interest. No minutes were published for WHO’s virtual meeting with the alcohol industry, suggesting a lack of transparency. Organizations with known links to the tobacco industry participated in both web-based consultations, despite FENSA’s principle of non-engagement with tobacco industry actors. Conclusion WHO’s consultative processes have not been adequate to address conflicts of interest in relation to the alcohol industry, violating the principles of FENSA. Member states must ensure that WHO has the resources to implement and is held accountable for appropriate and consistent safeguards against industry interference in the development of global alcohol policy.

THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE WTO TOBACCO PLAIN PACKAGING DISPUTES FOR PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES

2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 1011-1027
Author(s):  
Andrew David Mitchell ◽  
Theodore Samlidis
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
World Trade ◽  
Tobacco Industry ◽  
Plain Packaging ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Appellate Body ◽  
The World ◽  
Investment Law ◽  
Trade And Investment ◽  
Wto Agreements

AbstractAustralia became the first country to introduce standardised or plain packaging laws for tobacco products in 2011. However, they immediately came under direct and indirect challenge from the tobacco industry in various domestic and international fora, including at the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO-consistency of Australia's measures was not settled until June 2020, when the Appellate Body upheld two WTO panels’ earlier findings that Australia had acted consistently with its obligations under certain WTO agreements. This article critically analyses the Appellate Body's key findings and their implications for implementing other public health measures. It is shown that these implications are multifaceted, have political, practical and legal dimensions and are likely to reach beyond the WTO dispute resolution system's bounds into other international trade and investment law contexts.

scholarly journals Analysis of the market of international tourist services of Ukraine (for the period 2007-2017)

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 647-655
Author(s):  
Zoya V. Boyko ◽  
Natalia A. Horozhankina ◽  
Viktor V. Hrushka ◽  
Maxim V. Korneyev ◽  
Natalia A. Nebaba
Keyword(s):  
Government Regulation ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Tourism Development ◽  
World Market ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
The State ◽  
Necessary Condition ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Economic Significance ◽  
The World

The state of development of the tourism industry in Ukraine for the period 2007- 2017 is analyzed. It is established that it does not correspond to the existing potential of tourist resources, and the economic efficiency of the tourism industry is low. One of the main reasons for this situation is the lack of theoretical understanding of the socio-economic nature of tourism as a social phenomenon and its economic significance as a profitable industry. The tourism industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the world economy. This increases the competitiveness of countries and regions, creating new jobs and improving living standards. It is proved that self-regulation of the tourist market is a necessary condition for its functioning. The dynamics of export-import of tourist services of Ukraine is analyzed. There is a tendency to a slight increase in the cost of services in the last years of the study period. In the interaction “government regulation - market” the primary link is the market, and government regulation is a tool that provides the general conditions of its existence, equalizes the conditions of the start of its subjects and eliminates, if possible, the negative manifestations of the market element. The activities of the tourism industry in Ukraine are analyzed. There is a tendency to reduce the number of enterprises in the tourism industry in recent years of the study period. The rating of tour operators by the number of served tourists and by the reviews of tourists is analyzed. The place and role of the Ukrainian tourism business in the world market of tourist services has been identified. The situation on the world market of tourist services of Ukraine is considered and it is concluded that one of the favorable conditions for tourism development in Ukraine was the adoption of visa-free regime with EU countries, the tourist market gradually recovered after the crisis of 2014, and Ukrainians begin to conquer Europe. 2017 can be called the year of tourism development in Ukraine: the flow increased rapidly, and the number of permits for sale, according to the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine, increased by 36%. Citizens of Ukraine who went abroad formed the group that used the services of tourism entities the most. It was found that the largest number of tourism entities is concentrated in the city of Kyiv and in Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Odessa regions.

scholarly journals Recovery Ratios Reliably Anticipate COVID-19 Pandemic Progression

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan V. Nicolau ◽  
Alexander Hasson ◽  
Mona Bafadhel
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Predictive Models ◽  
Recovery Phase ◽  
Healthcare Systems ◽  
Epidemiological Models ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
The World ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Pandemic Wave ◽  
Gaining Insight

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic is placing unprecedented demands on healthcare systems worldwide and exacting a massive humanitarian toll. This makes the development of accurate predictive models imperative, not just for understanding the course of the pandemic but more importantly for gaining insight into the efficacy of public health measures and planning accordingly. Epidemiological models are forced to make assumptions about many unknowns and therefore can be unreliable. Here, taking an empirical approach, we report a 20-30 day lag between the peak of confirmed to recovered cases and the peak of daily deaths in each country, independent of the epoch of that country in its pandemic cycle. This analysis is expected to be largely independent of the proportion of the population being tested and therefore should aid in planning around the timing and easing of public health measures. Our data also suggests broad predictions for the number of fatalities, generally somewhat lower than most other models. Finally, our model suggests that the world as a whole is shortly to enter a recovery phase, at least as far as the first pandemic wave is concerned.

scholarly journals Alcohol industry strategies to influence the reform of the Finnish Alcohol Law

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 556-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Babila Sama ◽  
Heikki Hiilamo
Keyword(s):  
Research Question ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Alcohol Policy ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
The Public ◽  
Alcohol Industry ◽  
Preparation Phase ◽  
The Law ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the strategies used by the alcohol industry to influence the reform of the Alcohol Act in Finland during the preparation phase between 2016 and 2017. The study answers the following research question: what strategies were used by the alcohol industry to change the original purpose of the reform on alcohol in Finland? Method: Primary data were collected through 16 expert interviews with experts who had participated in the preparation of the alcohol reform in Finland, while secondary data were collected from prior literature, journal articles and Google databases. Results: The results identified three main political strategies used by the alcohol industry to influence the reform of the law on alcohol in Finland during the preparation phase between 2016 and 2017: “information”, under which the alcohol industry lobbied politicians in Parliament through Members of Parliament of the National Coalition Party due to the close ties between the two; “constituency building”, under which the alcohol industry formed alliances with interest groups in the grocery-retail business in Finland, to advocate for liberalisation of the law, as well as the use of social media – specifically Twitter – to lobby the public; and lastly, “policy substitution” to promote self-regulation. Conclusions: The results suggest that the involvement of the alcohol industry in political decision-making following Finland’s EU membership has given the industry legitimacy and new opportunities to influence alcohol policy, while limiting policies to protect the public from alcohol-related harms. The results may be useful to alcohol policy-makers.

Labor and Global Commodities: Introduction

2012 ◽  
Vol 81 ◽  
pp. 4-7
Author(s):  
Mae Ngai ◽  
Mary Nolan
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
World Market ◽  
Global Capitalism ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Industrial Countries ◽  
The World ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Productive Method

Conventionally defined, “global commodities” refer to raw materials and basic foodstuffs—sugar, bananas, cotton, coal, bauxite—that are extracted or grown in one area of the world and sold on the world market for industrial or consumer use elsewhere. Labor historians focusing on the point of extraction/production or tracking the production and circulation of specific global commodities have gained insight into the development of global capitalism, in particular relations between colonized and colonizer, developing countries and advanced industrial countries. From Sidney Mintz's Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History (1986) to Mark Kurlansky's Cod: The Biography of the Fish that Changed the World (1998) scholars and general readers alike have found in studies of a single commodity a productive method for understanding social relations in the making of the modern world.

scholarly journals Alcohol industry influence on UK alcohol policy: a new research agenda for public health

2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Hawkins ◽  
Chris Holden ◽  
Jim McCambridge
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Alcohol Policy ◽  
Alcohol Industry ◽  
New Research

scholarly journals Alcohol policy and public health

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 402-411
Author(s):  
Jason Luty
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Alcohol Problems ◽  
Alcohol Policy ◽  
Social Aspect ◽  
Education Industry ◽  
Vested Interests ◽  
History Of ◽  
Financial Power ◽  
Effective Public Health

SummaryAlcohol is the most commonly used recreational drug in the world and the third leading cause of preventable death. Alcohol consumption and alcohol problems have increased steadily over the past six decades. Methods likely to reduce alcohol problems (e.g. minimum pricing, restricting licensing hours and increasing the availability of alcohol treatment) tend not to be supported by the drinks industry. Methods favoured by the industry (e.g. public education, industry self-regulation and product warning labelling) are less effective or do not work. The recent history of alcohol policy clearly demonstrates how the financial power of industry can influence governments and undermine effective public health measures, for instance by lobbying, political donations, confusion marketing and creating fnancial vested interests by grants from industry-sponsored 'social aspect organisations'.

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