scholarly journals Tactics and practices of the alcohol industry in Latin America: What can policy makers do?

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ce Zhang ◽  
Maristela Monteiro
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Corporate Responsibility ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Alcohol Policy ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Alcohol Industry ◽  
Alcohol Marketing ◽  
Research Studies

Zhang, C. & Monteiro, M. (2013). Tactics and practices of the alcohol industry in Latin America: What can policy makers do? International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research, 2(2), 75-81-6. doi: 10.7895/ijadr.v2i2.95 (http://dx.doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v2i2.95)Aim: This paper describes the practices and tactics of the alcohol industry in Latin America, focusing on industry globalization and consolidation, implementation of research studies, marketing, and corporate responsibility initiatives, and discusses how these areas of influence may have an impact on alcohol policy development in this region.Design: The information provided here is drawn from an international literature review, news websites, and informal communications with officials in Ministries of Health and researchers from Latin America, and from annual reports and websites sponsored or maintained by major alcohol companies operating in Latin America.Setting: Latin America and Caribbean RegionFindings: Industry globalization and consolidation, implementation of research studies, marketing, and corporate responsibility initiatives are major activities of the alcohol industry in Latin America that can influence alcohol policy making.Conclusions: We conclude that implementing effective alcohol control policies is likely to fail if the influence and actions of the alcohol industry cannot be managed by policy makers in countries of this region. There is a need to increase knowledge of the alcohol industry’s role and actions and of its conflicts of interest with public health, and to build capacity across various sectors of government to implement effective policies, using clear rules for engagement. Research on alcohol marketing, corporate social responsibility practices and the industry’s influence on policy making should be a priority in emerging markets in general, but particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean.

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.

scholarly journals Commentary: The land of insurmountable opportunities

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-99
Author(s):  
Robert W. Denniston
Keyword(s):  
Drug Research ◽  
Free Market ◽  
The United States ◽  
Alcohol Policy ◽  
United States Government ◽  
Advocacy Groups ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Alcohol Industry

Denniston, R. (2015). Commentary: The land of insurmountable opportunities. The International Journal Of Alcohol And Drug Research, 4(2), 97-99. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v4i2.207Much is known about how to change alcohol policy to reduce harm, but despite the evidence little action has been taken at thenational level in the United States. Government officials have shown little interest in putting prevention research results to work.The influence of the alcohol industry on policy-makers combined with free market ideology has thwarted change despite theefforts of advocacy groups working to reduce harm. The role of the alcohol industry at the national and international level servesas a powerful deterrent to policy change.

scholarly journals Local Government Stakeholder Perceptions of Legitimacy and Conflict of Interest: The Alcohol Industry and the "Drink Free Days" Campaign in England

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Walls ◽  
Benjamin Hawkins ◽  
Anna Durrance-Bagale
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Alcohol Policy ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Alcohol Education ◽  
Alcohol Industry ◽  
Survey Responses

Background: Industry involvement in alcohol policy is highly contentious. The Drink Free Days (DFD) campaign (2018- 2019) run by Public Health England (PHE), an executive agency of government, and Drinkaware, an industry-funded ‘alcohol education charity’ to encourage middle-aged drinkers to abstain from drinking on some days was criticised for perceived industry involvement. We examine the extent to which the DFD campaign was supported by local-authority Directors of Public Health (DPHs) in England – which have a statutory remit for promoting population health within their locality – and their reasons for this. Methods: Our mixed-methods approach included a stakeholder mapping, online survey, and semi-structured interviews. The stakeholder mapping provided the basis for sampling survey and interview respondents. In total, 25 respondents completed the survey, and we conducted 21 interviews with DPHs and their local authority (LA) representatives. We examined survey responses, and coded free-text survey and interview responses to identify key themes. Results: While some respondents supported the DFD campaign, others did not promote it, or actively opposed it, due mainly to concerns about conflicts of interest and the legitimacy of industry involvement in the campaign. These were considered to undermine PHE’s independence and deflect attention from more important, evidence-based policy interventions such as alcohol pricing while conferring vicarious credibility on Drinkaware. We also found low levels of knowledge about alcohol-related harm, the effectiveness of different policies to address these and the policy-influencing strategies used by the alcohol industry. Conclusion: The findings highlight the dangers of industry partnership and potential conflicts of interest for government agencies and the ineffectiveness of the campaigns they run at local and national levels. They demonstrate the need for caution in engaging with industry-associated bodies at all levels of government and are thus of potential relevance to studies of other health-harming industries and policy contexts.

scholarly journals Public-private partnerships and the politics of alcohol policy in England: the Coalition Government’s Public Health ‘Responsibility Deal’

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Hawkins ◽  
Jim McCambridge
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Policy Decision ◽  
Alcohol Policy ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
Regulatory Regime ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Health Responsibility

Abstract Background The 2010–2015 Conservative-led Coalition Government launched their flagship Public Health Responsibility Deal (PHRD) for England in 2011; a year before their alcohol strategy. This co-regulatory regime placed alcohol industry actors at the heart of policy-making, but was viewed with scepticism by public health actors. This article examines the ways in which the PHRD structured the alcohol policy environment throughout this period, which included the rejection of evidence-based policies such as minimum unit pricing. Methods This article draws on 26 semi-structured interviews with policy actors (parliamentarians, civil servants, civil society actors and academics) in 2018. Respondents were identified and recruited using purposive sampling. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic coding. Results The PHRD shaped the context of alcohol policy development at Westminster throughout this period. It circumscribed the policy space by taking evidence-based measures not amenable to industry partnership off the agenda. While the PHRD created important opportunities for industry engagement with policy-makers, it undermined public health actors’ access to government, particularly following their withdrawal from the process. Moreover, the PHRD demonstrates the enduring appeal of partnership as a policy idea for governments, despite a lack of evidence of their effectiveness. Conclusions This study of the PHRD demonstrates the ways in which industry actors are able to influence policy through long-term relationship building and partnership working on policy decision-making. Whilst such partnership approaches may appear to have the potential to mitigate some of alcohol harms, they create fundamental conflicts of interest, and may undermine the very causes they seek to further.

Preventing and Managing Conflict of Interest in Nutrition Policy: Lessons for Alcohol Control Comment on "Towards Preventing and Managing Conflict of Interest in Nutrition Policy? An Analysis of Submissions to a Consultation on a Draft WHO Tool"

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Severi
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Of Interest ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Nutrition Policy ◽  
Alcohol Policy ◽  
World Health ◽  
Alcohol Control ◽  
Policy Debates ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
Industry Engagement ◽  
Health Organization

Ralston et al present an analysis of policy actor responses to a draft World Health Organization (WHO) tool to prevent and manage conflicts of interest (COI) in nutrition policy. While the Ralston et al study is focussed explicitly on food and nutrition, the issues and concepts addressed are relevant also to alcohol policy debates and present an important opportunity for shared learning across unhealthy commodity industries in order to protect and improve population health. This commentary addresses the importance of understanding how alcohol policy actors – especially decision-makers – perceive COI in relation to alcohol industry engagement in policy. A better understanding of such perceptions may help to inform the development of guidelines to identify, manage and protect against risks associated with COI in alcohol policy.

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.

Addressing the Crisis in Urban Water Access

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria A. Beard ◽  
Diana Mitlin
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Accurate Assessment ◽  
Water Access ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Policy Responses ◽  
Insufficient Attention ◽  
Global Data

This paper highlights challenges of water access in towns and cities of the global South and explores potential policy responses. These challenges are not new, although, we argue that they have been underestimated by policy makers due to a focus on global data, thus, resulting in decision makers paying insufficient attention to these problems. Policies need to be based on a more accurate assessment of challenges, specifically the need for continuous and affordable water service, and the need to provide services to informal settlements. We share findings from research on 15 cities across Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

A Study of the Alcohol Policy Development Process in the United States: Theory, Goals, and Methods

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 591-626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas K. Greenfield ◽  
Norman Giesbrecht ◽  
Lee Ann Kaskutas ◽  
Suzanne Johnson ◽  
Lynn Kavanagh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Development Process ◽  
The United States ◽  
Alcohol Policy ◽  
Policy Development Process

scholarly journals Insights from the evaluation of a provincial healthy eating strategy in Nova Scotia, Canada

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 1870-1878
Author(s):  
S Meaghan Sim ◽  
Sara FL Kirk
Keyword(s):  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Strategy Implementation ◽  
Canadian Province ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
Health Model ◽  
Document Review ◽  
Depth Interviews

AbstractObjectiveHealthy Eating Nova Scotia represents the first provincial comprehensive healthy eating strategy in Canada and a strategy that is framed within a population-health model. Five years after strategy launch, our objective was to evaluate Healthy Eating Nova Scotia to determine perceptions of strategy implementation and strategy outputs. The focus of the current paper is on the findings of this evaluation.DesignWe conducted an evaluation of the strategy through three activities that included a document review, survey of key stakeholders and in-depth interviews with key strategy informants. The findings from each of the activities were integrated to determine what has worked well with strategy implementation, what could be improved and what outputs have resulted.SettingThe evaluation was conducted in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.ParticipantsParticipants for this evaluation included survey respondents (n 120) and key informants (n 16). A total of 156 documents were also reviewed.ResultsSignificant investments have been made towards inter-sectoral partnerships and resourcing that has provided the necessary leadership and momentum for the strategy. Policy development has been leveraged through the strategy primarily in the health and education sectors and is perceived as a visible success. Clarity of human resource roles and funding within the context of a provincial strategy may be beneficial for continued strategy implementation, as is expansion of policy development.ConclusionsKnown to be the first evaluation of its kind, these findings and related considerations will be of interest to policy makers developing and implementing similar strategies in their own jurisdictions.

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