Introduction Key Messages Burden and Imperative Risks and "Benefits" The Alcohol Industry The Need for Policy Alcohol Policy Highlights
Finding Allies, Growing the Movement Lessons from Tobacco
Call to Action
 
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Civil Society Organizations should:  

  • Advocate for evidence-based, cost-effective, high-impact policy solutions at the local, national and international levels to prevent and reduce the harmful use of alcohol;

  • Build partnerships and coalitions across NCDs and alcohol control advocates at the national, regional and global level;

  • Educate the public and policymakers about the health, social and economic impacts of harmful alcohol use and the need for sound regulation and policymaking;

  • Hold governments accountable for global and national commitments to reducing alcohol-related harm;

  • Monitor and expose unethical business practices of the alcohol industry and its subversion of effective policy and implementation; and

  • Oppose corporate social responsibility activities that help the industry to minimize and deflect criticism and keep government regulation at bay.

Governments should:

  • Comprehensively implement WHO Best Buys interventions;

  • Make alcohol policy a priority, in light of the global and national burden;

  • Ensure the consideration of alcohol in all health policy approaches;

  • Consider the need for alcohol policy in relevant policy areas such as mental health, road safety, violence prevention and child well-being;

  • Coordinate the work of health ministries with other relevant ministries, as well as with civil society, to encourage effective alcohol policy measures without the influence of the alcohol industry;

  • Educate citizens about the dangers of the harmful use of alcohol;

  • Take the lead in implementing policies that reduce the harmful use of alcohol, rather than ceding responsibility to voluntary industry programs; and

  • Improve surveillance and monitoring systems on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm.

The World Health Organization and United Nations Agencies should:

  • Provide leadership on alcohol control and be the norm-setting agencies for policy making;

  • Provide countries with clear technical guidance on the most effective interventions for reducing the harmful use of alcohol;

  • Provide technical assistance to support national governments to strengthen their policies and regulatory approaches on the harmful use of alcohol;

  • Provide regular and timely status reports on alcohol harm and alcohol policy developments;

  • Share a global database of case studies, laws and regulations that countries have adopted in order to discourage overconsumption and the harmful use of alcohol; and

  • Oppose the development of partnerships with the alcohol industry in multilateral health and development efforts and guard against industry interference.