SUMMER ALCOHOL ISSUES
June 01, 2021 – August 27, 2021
Three months worth of developments, news, and updates in the world of alcohol policy, science and Big Alcohol revelations carefully curated, and in addition to the Special Feature and dedicated section on alcohol and COVID-19 news.
The special summer edition’s Special Feature: Alcohol taxation
- In Nigeria, the World Bank recommends alcohol tax increases; and
- In Ghana, the International Monetary Fund recommends raising alcohol taxes;
- In the Philippines, new data illustrates the alcohol burden and the potential of alcohol taxation for Universal Health Coverage.
- The vast treatment gap for people with alcohol use disorder and addiction shows the importance of alcohol taxation.
The special summer edition’s round-up of “COVID-19 and alcohol” news:
- New evidence from England, Scotland, and the United States about rising alcohol use and harm during the pandemic;
- Latest insights into alcohol industry tactics to exploit the pandemic, for instance through ‘crisis washing’ and aggressive social media marketing, and how Big Wine has profited from COVID-19;
- And two stories from South Africa, showing diametrically opposed responses from the government and Big Alcohol.
This summer’s alcohol issues from our Policy Newsfeed cover:
In the European region,
- Understanding France’s high alcohol burden;
- The Netherlands’ new alcohol law to eliminate price promotions;
- Increasing alcohol availability in Sweden;
- Ireland’s alcohol affordability is fueling epidemic levels of alcohol harm;
- Scotland is seeing a 26 year low in alcohol sales due to minimum unit pricing; and
- A new WHO Europe highlighting alcohol policy as tool to prevent violence against children.
In the African region,
- Malawi’s alcohol traffic crashes caused by alcohol use; and
- South African communities calling for higher alcohol age limit amidst industry pressures.
In the Asia-Pacific region,
- Australia is facing the fact that alcohol causes cancer;
- In Sri Lanka an attempt to introduce online alcohol sales was blocked; and
- China’s government send the alcohol industry into fear of looming better alcohol control when they acknowledged the alcohol cancer link .
In the Americas region,
- Women in the U.S. are catching up to men’s alcohol use levels with catastrophic consequences;
- In Brazil, Big Alcohol’s front group is exposed as source of alcohol policy misinrofmation; and
- Better alcohol policies in Latin American countries are leading to reduced alcohol harm, including decreased liver disease.
This summer’s Big Alcohol Watch is revealing:
- An opinion article is exploring the alcohol norm and alcohol industry marketing strategies;
- How social media corporations and the alcohol industry exploit children’s data for profit maximization;
- Big Alcohol making profits from under-age alcohol use;
- Alcohol industry hijacking of pride month;
- Pro-football players taking action against Big Alcohol marketing during the Euro2020;
- Sexism in the Craft beer (and wider alcohol) industry; and
- How Big Alcohol exploited a single sentence in the WHO’s draft 2022-2030 global alcohol action plan to turn public opinion against the plan and WHO.
This summer’s most important alcohol issues from our Science Digest cover:
- A landmark study estimating the global cancer burden caused by alcohol;
- New research from Scotland and Wales showing the lasting impact of MUP;
- A study showing enhanced labeling of alcohol products would improve people’s recognition of alcohol’s risks; and
- Latest research showing the harms of early alcohol initiation.
Our Special Event Alert highlights:
- PAHO Webinar on “Alcohol and COVID-19 in the Americas” on August 30, 2021; and
- A webinar on “Protecting Alcohol Control Policies from Vested Interests” on September 3, 2021, co-organized by Movendi International with the Italian National Institute of Health, PAHO and the Department of Health Promotion at The WHO.
Alcohol Policy News
Europe
Asia-Pacific
Africa
The Americas
Latest Science Digest
Big Alcohol Watch
COVID-19 and Alcohol
The lethal interaction between alcohol and the coronavirus is well documented – both scientifically and empirically in how governments respond (or fail to address alcohol harm as vector of the pandemic).
This is an overview of latest developments and findings regarding alcohol use and harm during the pandemic, country responses and how the alcohol industry exploits the crisis for profit maximization.
Special Feature
Alcohol Taxation For Health and Development
In recent months, new scientific evidence and policy recommendations have further strengthened the case for and momentum towards better alcohol tax policies in countries around the world. Here is a carefully curated overview.
Special Event Alert
