Media Snapshots

“At the 8th Global Alcohol Policy Conference in Brazil, PAHO Highlights Equity and Strategic Actions to Reduce Alcohol Use”

PAHO reports:

“The 8th Global Alcohol Policy Conference discussed the commercial determinants of alcohol harm and the responses of governments and civil society. PAHO participated in the dialogues addressing topics such as the importance of equity in the implementation of effective policies, increasing taxes on alcoholic beverages, limiting advertising – especially in digital environments – controlling availability, and advancing warning labeling.

“The SAFER strategies include strengthening limitations on alcohol availability; advancing and enforcing drink-driving countermeasures; expanding access to screening, brief interventions, and treatment; implementing comprehensive bans or limitations on alcohol advertising, sponsorship, and promotion; and raising alcohol prices through taxes and pricing policies.”

Assessment

The 8th Global Alcohol Policy Conference, held 7–10 April in Rio de Janeiro, brought together researchers, policymakers, and civil society from across the world under the theme of commercial determinants of alcohol harm. The conference was co-hosted by GAPA, ACT Brazil, Vital Strategies, Abead, and Brazil’s Ministry of Health and Ministry of Justice, reflecting the country’s relevance as a venue where major alcohol policy battles are currently playing out.

PAHO’s intervention is notable for its comprehensive scope, explicitly naming all five components of the WHO’s SAFER initiative and highlighting the digital environment as a frontier for advertising bans.

For alcohol policy advocates, the framing around equity is particularly important: it elevates the case that alcohol harm disproportionately affects lower-income populations and that effective alcohol policy needs to address these disparities.

“Vigitel 2024 Results Show the Need for More Robust Policies to Discourage Use of Harmful Products”

ACT Promoção da Saúde reports:

“Heavy episodic alcohol use (four or more doses for women or five or more doses for men on the same occasion) rose in the Vigitel historical series, from 15.7% in 2006 to 20.4% in 2024. This increase was driven primarily by women, whose rate doubled, from 7.8% (2006) to 15.7% (2024). Among men, the variation was not significant, with the average remaining at a high level (25% in 2006 and 25.9% in 2024).

“The Vigitel results show that Brazil needs more effective policies to meet the targets of the DANT Plan 2021–2030, which aims to control chronic non-communicable diseases. Current trends in heavy episodic alcohol use, smoking, and recommended consumption of fruit and vegetables are all falling short of what is needed.”

Assessment

The Vigitel 2024 findings paint a clear picture: heavy episodic alcohol use in Brazil is growing, and the increase among women is particularly stark. A doubling of the rate over 18 years, from 7.8% to 15.7%, reflects what decades of research have documented: as alcohol industry actors expand marketing toward women, consumption patterns shift accordingly.

ACT’s analysis is direct: Brazil’s current policy settings are insufficient to meet the country’s own NCD reduction targets.

For alcohol policy advocates, this data strengthens the case for ambitious Selective Tax rates on alcohol and for comprehensive advertising bans – including beer, which currently does not need to abide by any marketing standards despite accounting for 90% of the Brazilian alcohol market.

As ACT itself notes, in line with the Ministry of Health and international evidence, there is no safe level of alcohol use.

“Tax Reform Provides for Extra Tax on Alcoholic Beverages”

Diário do Grande ABC reports:

“Bars, restaurants and food-service establishments need to prepare for a change that comes with the tax reform: from 2027, alcoholic and sugary beverages will be taxed by the Selective Tax (IS), created to impose levies on products considered harmful to health and the environment. The direct impact should be felt both in pricing and in the sector’s profit margins.

“The warning comes from tax consultant Bianca Souza, of ACOM Sistemas. She explains that the IS is a single-stage tax and does not generate tax credits, unlike the IBS and CBS, the other two taxes created by the reform. In practice, this means that products subject to the tax tend to accumulate a higher cost along the production chain.”

Other Articles on Same Topic

• The “Sin Tax” and the New Business Logic in Brazil (Diário do Norte)

Assessment

These articles reflect a growing volume of media coverage about Brazil’s forthcoming Selective Tax (Imposto Seletivo) on alcohol. But the framing deserves close attention:

• Both pieces centre the perspective of businesses and tax consultants, emphasising compliance burdens, price uncertainty, and operational complexity.
• The Diário do Norte column goes further, characterising the tax as an example of excessive state intervention.

Absent from either article is any mention of the public health benefits: the approximately 12 alcohol deaths per hour in Brazil, the R$18.8 billion annual cost of alcohol harm to the health system, or the evidence that pro-health taxes are among the most cost-effective tools to prevent and reduce alcohol harm.

The timing matters. The Selective Tax rates for alcohol have not yet been defined – they will be set by ordinary law, with the bill expected to be submitted to Congress imminently. By saturating the media discourse with concern about costs before rates are even announced, a narrative environment is being constructed that favours the lowest possible rates – precisely the outcome sought by Ambev (owned by AB InBev), Heineken, and their lobby groups SINDICERV and ABBD.

This coverage pattern underscores the need for proactive media engagement as the rate-setting bill approaches Congress. This moment is an opportunity to ensure the public discourse reflects what these articles omit: the reality that people are concerned about alcohol harm and support raising alcohol taxes, the magnitude of alcohol harm in Brazil, the evidence that well-designed alcohol taxes save lives and generate revenue for the common good, and the fact that the alcohol industry’s concern is only about protecting their private profit margins.

“If the Law Is Approved, the Tax Burden on Alcoholic Beverages Would Increase Significantly”

Infobae Colombia reports:

“If the law is approved, the tax burden on alcoholic beverages would increase significantly: the tax would go from 5% to 19% for spirits, wines, aperitifs and similar beverages … with a specific component of $750 per degree of alcohol and an ad valorem of 30% on the sale price.”

“Minister of Finance Germán Ávila confirmed the bill will be filed on 20 July.”

Other Articles on the Same Topic

• The Ministry of Finance has confirmed that it will introduce tax reforms to raise $16 billions (La Republica)
• Petro confirmed that, following the Constitutional Court’s ruling, he will introduce a new financing bill (La Republica)
• These were the Constitutional Court’s grounds for overturning the economic emergency (El Espectador)
• Parliament responds to President Petro’s new tax reform proposal (El Espectador)
• New funding bill would reinstate a surcharge on the financial sector and a tax on spirits (La Republica)
• President Gustavo Petro announces new tax reform, drawing criticism from the Conservative Party (El Espectador)

Assessment

The proposed financing law represents the Petro government’s third attempt to reform Colombia’s alcohol tax system – and the first to take the constitutionally mandated legislative route since the original reform failed in Congress in December 2025. The subsequent emergency decree (Decree-Law 1474), which introduced the same tax structure by executive order, was struck down by the Constitutional Court in April 2026, with six of nine justices ruling that a congressional rejection does not justify emergency powers. The government must now secure a legislative majority for measures it has twice failed to enact – but the policy substance remains strong.

The new attempt of the Petro government indicates progress in Colombia public health advocates and scientists to inform the political discourse about the benefits of raising alcohol taxes: preventing harm, lowering costs, and raising revenue.

The proposed structure would bring Colombia significantly closer to an evidence-based alcohol taxation model:

• raising VAT from 5% to 19% on spirits, wines, and aperitifs,
• combined with a specific component of COP 750 per degree of alcohol, and
• a 30% ad valorem rate.

The mixed specific-plus-ad-valorem approach is particularly important: it taxes both alcohol content and product value, reducing incentives for producers to shift consumers toward cheaper, higher-strength products.

The Petro government has struggled to build congressional majorities throughout its tenure, and the original tax reform was defeated not because of opposition to alcohol taxation specifically but because of broader fiscal and political disagreements in a deeply polarised legislature. With the presidential election approaching, the window between the 20 July filing date and the end of the legislative term is extremely narrow, and opposition parties have little incentive to hand the outgoing government a major policy win. The Partido Conservador and Centro Democrático are already framing the bill as an electoral manoeuvre – a narrative that risks overshadowing the strong fiscal and public health case for reform.

But recognition of the popular support for raising alcohol taxes is also an indicator of progress in shaping the information environment around alcohol harm and policy discussions.

Still, the immediate legislative prospects are uncertain – but the longer-term trajectory is clear. Each successive attempt has moved the debate forward, and the core tax design is now well-developed, evidence-backed, and publicly supported. Regardless of whether this particular bill passes before elections, advocates can use the period ahead to ensure that modern, evidence-based alcohol taxation remains a ready-to-implement priority for whichever government takes office next.

“Senate Proposes Clear Labels on Alcoholic Beverages”

LaSalud.mx reports:

“In the Senate of the Republic, the Legislative Forum ‘Labeling of alcoholic beverages in Mexico to improve health’ was held, where specialists, legislators, and representatives of international organisations agreed on the need to strengthen alcohol regulation through visible and comprehensible warnings on packaging. The gathering, convened by Senator Alejandra Barrales, brought together key public health actors, who warned of a regulatory gap spanning decades vis-à-vis the alcohol industry.

“During the forum it was highlighted that alcohol use is associated with approximately 40,000 deaths annually in Mexico, and that around 20% of traffic crashes are linked to its use.

“María Elena Medina Mora, coordinator of UNAM’s Emotional and Psychological Health Support Unit, stated that labeling constitutes an evidence-based public health intervention. She highlighted that alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, comparable to tobacco, and that the absence of visible warnings represents a significant omission in consumer protection.”

Other Articles on Same Topic

• Mexico Senate Weighs Cancer Warnings on Alcohol Labels (Vinetur)
• Specialists and civil society urge Senate to establish warning labels on alcoholic beverages (Crónica Regional)
• Senators call for warning labels on alcoholic beverages (Milenio)
• Experts and activists demand clear warning labels on alcoholic beverages from the Senate (Diario de México)
• Could alcoholic drinks carry cancer warnings on their labels? (Infobae)

Assessment

The Senate forum represents a significant step in Mexico’s alcohol policy landscape because it brings the country’s labeling debate firmly into the legislative arena, backed by international health organisations and prominent national researchers. The proposal to reform Article 218 of the General Health Law – replacing the current vague warning that “abuse in the consumption of this product is harmful to health” with pictogram-based cancer warnings – would close a glaring regulatory gap. Mexico already has successful precedents: mandatory health warning labels were introduced on tobacco products in 2010 and on ultra-processed food in 2020, both of which have been shown to shift purchasing behaviour. That alcohol has been exempt from equivalent transparency and information requirements exposes the enduring influence of alcohol industry actors in shaping Mexico’s response to alcohol harm.

The evidence presented at the forum is compelling. ENCODAT 2025 data confirm that approximately 4.4 million adolescents aged 12–17 have already begun using alcohol, with an average age of first use as low as 13.2 years among students. The PAHO/WHO adviser Vivian Pérez noted that fewer than one third of adults in countries like the United Kingdom recognise the link between alcohol and cancer – a knowledge gap that directly reflects the absence of effective labeling. The fact that alcohol is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the WHO, in the same category as tobacco and asbestos, makes the current omission on Mexican labels not just a policy gap but a failure to protect people’s fundamental right to know about the risks and harms of alcohol consumption.

The forum was convened by Senator Alejandra Barrales in partnership with Salud Justa Mx, one of the civil society organisations at the centre of Mexico’s growing alcohol policy advocacy. The forum’s consistent emphasis on the right to information – the right to know what one is consuming – is a strong and constructive frame. It positions labeling reform as a Human Rights-based consumer protection measure grounded in evidence and aligns with how effective labeling campaigns have been framed internationally.

The strategic opportunity is now to ensure this legislative momentum translates into a concrete reform of Article 218 that meets evidence-based standards: front-of-package placement, rotating pictograms including cancer warnings, and mandatory application across all alcohol product categories.

The forum has laid the groundwork. The next step is to ensure the proposal advances through Senate committees without being diluted or derailed by alcohol industry lobbying.

“Will Alcohol Be Sold at the World Cup? Mexico Enters Final Preparation Phase”

Cadena Política reports:

“At the Fan Fest in Mexico City’s Zócalo there will be alcohol restrictions. In stadiums, rules will depend on local laws,” confirmed Gabriela Cuevas, the Mexican Government’s coordinator for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Assessment

Deferring stadium alcohol sales to “local laws” and FIFA coordination effectively hands decision-making power to the very actor with the deepest commercial interest in expaning the presence of alcohol in Mexican communities. FIFA has a well-documented track record of doing the dirty work for beer giant AB InBev – a major sponsor of the football tournament – including pressuring Brazil in 2014 to repeal a successful stadium alcohol ban and lobbying Qatar in 2022 to suspend its alcohol laws.

In Mexico, the leverage is compounded by the government’s decision to grant FIFA a full tax exemption for the tournament – meaning alcohol sales at World Cup venues will generate revenue for AB InBev but not for Mexico’s public finances. This leaves the country in an even bigger minus with costs for alcohol harm dwarfing current receipt from alcohol taxes.

The confirmation of alcohol availability limitations at the Zócalo Fan Fest is a positive step, but inconsistency across venues is precisely the kind of gap that the alcohol industry exploits. Research from the 2018 World Cup showed that FIFA sponsorship arrangements completely circumvented national advertising standards, exposing millions of viewers – including children – to alcohol promotions. With Barclays projecting beer sales increases of up to 10% in host cities, the commercial stakes for the alcohol industry are enormous.

A legislative proposal in Mexico City’s Congress to limit alcohol and unhealthy food advertising at sports events deserves amplification and broader support. The precedent set in Mexico will matter: how the 2026 World Cup handles alcohol will likely shape the framework for mega-events across the region for years to come.

“Latin American Coalition Demands Gender-Responsive Alcohol Policies at GAPC 2026”

Es Periodismo MX reports:

“‘We cannot speak of effective alcohol policies if we ignore the differentiated impact that alcohol use has on women and girls. Our participation in GAPC 2026 is to make governments understand that regulation of advertising and availability must include a gender approach that protects the most vulnerable populations from the predatory tactics of the industry’, said Yahaira Ochoa, Salud Justa Mx”

Other Articles on Same Topic

• Latin America Raises Its Voice at the 8th Global Alcohol Policy Conference (Revista FactorRH)
• There is an urgent need to curb interference by alcohol companies * Calls are being made for public policies free from conflicts of interest (Página Ciudadana)
• Alcohol consumption exacerbates social divisions in the region (América Latina y el Caribe)
• Warn of lax regulation of alcoholic beverages (One Noticias)

Assessment

The joint intervention by CLAS, ALASA, and Salud Justa Mx at GAPC 2026 elevates two advocacy priorities that directly apply to Mexico: blocking alcohol industry interference in policymaking and using fiscal measures to counter aggressive alcohol marketing – including the “pinkwashing” of alcohol products targeting women.

Salud Justa Mx’s research documenting how the alcohol industry designs products and campaigns to link alcohol with female empowerment and socialisation reinforces the case for comprehensive standards to protect people from alcohol, including a gender lens.

The timing matters. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to intensify alcohol marketing exposure across Mexico, and the OECD now identifying alcohol tax reform as a practical tool to strengthen Mexico’s public finances, the coalition’s call to strengthen fiscal frameworks through the RESET Alcohol Initiative aligns with a growing body of international evidence.

For alcohol policy advocates, this is an opportunity to keep pressure on Congress to reopen IEPS reform and to advance comprehensive protections against alcohol marketing – connecting the gender frame to the broader fiscal and public health case.

“Sheinbaum Announces Sponsorship to Broadcast World Cup 2026 Matches in States and Over 35,000 Businesses”

Infobae reports:

“President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed a new alliance with Grupo Modelo focused on expanding the reach of the World Cup 2026 across the country, so that millions of people can enjoy the tournament even outside the stadiums. The announcement includes mass match broadcasts across the country, as well as direct support for thousands of small businesses.

“During the morning press conference, Grupo Modelo president Daniel Cocenzo explained that the company will implement a series of actions to support the initiative promoted by the federal government ahead of the World Cup. The executive recalled that the company had already announced a major economic investment for Mexico in recent years, and explained that part of those resources would be directed at projects to strengthen the social and economic impact of the World Cup within the country.”

Other Articles on Same Topic

• Grupo Modelo Will Give Away 500 Tickets for World Cup 2026 and Equip 35,000 Businesses With Screens and Fridges (Expansión Política)
• The Government and Grupo Modelo Will Give Away 500 Tickets for World Cup Matches Played in Mexico (El País México)

Assessment

This event is a textbook case of industry capture. The president of Mexico’s most powerful alcohol company was given a slot at the country’s highest-profile government platform – the daily presidential press conference – to promote a campaign that will place alcohol branding in public spaces across all 32 states and embed AB InBev products in 35,000 neighbourhood businesses through company-supplied screens, refrigerators, and furniture.

The 500 free World Cup tickets, the mobile viewing screens, and the “Mundial Social” framing all serve to position Grupo Modelo as a partner in national development – exactly the kind of social legitimacy that Big Alcohol seeks to disguise the harm they cause and shield themselves from evidence-based alcohol policy.

The close relationship between the Sheinbaum government and AB InBev has been on display previously. Cocenzo referenced a $3.6 billion investment announcement made at the same presidential press conference a year earlier. This pattern – a sitting president repeatedly hosting Big Alcohol executives at official government events – represents a fundamental conflict of interest, particularly at a moment when Mexico’s legislature is actively debating alcohol warning labels, civil society is advocating for advertising bans, and the government has already excluded alcohol from its pro-health tax package despite evidence from the World Bank and OECD that reform would benefit both people’s health and public finances.

As Big Alcohol Exposed has documented, AB InBev is executing its most aggressive World Cup alcohol marketing campaign yet – and in Mexico, the government itself is acting as a facilitator.

“FG cuts vehicle tariffs, imposes new duties on drinks, tobacco”

Punch reports:

“The government also approved excise duties on non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, and tobacco products, alongside a Green Tax Surcharge expected to take effect from July 1, 2026.”

“A grace period of 90 days commencing from the date of this circular is hereby granted to all importers, manufacturers, and service providers before the implementation of the new excise duty rates.”

“FG approves 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures, cuts tariffs on cars, others”

Premium Times reports:

“The Policy Measures are for the implementation of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) 2022–2027 and excise duties on non-alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages, cigarettes and tobacco products, as well as Green Tax Surcharge.”

Assessment

The inclusion of alcohol in Nigeria’s 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures is an encouraging development. For years, alcohol excise tax reform has stalled despite mounting evidence of alcohol harm and repeated calls from civil society organisations and international institutions. That the Federal Government has now formally approved a new alcohol excise tax schedule – with rates that do increase over a three-year horizon – represents a policy step in the right direction and a foundation that advocates can build on.

At the same time, the rates themselves are set too low to meaningfully reduce alcohol affordability and harm:

• At the current exchange rate of approximately ₦1,360 per dollar, the beer excise of ₦72 per litre amounts to roughly $0.05 – a negligible price signal by any global standard.
• Nigeria experienced annual inflation of 31.4% in 2024 and inflation is still running at approximately 15% in early 2026, yet the new specific rates do not represent a meaningful step up from the preceding schedule.
• The three-year schedule locks in fixed nominal amounts with no automatic inflation adjustment, meaning the real value of the tax will decline every year.
• By 2028, the beer rate of ₦80 per litre will be worth significantly less in real terms than ₦72 is today.

The World Bank’s own assessment remains relevant. Under a $750 million reform programme, the World Bank has tied part of its funding to Nigeria issuing a presidential order to raise alcohol excise duties. As recently as May 2025, the Bank warned that Nigeria’s excise rates on alcohol remain “very low” and that the required reform had not yet been adopted. This circular does not appear to meet that threshold.

Nigeria’s 2026 excise schedule presents both an opportunity and a cautionary example. The fact that alcohol excise reform is now on the government’s agenda marks genuine progress. The alcohol tax reform initiative comes at a moment when Nigeria’s broader alcohol policy landscape is active, with NAFDAC defending its sachet alcohol ban against alcohol industry interference.

But the excise schedule also illustrates a pattern seen across several countries: governments announce “new” alcohol taxes that in practice maintain alcohol affordability when measured against inflation and income growth. The advocacy priority now is to make the case for alcohol tax rates set at levels that meaningfully reduce affordability, with automatic inflation adjustment built into the schedule – benchmarks that the alcohol policy best buys clearly define, and that this first step falls short of, but that are now within closer reach.

Annex IV rate schedule (from the 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures circular, 1 April 2026)

“Sobering Truth: South Africa Among Global Leaders in Boozing Decline”

Sunday Times reports:

“‘30% of South African consumers say they intend to reduce their alcohol intake, nearly double the global figure of 17%,” according to Worldpanel by Numerator. “This is not a short-term dip. It’s a long-term shift. South Africans are becoming more intentional about when and why they drink,’ said Nick Barrett, Worldpanel by Numerator South Africa country manager. “Brands that respond early to these changing occasions will be best placed to capture growth.”

Other Articles on Same Topic

• South Africa Among Global Leaders in Shift Away From Alcohol (Business Day)
• South African Drinking Habits: ‘Zebra Striping’ and Other Reasons We’re Boozing Less (SA People)

Assessment

The data is worth noting, but requires context. Worldpanel by Numerator is a consumer panel firm serving the fast-moving consumer goods industry, including alcohol companies, and the article is framed as guidance for brands seeking to “capture growth” in the low- and no-alcohol segment. It is not a public health assessment.

The reported decline in alcohol volumes also coincides with a broader cost-of-living squeeze – overall beverage volumes fell 5.2% in Q4 2025 as households cut discretionary spending – suggesting that economic pressures rather than pro-health behaviours are driving reduced purchasing. As Maurice Smithers from Working for an Alcohol Safer South Africa has noted, there remains a significant gap between consumers’ stated intentions and their actual behaviour.

The alcohol industry’s response to this trend deserves scrutiny. Major alcohol producers such as AB InBev and Heineken are aggressively expanding their no- and low-alcohol portfolios and will inevitably claim credit for declining alcohol use through their “responsible drinking” campaigns – even though no- and low-alcohol products still account for less than 2% of total beer sales globally. This is a legitimacy play: alcohol companies seek to position themselves as part of the solution to a problem their core business creates, using a trend driven by economic pressures and independent health awareness to lobby against effective alcohol policy solutions.

At the same time, branded no- and low-alcohol products such as Heineken 0.0, Budweiser Zero, and Corona Cero function as surrogate marketing vehicles for their alcoholic parent brands – keeping brand logos, colours, and associations in front of consumers, including in sports sponsorship contexts such as Corona Cero’s Olympic partnership, Heineken 0.0’s Formula 1 deal, and AB InBev’s $7.2 billion marketing push around the 2026 World Cup, where alcoholic product advertising would otherwise face limitations.

Nevertheless, the underlying direction is significant. Whether motivated by health awareness, economic pressure, or both, the trend confirms that South Africans do not want cheap, widely available alcohol to socialise and participate in public life – a narrative the alcohol industry has long pushed to resist evidence-based policy measures.

For alcohol policy advocates, this is an opportunity to make the case that government action should accelerate the shift that is already underway. Above-inflation alcohol excise tax increases, comprehensive advertising bans that cover no- and low-alcohol brand extensions, and alcohol availability limits would promote the population health benefits.