RESET Five Country Polling Underscores Population-Level Desire for Policy Change
The RESET Alcohol Initiative recently completed a survey of more than 6,000 residents spanning five partner countries on people’s attitudes about alcohol harms and alcohol policy solutions.
Colombia, Kenya, the Philippines, Brazil and Mexico are the countries where the representative surveys were conducted.
The results are striking: People desire alcohol policy change.
- Between 61% and 78% of respondents from Colombia, Kenya and Mexico said they consider alcohol a major problem in their country.
- In the Philippines, Kenya and Colombia, of those who said alcohol consumption was a problem, more than 60% were most concerned about violence due to alcohol.
- In Brazil, 58% of respondents said alcohol companies should take responsibility for harms due to alcohol.
The poll results show that people want alcohol policy change.
People want to be protected from alcohol harms, in particular, road crashes and violence against women. The more urgently stakeholders from across the public health spectrum come together and take action for comprehensive alcohol policy, the sooner public concerns can be met with lifesaving action.
The RESET Alcohol Initiative supports countries to implement cost- effective policies to reset the alcohol environment, cut harms and raise revenues for positive social change.
Majority of people concerned about alcohol burden in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has a significant burden of alcohol harms. Alcohol causes thousands of deaths from noncommunicable diseases and injuries each year.
The survey found that there is a clear disconnect between the opinions of the public and their representatives.
An overwhelming 97% of the adults included in the survey stated that alcohol harm is a problem in the country. 79% of the people even believe that it is a major problem in the country.
61% of respondents said that alcohol consumption was a problem in the country despite being alcohol consumers themselves.
It is clear therefore that Sri Lankan society is desiring alcohol policy change.
Other key findings from the opinion survey
The opinion survey is a representative poll of the attitudes and knowledge of people in Sri Lanka concerning alcohol harm and policy solutions.
- There is a clear gender dimension in how alcohol is viewed in the country.
- 84% of all women believed that alcohol was an issue in the country while 76% of men believed the same.
- The largest concern about alcohol in the country is the link to domestic violence.
- 64% of respondents do not believe that current laws and regulations provide sufficient protection against alcohol harm.
- 39% of people say they have been exposed to alcohol advertising despite advertising bans in the country.
- 75% of survey respondents believe that alcohol taxation is an effective way of reducing alcohol consumption in Sri Lanka.
Results of opinion survey are a clear call for accelerating action on alcohol
There is a clear need and vast support for alcohol policy action in Sri Lanka, including raising taxes and protecting people better from alcohol advertising.
Making alcohol policy a national priority would benefit people, families, and communities across Sri Lanka. And it would benefit the economy and government budgets. Research cited at the Research Launch Event made the socioeconomic cost of alcohol harm clear.
The estimated value of economic cost due to alcohol harm in Sri Lanka in 2015 was USD 885.86 million, 1.07% of the GDP of that year.
Brazil: Public opinion, attitudes and support for government action on alcohol harm
The survey in Brazil reveals people’s grave concerns about alcohol harm, the price and presence of alcohol in communities, and people’s desire for policy action by the government.
People’s concerns about alcohol harm
Road and other injuries, domestic violence and liver disease are the leading alcohol-related concerns of people in Brazil.
- 93% of Brazilians recognize alcohol consumption as a concern.
- 46% of Brazilians are even identifying alcohol harm as a major societal problem.
- 93% said alcohol increases the risk of falls and injuries.
- 77% said alcohol increases the risk of stroke.
- 91%saidalcoholincreases the risk of liver diseases.
- 90%saidalcoholincreases the risk of homicides.
- 76% said alcohol increases the risk of heart disease.
People’s concern about alcohol prices, promotion and presence
The cheap price of alcohol, alcohol promotions, and the presence of alcohol in communities is a concern for many people in Brazil, as the survey shows:
- 93%believe alcohol is easy to buy.
- 67% consider alcohol relatively cheap.
- 78% would sign a petition that asks the government to address alcohol harms.
- 80% of parents and caretakers, especially women, express concern about the potential alcohol consumption of their children in the future.
- 59% strongly agree that this is a concern of theirs.
- 78% say alcohol advertising is widely seen to encourage youths to believe alcohol use is desirable or glamorous.
Support for government action, especially regarding alcohol taxation
- 77% see addressing the problems associated with alcohol as a government responsibility.
- 64% agree the government should remove any financial benefits given to the alcohol industry to help their business.
- 62% agree that higher taxation on alcohol would effectively help reducing consumption.
- 62% support alcohol price increases.
- 61% endorse taxes to reduce alcohol consumption.
Most Brazilians believe that the alcohol industry should be held accountable for the damage it causes, according to the survey.
- 65% believe that alcohol companies should not advertise at or sponsor events for youth such as sporting events or concerts.
- 65% think the industry interferes with alcohol policy.
- 63% don’t trust alcohol companies to tell the truth about alcohol harms.
- 58% of Brazilians believe that alcohol companies should take responsibility for the harms caused by alcohol.
Kenya: Public opinion, attitudes and support for government action on alcohol harm
The survey in Kenya reveals people’s grave concerns about alcohol harm, the price and presence of alcohol in communities, and people’s desire for policy action by the government.
Concerns about alcohol harm in Kenya
- 90% – the vast majority – of Kenyans, see alcohol as a problem.
- 78% of Kenyans consider alcohol consumption to be a major problem.
- 77% of Kenyans report that either they or someone they know has personally experienced negative
outcomes due to alcohol, in particular, car crashes, domestic violence, and unemployment. - 95% say alcohol increases the risk of child abuse.
- 91% say alcohol increases the risk of homicides.
- 91% say alcohol increases the risk of liver diseases.
- 89% say alcohol increases the risk of suicides.
- 89% say alcohol increases the risk of HIV/AIDS.
Support for government action, especially regarding alcohol taxes
There is widespread support in Kenya for raising the tax on alcohol if the proceeds are used to fund social goods.
- 88% see addressing alcohol harm as a government responsibility.
- 65% believe increases in taxes on alcohol products would be effective in reducing alcohol consumption.
- 86% said that their support for an alcohol tax would increase if the funds were used for education.
- 85% said that their support for an alcohol tax would increase if the funds were used for health care.
- 82% said that their support for a tax would increase if the funds were used for housing and to support the poor.
- 79% said that their support for a tax would increase if the funds were used for alcohol treatment andsupport services.
- 74% said policy action on alcohol can benefit the public.
Protecting Youth
There is clear support for alcohol policy solutions that addresses underaged alcohol use. Most parents and caregivers are extremely or highly concerned alcohol use by children:
- 93% are concerned about the availability of alcohol.
- 92% are concerned that advertising makes their child think consuming alcohol is desirable or glamorous.
- 90% are concerned about their child’s potential alcohol use in the future.
- 89% are concerned about the amount of alcohol advertising their child is exposed to.
- 82% said alcohol sales near schools encourage youth alcohol consumption.
- 76% said alcohol advertising near schools encourage youth alcohol consumption.
Alcohol industry accountability
- 70% believe alcohol companies should take responsibility for the harms caused by alcohol.
- 67% agree that governments should not give alcohol companies financial benefits.
- 65% don’t trust alcohol companies to tell the truth about alcohol harms.
Mexico: Public opinion, attitudes and support for government action on alcohol harm
The survey in Mexico reveals people’s grave concerns about alcohol harm, the price and presence of alcohol in communities, and people’s desire for policy action by the government.
People’s concerns about alcohol price and presence in communities
- 87% say alcohol is easy to buy.
- 75% say alcohol sold online makes it easy for those who are underage to buy it.
- 60% consider alcohol relatively cheap.
People’s concerns about alcohol harm
- 97% of Mexicans are concerned about violence against women fueled by alcohol.
- Overall, alcohol consumption is considered to be a major or moderate problem in Mexico by 94% of the population.
- 61% see it as a major problem.
- 68% of women see alcohol use as a major problem compared to 52% of men.
- 60% believe that Mexicans are unaware of the health harms of alcohol.
- 99% said alcohol increases the risk of liver diseases.
- 98% said alcohol increases the risk of violence against women/domestic violence.
- 96% said alcohol increases the risk of falls and injuries.
- 94% said alcohol increases the risk of crashes and road injuries.
- 91% said alcohol increases the risk of homicides.
- 89% said alcohol increases the risk of child abuse.
- 71% said alcohol increases cancers.
Support for government action, especially regarding alcohol taxes
The majority of Mexican people support government action on alcohol harm, with nearly 60% saying they would support a price increase on alcoholic beverages.
- 83% of Mexicans say that their support for taxes on alcohol would increase if revenue was directed toward social goods, particularly education or healthcare.
- 75% agree policy measures to reduce alcohol consumption would benefit both those who consume
- alcohol and those who do not.
- 70% see addressing the problems linked with alcohol as a government responsibility.
- 69% support reducing the hours that people can buy or consume alcohol.
- 69% support limiting advertising on TV, radio and social media.
- 65% are in favor of reducing the number of places where alcohol is sold or consumed.
Alcohol policy support for youth protection in Mexico
There is clear support for alcohol policy that addresses underaged alcohol consumption.
- 76% of people express concern about their children’s potential alcohol use in the future, with women being particularly concerned,
- 62% expressed strong concern compared to 53% of men.
- 67% support raising the legal minimum age for alcohol purchase and consumption.
Alcohol industry accountability
- 76% say exposure to alcohol advertising encourages youth initiation.
- 71% agree alcohol advertising can encourage youths to believe it is a desirable or glamorous to consume alcohol.
- 65% say alcohol companies shouldn’t advertise nor should they sponsor events for youth such as sporting events or concerts.
- 61% don’t believe the alcohol industry can be trusted to tell the truth about the harms of alcohol.
- 59% believe that the alcohol industry should take responsibility for the harm caused by alcohol.
Strong support for alcohol tax increases among world’s adult population
The RESET Alcohol Initiative surveys in Brazil, Colombia, Kenya, Mexico, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka provide unique insights into people’s concerns about alcohol harms and desire for alcohol policy action.
They are in line with findings from especially high-income countries, where surveys also routinely show strong public support for governments to take alcohol policy action.
And In 2021-22, the global polling company Gallup conducted an international representative survey of people’s perceptions of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors. The poll covered a variety of issues including awareness of the term ‘noncommunicable’; understanding of the diseases and risk factors; perceptions of harmfulness and agency in preventing the diseases; levels of public support for selected policy measures – such as alcohol taxation; and trust in different health information sources. The survey showed strong and broad support for alcohol tax increases among the world’s adult population.
Harm from NCDs and risk factors remains underrated
The global study illustrates that people under-estimate the harm caused by NCDs and their risk factors – especially concerning alcohol’s role in driving NCDs, such as cancer, heart disease, and others.
When people were asked to assess the risk of getting an NCD from using tobacco, alcohol, or consuming unhealthy foods or drinks (high in fat, salt, sugar) they expressed their understanding of the links between these health harmful products and NCDs.
| Colombia | India | Jordan | Tanzania | USA | |
| Tobacco products | 68% | 64% | 77% | 76% | 83% |
| Alcohol products | 56% | 63% | 78% | 68% | 44% |
| Regularly eating foods high in salt | 59% | 44% | 59% | 54% | 64% |
| Regularly eating foods high in fat | 64% | 47% | 72% | 67% | 72% |
| Regularly consuming high-sugar foods or drinks | 66% | 52% | 68% | 65% | 76% |
In two countries, Colombia and the United States, people were less aware of the link between alcohol and NCDs, compared to other risk factors.
In three countries, India, Jordan, and Tanzania, people were more aware of the NCDs risks due to alcohol than of the risk from unhealthy foods and drinks.
Awareness of the NCDs risk due by alcohol is lower than awareness of the NCDs risk due to tobacco in all countries.
This shows the importance of changing the pervasive alcohol norm in most countries and of increasing the public’s recognition of the real effects of alcohol.
But it also underscores the finding that people support alcohol policy change, such as raising alcohol taxes.
People support alcohol taxation and other NCDs Best Buys
The international survey shows that a broad majority of people from the five countries strongly supports all nine specific policies tested in the survey, such as incorporating more green spaces in urban health design and increasing taxes on tobacco and alcohol.
Alcohol taxation is the single most cost-effective alcohol policy solution to prevent and reduce alcohol harm. The data show that a broad majority overall and in each of the five countries support raising alcohol taxes.
- People broadly support increasing pro-health taxes.
- Higher taxes on alcohol and tobacco products receive similar levels of support (simple five-country averages of 69% and 66%, respectively), while 59% support higher taxes on high-sugar drinks.
Policy or regulatory measures that legally limit or prevent harmful practices of health harming industries, such as Big Alcohol, also receive substantial support. For example:
- Laws that limit actions such as smoking in public: simple five-country average of 69% support,
- Laws that would ban advertising of harmful high-sugar foods and drinks to children (72%), and
- Laws that would ban advertising of unhealthy foods, either ban the advertisement or promotion of the product or require processed fats to be removed from these types of foods (72%).
- Three policies that focus on empowering the public through such measures as creating healthy spaces like public parks, raising awareness via media campaigns and increasing access to health services all receive nearly universal support.
Download the fact sheets from Vital Strategies
RESET Sri Lanka: Public opinion, attitudes and support for government action on alcohol use
RESET Brazil: Public opinion, attitudes and support for government action on alcohol use
RESET Kenya: Public opinion, attitudes and support for government action on alcohol use
RESET Mexico: Public opinion, attitudes and support for government action on alcohol use
The RESET Alcohol Initiative
The RESET Alcohol Initiative brings together governments, civil society, research organizations and global public health leaders to advance the World Health Organization’s SAFER alcohol policy blue print, consisting of three alcohol policy “best buys” and two alcohol policy “good buys”, to prevent and reduce the health and social harms of alcohol.
The three best buys are high-impact, scientifically proven, cost-effective alcohol policy solutions: increasing alcohol taxation, reducing alcohol availability, and banning alcohol advertising, sponsorship, and promotion.
The initiative is focused on population-level, alcohol policy interventions that will create an environment conducive for healthy behaviors.
The RESET global technical partners are Vital Strategies, Movendi International, Johns Hopkins University Tobacconomics team, Global Alcohol Policy Alliance (GAPA), NCD Alliance, and the World Health Organization (WHO).
RESET Alcohol provides financial, technical, communications and advocacy support to governments, civil society organizations and research institutions, primarily in Latin America, Africa and Asia for health, social and economic gains.