Alcohol Taxation Advocacy Just Got a Major Upgrade: Introducing the Advocacy Launchpad

A New Engine for Alcohol Tax Reform

Today we’re excited to unveil a major new resource for alcohol taxation advocates worldwide: the Alcohol Taxation Advocacy Launchpad – a complete, people-powered advocacy system designed to make alcohol taxation advocacy values-based, evidence-informed, strategic, adaptable, and impactful.

It is from people and for people – highlighting broad public support, centring lived experiences, and amplifying the voices of communities demanding change. By equipping advocates and policymakers with cutting-edge resources and inspiring stories, it helps turn political will into policy action.

To bring life to the Alcohol Taxation Advocacy Launchpad, we hosted a global virtual event bringing together community leaders and public health experts from Sri Lanka, Brazil, Ghana, Vital Strategies, and Movendi International to share real-world insights, proven strategies, and political lessons for winning alcohol tax reforms.

This special newsletter brings insights, experiences, tools, and lessons together in one place.

Unlocking the Potential of Public Health-Oriented Alcohol Taxation

Alcohol taxation is the single most powerful alcohol policy solution. It delivers a quadruple win – preventing harm and reducing costs, generating sustainable revenue and strengthening economies, unlocking investments in public health and social programs, and promoting fairness and sustainable development.

But progress remains uneven. Alcohol industry interference, myths, and flawed narratives hold back alcohol taxation progress in many countries.

The Launchpad and the insights from our virtual event directly address these obstacles – and give advocates what they need to turn public support into policy change.

Introducing the Alcohol Taxation Advocacy Launchpad

A comprehensive new hub created from people and for people, the Alcohol Taxation Advocacy Launchpad brings together the strongest tools, evidence, and strategies from more than a decade of systematic global and national alcohol taxation advocacy.

Inside the Launchpad, you will find carefully curated tools and resources to help advocates drive alcohol taxation reform in any national context.

Movendi International has developed three resources to support countries and build capacity for civil society advocacy towards raising alcohol taxes – together the three resources illustrate the potential of raising alcohol taxes.

The Case For Alcohol Taxation

Launchpad Tools to Elevate Alcohol Taxation Advocacy

• State of the Art Alcohol Taxation Science
  • The Investment Case for Alcohol Taxation
  • WHO Support For Raising Alcohol Taxes
  • Alcohol tax model briefs and global design comparisons
• Countering industry myths without reinforcing their frames
• How to centre lived experiences and values-driven communication

What Advocates Can Take Away: Strategic Insights for National Alcohol Tax Reform

The Alcohol Taxation Advocacy Launchpad event brought together advocates and experts from Movendi International, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Ghana, and Vital Strategies to showcase cutting-edge tools and real-world strategies for winning alcohol tax reforms.
Speakers shared powerful lessons on values-based communication, coalition building, public support, and countering industry interference – offering profound insights that enrich and power the Launchpad to enable national action. The Launchpad now equips advocates worldwide to turn popular support into policy change and advance the quadruple win of alcohol taxation for health, sustainability, development, and social justice.

1. A Complete Advocacy Framework (Movendi International)

The Launchpad provides a full, integrated system for alcohol tax advocacy: global political context, evidence, tax models, country success stories, and a values-based narrative playbook. It equips advocates with ready-made tools to counter alcohol industry myths, align advocacy with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and ground reform in people’s lived realities.

2. Organising for Long-Term Impact (Sri Lanka)

Sri Lanka shows how strategically coordinated civil society leadership can move policy even in difficult political environments. Multi-level coalitions, youth mobilisation, clear roadmaps, proactive political mapping, and rapid responses to alcohol industry interference proved essential for achieving repeated alcohol tax increases.

3. Narrative Innovation and Political Agility (Brazil)

Brazil’s experience demonstrates how reframing alcohol taxation around health, justice, and sustainability makes it politically relevant. Simple public messages, rapid crisis response, proactive political mapping, and coalition building help seize major reform opportunities during national tax restructuring.

4. Evidence and Trust Move Finance Ministries (Ghana)

Ghana illustrates how local data on economic costs and harm burdens can shift decision-makers in finance and revenue authorities. Sustained engagement, credible evidence, and cross-sector coalitions delivered one of the region’s most significant alcohol excise tax reforms.

5. Public Opinion as Political Power (Vital Strategies)

Polling across countries shows serious and high public concern about alcohol harms and broad support for raising alcohol taxes. This evidence gives advocates a clear public mandate and powerful messaging cues – reinforcing that alcohol taxation is effective, fair, and popular.

Why This Matters for Advocates

Together, these insights offer:

1. A blueprint for high-impact alcohol tax advocacy,
2. A modern narrative system that resonates with people’s concerns and values,
3. Proven strategies for countering alcohol industry interference,
4. Practical lessons for coalition building and government and parliament engagement,
5. Public opinion evidence that elevates political confidence, and
6. Real-world proof that tax reform is both achievable and popular.

Take Action

This is what you can do practically now:

• Explore the Launchpad,
• Get in touch if you want to elevate your national advocacy strategy,
• Bring the evidence to your coalitions and decision-makers,
• Share the resource hub and event report widely, and
• Use public opinion data to build political confidence.

Alcohol taxation advocacy is gaining momentum – and now, with the Alcohol Taxation Advocacy Launchpad, it has the tools and insights needed to make real change.