title: Public health, academic medicine, and the alcohol industry's corporate social responsibility activities.
abstract: We explored the emerging relationships among the alcohol industry, academic medicine, and the public health community in the context of public health theory dealing with corporate social responsibility. We reviewed sponsorship of scientific research, efforts to influence public perceptions of research, dissemination of scientific information, and industry-funded policy initiatives.  To the extent that the scientific evidence supports the reduction of alcohol consumption through regulatory and legal measures, the academic community has come into increasing conflict with the views of the alcohol industry.  We concluded that the alcohol industry has intensified its scientific and policy-related activities under the general framework of corporate social responsibility initiatives, most of which can be described as instrumental to the industry's economic interests.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030-6325, USA. Babor@nso.uchc.edu
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Babor
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Robaina
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000941:ethics*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000941:ethics*; D016265:Conflict of Interest; D019649:Food Industry / Q000941:ethics*; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health / Q000941:ethics*; D011641:Public Relations; D012941:Social Responsibility