title: How the alcohol industry relies on harmful use of alcohol and works to protect its profits.
abstract: The alcohol industry have attempted to position themselves as collaborators in alcohol policy making as a way of influencing policies away from a focus on the drivers of the harmful use of alcohol (marketing, over availability and affordability). Their framings of alcohol consumption and harms allow them to argue for ineffective measures, largely targeting heavier consumers, and against population wide measures as the latter will affect moderate drinkers. The goal of their public relations organisations is to 'promote responsible drinking'. However, analysis of data collected in the International Alcohol Control study and used to estimate how much heavier drinking occasions contribute to the alcohol market in five different countries shows the alcohol industry's reliance on the harmful use of alcohol. In higher income countries heavier drinking occasions make up approximately 50% of sales and in middle income countries it is closer to two-thirds. It is this reliance on the harmful use of alcohol which underpins the conflicting interests between the transnational alcohol corporations and public health and which militates against their involvement in the alcohol policy arena. [Caswell S, Callinan S, Chaiyasong S, Cuong PV, Kazantseva E, Bayandorj T, Huckle T, Parker K, Railton R, Wall M. How the alcohol industry relies on harmful use of alcohol and works to protect its profits. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:661-664].
authors: SHORE and Whariki Research Centre, College of Health, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors: Sally
authors: S
authors: Casswell
authors: Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, Department of Public Health, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Callinan
authors: Social Pharmacy Research Unit, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahasarakham University, Health Promotion Policy Research Center, International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand.
authors: Surasak
authors: S
authors: Chaiyasong
authors: Center for Injury Policy and Prevention Research, Hanoi School of Public Health, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors: Pham Viet
authors: PV
authors: Cuong
authors: Public Health, Research, Education and External Affairs Department, National Center of Mental Health of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
authors: Elena
authors: E
authors: Kazantseva
authors: Public Health, Research, Education and External Affairs Department, National Center of Mental Health of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
authors: Tsogzolmaa
authors: T
authors: Bayandorj
authors: SHORE and Whariki Research Centre, College of Health, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors: Taisia
authors: T
authors: Huckle
authors: SHORE and Whariki Research Centre, College of Health, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors: Karl
authors: K
authors: Parker
authors: SHORE and Whariki Research Centre, College of Health, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors: Renee
authors: R
authors: Railton
authors: SHORE and Whariki Research Centre, College of Health, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Wall
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000191:economics*; D016265:Conflict of Interest; D006291:Health Policy / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D040541:Marketing; D011050:Policy Making
keywords: alcohol industry; alcohol policy; harmful use alcohol