Industry Guidelines

5.1 AREA 1: Leadership, awareness, and commitment

5.1 AREA 1: Leadership, awareness, and commitment

WHO position as outlined in the strategy
Sustainable action requires strong leadership and a solid base of awareness and political will and commitment. The commitments should ideally be expressed through adequately funded comprehensive and intersectoral national policies that clarify the contributions and division of responsibility of the different partners involved. The policies must be based on available evidence and tailored to local circumstances, with clear objectives, strategies, and targets. The policy should be accompanied by a specific action plan and supported by effective and sustainable implementation and evaluation mechanisms. The appropriate engagement of civil society and economic operators is essential.
Policy options outlined in the strategy
(a)    Developing or strengthening existing, comprehensive national and subnational strategies, plans of action, and activities to reduce the harmful use of alcohol
(b)   Establishing or appointing a main institution or agency, as appropriate, to be responsible for following up national policies, strategies, and plans
(c)    Coordinating alcohol strategies with work in other relevant sectors, including cooperation between different levels of governments and with other relevant health-sector strategies and plans
(d)   Ensuring broad access to information and effective education and public awareness programs among all levels of society about the full range of alcohol-related harm experienced in the country and the need for, and existence of, effective prevention measures
(e)   Raising awareness of harm to others and among vulnerable groups caused by drinking, avoiding stigmatization, and actively discouraging discrimination against affected groups and individuals
 
Brief comments from an industry perspective
The WHO position as outlined in the strategy provides an excellent summary of the key issues that need to be addressed with regard to leadership, awareness, and commitment. Of the policy options listed above, the alcohol beverage industry is well-placed to assist in particular with options (d) and (e). Industry has a long track record in many parts of the world of raising awareness about alcohol-related harm and the need for effective prevention measures. The potential exists for such activities to be expanded and for new activities to be developed, taking into account different cultural contexts and including robust evaluation mechanisms. Effective initiatives in this area are likely to include a clear focus on drinking patterns and their outcomes, and on targeted interventions that address specific “at-risk” groups; they should, where possible, be based on partnerships between the public and private sectors and other relevant stakeholder groups, working together toward an agreed common goal.   
How can industry members support this area of the strategy?
  • Endorsing and supporting the need for comprehensive national alcohol policies
  • Providing product information on label, online, or at point of sale (e.g., ABV, nutritional information)
  •  Including responsibility messages on label, on brand communications, at point of sale, or via consumer care lines
  • Supporting consumer education about the effects of alcohol
  • Supporting social marketing campaigns
  • Supporting targeted interventions focused on particular “at-risk” groups, e.g., young people or pregnant women
  • Hosting responsible-drinking websites
  • Introducing employee alcohol education initiatives in the workplace as part of broader employee alcohol policies
  •  Providing responsible-drinking displays and exhibits in producer-owned visitor centers
  • Producing and distributing “unit calculators” and “drink diaries”
 
What ICAP tools are available to support this work?

  What other tools are available?

 

Next - Section 5.2: AREA 2 Health services' response

Previous