Alcohol industry and related vested interest

Global alcohol producers and their global brands of beer, spirits and wine are expanding to every corner of the world, searching for growth in emerging markets that are key to maximizing future profits. The enormous market power exercised by those global companies easily translates into political power on the state and global levels.  That power may be a formidable force impeding progress in the fight to reduce and prevent NCD.  As WHO Director General Dr. Margaret Chan said at the Health for All Conference in Helsinki in 2013, “Efforts to prevent non-communicable diseases go against the business interests of powerful economic operators. In my view, this is one of the biggest challenges facing health promotion.”

The first truly global beer company

New mega brewer will attack «hugely attractive markets» in the global South:

AB InBev + SABMiller = Newco

A lot of effort has been invested in bringing the merger of the two brewer giants AB InBev and SABMiller to a conclusion. The merger was confirmed on the 11th of November with a comprehensive press release. Apparently, less effort has been invested in finding a name for the new company which has been named… - Newco.

12. November 2015
Nicholas Christian CARAH

New report from Australia:

Alcohol producers break their own marketing codes at Facebook

Advertisers of alcohol brands at Facebook are clearly not complying with their current self-regulatory advertising codes, with many of its provisions being regularly breached. These breaches are from both the brands themselves and the responses elicited from their Facebook fans. This is the conclusion in a fresh report from Australia on Facebook marketing of alcohol.

28. May 2015
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Africa identified as new frontier for beer

The Dutch Radobank has pointed out Africa as the fastest growing beer market over the next five years. The report from the bank is meant to advise investors and brewers.

26. March 2014
Royal Stag reklame 140p

New report:

Alcohol Marketing and Regulatory Policy Environment in India

India’s alcohol consumption is increasing by 10-15 per cent per year, and among drinkers binge drinking is the dominating pattern. India is now one of the key emerging markets for the global spirits  industry.

06. March 2014
Grootman of laaitie Sør-Afrika 140p

Professor Sally Casswell, SHORE, New Zealand:

- Policy responses to alcohol marketing are urgently needed

The global exposure of young people to alcohol marketing requires an urgent policy response. Engagement by NGOs and governments independent from commercial interests is needed. This is the conclusion of Professor Sally Casswell in an article in the journal Addiction.

05. March 2014
Reklame-Madagaskar-180p

New report on alcohol advertising in Madagascar

The government of Madagascar has a legislative base to restrict alcohol marketing in the ‘Code Général de Impots’. However, alcohol producers and advertisers are breaking this law en masse, concludes a new EUCAM report from Madagascar.

13. December 2013
Michelob Ultra slim 180p

Alcohol companies direct their ads toward young women

If you are in doubt about the alcohol industry’s intention to make young, modern women alcohol consumers, this video clip with Dr. David H. Jernigan may be of interest. Through selected alcohol ads Dr. Jernigan shows how the industry use catchwords as organic, low-carb, natural and diet to attract female drinkers.

22. October 2013
Dr Chan Helsinki June 2013

WHO Director General Dr. Chan warns again against vested interests

“Efforts to prevent non-communicable diseases go against the business interests of powerful economic operators. In my view, this is one of the biggest challenges facing health promotion”, said Dr. Margaret Chan in her opening address to the Health for All conference in Helsinki.

14. June 2013
WHA Dr

World Health Organization to tackle non-communicable disease

The 66th World Health Assembly opened in Geneva today. One of the main issues is how the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCD) will be handled in the future. Referring to the difference between malaria and NCDs the Director General of WHO, Dr. Margaret Chan, in her opening speech stated that “Mosquitoes do not have front groups, and mosquitoes do not have lobbies.”

20. May 2013
Dr. Chan, WHO

Dr. Chan will protect alcohol policy from industry

WHO Director General, Dr. Margaret Chan, will protect alcohol policy making from commercial or vested interests of the alcohol industry. She welcomes an initiative by researchers and civil society organizations that keep careful watch over the behaviour of the alcohol industry.

15. April 2013