The World Health Organization has watered down its language on alcohol in a new United Nations health agreement, following months of heavy lobbying by the global drinks industry, delivering a much needed win for the global drinks industry.
The agreement, adopted on Sept. 25, sets targets for tackling non-communicable diseases linked to alcohol use. An earlier draft released in May included tougher measures such as tax increases, supply restrictions, and mandatory cancer warning labels — proposals backed by the WHO. But those provisions were stripped from the final text, leaving only references to the “harmful use of alcohol” instead of a blanket ban of all alcohol use.
On its website, the WHO continues to warn that harmful drinking raises the risk of death from non-communicable diseases. A Sept. 18 press release still urged governments to tax tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks as cost-effective solutions. Earlier this summer, the agency went further, calling for health taxes that would raise the real prices of such products by at least 50% by 2035.
Reuters reported that the weakening of the final agreement came after strong lobbying from alcohol producers, including Belgium’s beer industry, Mexico’s tequila makers, and multinational brewer Heineken. Industry representatives argued that the science was more complex and cited studies suggesting moderate drinking carries relatively low risks.
Laura Catena, a physician and winemaker, also criticized the WHO’s earlier stance as misleading, saying credible evidence supports the health benefits of moderate wine consumption.
Julian Braithwaite, CEO of the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD), said the industry aimed to “take back control of the alcohol debate.” The group, which counts leading global beer and spirits companies among its members, has increased funding to push back against public health messaging and play a larger role in alcohol-related science discussions.
According to data released by WHO, global alcohol-attributable mortality rates already decreased by 20% from 2010 to 2019, a goal achieved earlier than its 2030 deadline.
Drinking in Asia
Reports jointly published by the WHO and IARD highlight wide disparities in alcohol consumption and regulation across Asia. High-income countries such as Japan and South Korea report higher per-capita intake than South and Southeast Asia.
In 2019, the most recent year available, per-capita consumption stood at 5.73 liters in China, 6.68 liters in Japan, and 8.19 liters in South Korea. In Southeast Asia, consumption was 7.85 liters in Thailand, 0.76 liters in Malaysia, 1.87 liters in Singapore, and a rising 9.34 liters in Vietnam. India’s rate was 4.92 liters.
Regulation varies widely. China has no alcohol tax and no advertising bans, while Japan imposes partial taxes and restrictions. South Korea has banned alcohol advertising and levies taxes while restricting availability. Thailand enforces strict availability limits and a full advertising ban. Malaysia and Singapore levy partial taxes and impose some restrictions but allow advertising. Vietnam has partially implemented all three measures. India has some restrictions on availability but no alcohol tax and no ad bans.
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