WHO Passes Alcohol Abuse Resolution
The World Health Organization (WHO)’s assembly has been meeting this week in Geneva to discuss, primarily, alcohol abuse. The Health Assembly is the annual meeting of the WHO's 193 Member States and it is the supreme decision-making body of WHO. It sets the policy for the Organization and approves the budget.
The main challenge of this year`s meeting is to curb alcohol problems in developing countries, which includes alcohol abuse and tainted alcohol made on the cheap, while managing to avoid strangling the healthy consumption of branded beer, wine, and spirits in developed countries. However, some people in the industry fear the WHO is looking to crack down on alcohol like it did with tobacco three years ago. We have some time though: the draft strategy will not likely be presented to the WHA for two years.
The beer, wine and spirits companies created a coalition three years ago called the Global Alcohol Producers Group (GAP) to protect the industry's interests. Mainly, the coalition wants to ensure that the WHO's policies don't interfere with the legitimate alcohol trade in developed countries, nor attack our alcohol infrastructure or regulation (three-tier system), or impose limits on advertising.
In particular, the GAP Group opposes high taxes and restrictions on alcohol availability, calling them “quick-fix solutions.” GAP believes taxes and restricted trade “are ineffective in addressing and assisting the minority who misuse alcohol” and may encourage black markets and illicit products.
Instead, GAP promotes initiatives and alcohol education to curb drunk driving, illegal underage and excessive drinking.
RESOLUTION PASSED. The World Health Assembly this week passed a resolution entitled “strategies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol.” The Global Alcohol Producers Group believes the resolution is “balanced and constructive, as it acknowledges the importance of the different national, religious and cultural contexts.” It also proposes a global strategy consisting of a set of proposed measures that governments will tailor to their culture and needs.